FINLEY I am getting me loft (i think)

[vegeta2802]

Hi everyone,
As some/most of you know I have been wanting to build a loft for my pigeons.
At first I thought my gp (grandpa) and dad would help but dad decided not to,
so it was just put off I guess you can say. We then bought a kind of loft for them
(some of you have seen the pictures) but it’s too small. So I am still going to build
them a loft. I have been thinking about how to build it (how I would like it to look)
and what feeders, nesting boxes, etc. to put in it. I finally got someone that will
help that knows about pigeons, not sure how well he knows about their living conditions
but he CAN help build, my gp may also help, so I just need your help and ideas to make
sure we can build a loft that will make me and my babies happy. It will have two doors
together so my birds can not get out when I am going in.

I have read other posts and know I can get some of the info from them, but I would
prefer if you can help me out renter then me trying to read them. Thank you
With questions like what wood to use, treated/untreated, and what paint is best?
I also would just love to here what you think. I was thinking of getting untreated
cuz treated has chemicals in it right? So I was thinking untreated would be best.
If so I would have to paint it right? And if I have to paint it do I paint before or
after I put it together? Probable after just making sure. Sorry about so many questions
I just want to be sure I do what is best for my birdies.

P.S. I do not have the measurement, but how many windows should I have?
The loft I am talking about making is a loft/flying pen together,
cuz I do not/can not/will not take a chance at losing my babies. On Saturday gp
and I are going to pries everything I may need. And once again THANK YOU.

[Charis]

GREAT, FABULOUS, WONDERFUL NEWS! Your pigeons have been needing this and especially with winter around the corner.

[vegeta2802]

lol i was going to make a inside cage for winter (almost my whole lol anything for my babies )

[Charis]

I just realized you thread says," I'm getting me a loft [I think}"
Have you finally run away from home so you need to live with your pigeon's?

[vegeta2802]

lol I wish. I could live with them not run away lol : D
i have thot of leting the birds have my room and me take the loft lol
i missed up on that but saw it after posting o well its cool.
can you ancer some of my ?s

[Charis]

Do you have a garage that you could build the loft up against?

[feralpigeon]

Redwood is the most durable, moisture and pest resistant wood that
you could possibly use. I would price out the differnce between Redwood
and Pressure Treated (PT). You don't want to use PT in areas where the
birds can peck at or walk on the stuff....very poisonous. Redwood on the
otherhand is safe for the birds and mildew/pest/moisture resistant.

fp

[vegeta2802]

ok thake you fp
and Charis no it is/has to stan by its silf

[Charis]

How much room do you have?

[vegeta2802]

I am not a 100% sure about it but 4 or so wide and 9 or so long but again this is what i think but win my gp come i well see or the other guy. thinking gp but.....

[Victor]

Hello Michelle,

When you build your loft or coop, it is best to place the front of it facing the south or southeast, so that the bird structure will get the first warmth of direct sunshine especially important with winter quickly approaching.

Hardware cloth, preferably 1/4 inch is best to use for the door and any vent or window openings you may have to keep predators out.

I personally would not put any windows facing the north, as the cold north winds could make it cold and drafty.

Pigeons are pretty resilient creatures but drafts and direct water could make them uncomfortable and ill .

They must have a good roof to keep the moisture off them and their food.

I have a fairly simple set up, yet functional and safe for our pigeons. We have 8. When we built it, we thought we would only have 6, but things did not turn out as planned. Make the structure larger to allow for bird expansion, should that ever occur. We have to make our coop larger now, but we have an adjacent flight pen which will be attached, but not until Spring though.The pictures of our set up can be seen in my web shots link, if you wish to view it.

The front of my structure has not only hardware cloth on the front openings and door, but also has black metal mosquito netting to keep flies, and mosquito's out. The inside has tracks around the openings where we slide Plexiglas inside during the cold Winter months, except the ventilation ports on the top sides.

The roof is also shingled and this fall I plan on insulating the top as well.

We have had our pigeon coop for only a year, but always find ways to make it more efficient for me as a pigeon keeper, and clean and comfortably safe for my wonderful pigeons as well.

[vegeta2802]

hi Victor
hey is a pic of what i have now. i have the neting stulff so i do not get fly and all that was well.

(CLICK THE PIC TO GO TO MY OTHER LOFT PIC OF MY DONE THING)



i am going to make it as big as i can but we do not have to much room.

[Victor]

I did see the pictures. You have some nice looking birds. How many pigeons do you have?

I see you have a small pen attached to your pigeon structure.

It is hard to improve when you have limited space or financial resources.

I am glad your GP is willing to help out.

I will check on your posting in the morning. I have a school bus to drive.

Good night all.

[vegeta2802]

lol ok
how meny pigeons do i have? do you mean in that cage or in all?
that cage 9

[maryjane]

Hi Michelle, how exciting for you that you are able to plan a new loft. What I've done with two of my self-built lofts, were to use....plain old PVC pipe as frames! It is very cheap at hardware stores (very cheap, about a dollar for ten feet pieces), and you can buy ready-made connectors for the corners.

A loft I had three years ago was made from this and was fifteen feet long, eight feet high, and five feet wide. With PVC piping, you will need to put a few extra pieces across the aviary to make it sturdy, but these pieces make great perches. There is a four-dollar bottle of PVC glue that makes the ends pretty much impossible to pull out of the connectors.

Then you wrap some 1/4" hardware cloth around it; for my second aviary, I used the smallest "chicken" wire available, which is less expensive (and easier to work with) than the firmer, thicker hardware cloth. Make sure not to use regular chicken wire, as rats can waltz right in through it.

If you use cable ties (the plastic kind where you put one end through the little square at the other end and pull it tight, then it can't come undone due to the notches in the piece) work great to secure the wire. They are easier to work with, rather than using baling wire to wrap around (very hard on the hands). You will need the thickest, strongest cable ties for this job, and keep in mind that in a few years you may need to replace them with new cable ties as they can deteriorate. Wire also works to tie the hardware cloth to the frame, but as I said, is hard on the hands. You could even use a combo of both.

I have built three aviaries using wood frames and was pretty much disgusted with all three of them. I even had a carpenter friend help out with one, and we used the correct wood, correct corner pieces, correct everything. Nails are impossible to use as they splinter much of the wood, and screws didn't hold very well at all. A few months of use with each aviary and they were ready to trash. I think for very large aviaries, wood is the best bet, and the wood that people use for those is larger and sturdier. But to build a small aviary with giant pieces of wood is difficult, as far as I've seen personally. Which is not to say it can't be done. I'm sure many others have managed it just fine and maybe I went about it wrong somehow. I sealed the wood and even then it got damp after a few months outside, and I used different wood for each one, and recommended wood at that!

If you do use the PVC pipe frame, it also makes the aviary lighter and easier to move around once you're done building it. Putting it up against the house or a garage wall is a great idea, for protection from the elements. When it is cold or raining out, I cover the aviary now with a thick tarp and it stays warm and dry. Many people like to build a "coop", or enclosed "house" onto the wire aviary, for their pigeons to go into at night or during the rain. You will need others' advice for this as I have never built one.

Hope some of this helps and please feel free to ask any questions you have. Good luck!!