help with my new loft

[kingsley hannah]

hey everyone :)
*i have got a new (to me) building to house my white release birds,
i have included a picture of the shed as it was before i dismantled it,(i can see potential even if my wife cant :) ) and i would love to get suggestions from the group as to what you would do to convert it into the best loft, i know
it would be ideal to have a purpose built building but i cant look a
gift horse in the mouth, and the size is perfect for its location in
my yard, (2.5meters/2.5 meters)

my imediate ideas= a mesh floor, nest boxes on one side wall and t perches on the other, a post in the center with more t perches and the ability to drop a curtain trew the center so i can separate it into 2 areas,


*if anyone has photos of their drop traps could you please send them
to me along with dimensions so i can start planning how to build it :)


Kingsley Hannah
wings of love
new Zealand

[DEEJAY7950]

That looks like it will end up being a perfect loft! Congrats on getting the FREEBEE!

[DEEJAY7950]

WE will give you many ideas for sure, however today is Sunday and it's off to church I go! One very quick thing before i leave ---consider a solid wood floor if you can instead of wire I say this because i believe a wire floor if not constructed properly leads to many problems if your not able to clean it out frequently!

[Skyeking]

That is really nice!

I would also put in a solid floor off the ground, but that is because it is best for my area.

Make sure there is plenty of ventilation under the eaves, and that front area that is open, would be nice to add a big aviary and the trap system. Also there should be a good overhang on the roof to keep rain out. Is that a solid metal roof?

It's always good if you can have seperate rooms if you are going to have breeders, they need their own space and have different needs from flyers.

[kingsley hannah]

thanks for the ideas so far it is most apresiated to have knowlage fillterd down from experts and expereince people

i have built a concreate block foundation for the back and 2 sides and will be making up trays that will slide under (about 6" /12 cm) the wire/steel mesh from the front, this way i will be able to clean out ther droppings on a regular (2-3weekly i think???) basis.

it is a solid metal roof at the moment but i am planning on replacing 2 of the sheets with corgated roofing plastic to let a little mor light in as it will be facing away from the sun most of the time!

temperatures here a prety mild in winter (a few frosts and the very ocasional snow) and can be quite hot in summer so i am hoping that as well as ease of cleaning the added ventilatin will be good for the birds,
as for a celing i have been given the materials to make a suspeded celing and the panels to be suspended are ones used to go over llights, they white gridlike with 1cm holes.

[kingsley hannah]

also thinking of making a cat resistant landing board?

i thought i could have a split trew the middle of the landing board so that if it has too much weight on it it will drop down?
do any of you have problems with cats getting on your landing boards?
how do you solve it?
i have a bbgun to scare them but they r persistant

[ND Cooper]

Paint it! (you did that?)
Maybe this should be under loft designs?
I would dismantle it, and save the good parts, and build a loft for pigeons. (you did that)
How could you disinfect that thing?
I started with an old camper (pre internet days)
How many pigeons do you have, or will have?
What about Monitor Lizards? (just kidding)

[kippermom]

When my husband built my first "loft", we used a wire bottom...1/4 inch as that is what is required to keep critters out. In theory it seemed like a great plan!!!! What I found was that while seeds dropped through, all of the poop, feathers and down collected on the wires like cement and it became a real pain to get clean, using water, wire brushes etc. It was really messy and never really clean. I ended up laying linoleum over the wire so I can scape it clean. This all presumes a "reach-in" design. Wire won't work at all if you build a walk in...When we built the new walk-in we used a plywood floor and it is working out great.

[ND Cooper]

1" weld wire can work on the floor, if it has enough support.
It might be kinda expensive though.

[ND Cooper]

I've also just built another small loft with a wire floor, that has a poop tray under it.
It's not a walk in unit though. (unless I shrink!) and learn to fly up to it!

[kingsley hannah]

the tempary plan, is 2" reinforsing steel mesh with 1/2" wire mesh layed over top,
this should give the suport for me to walk on and the gap should be ok to keep it cleen,
the long term plan is to use expanded steel, the reason there is 2 plans is purely financial,

[kingsley hannah]

have you got pictures?

[ND Cooper]

Sorry, I don't have pictures yet, I have to learn how to downsize them first.
How many pigeons do you have?

[The Flying Kiwi]

it is a solid metal roof at the moment but i am planning on replacing 2 of the sheets with corgated roofing plastic to let a little mor light in as it will be facing away from the sun most of the time!

Hi Kingsley,

Here in Christchurch you will find 98% of lofts to facing North or North/west as you will know rain very seldom comes from the north here.
A dry loft is one of the most important things when it comes to keeping your birds healthy!

Kiwi

[kingsley hannah]

thanks kiwi,
where abouts in chch are you? i am always interested in visiting other fanciers lofts, to get ideas and gain a little firsthand knowlage
unfortunatly mu loft will be facing ssw but i will be ensuring that it stays dry i will be exteding the iron on the roof and will make covers for the avery for winter,
i have tonight painted and put a perspex window (coverd with wire mesh) into the door which will face north east so this should let more light in also,
i currently have 35 birds althouh i am trying to find a good home for my mottled kit, ie the coloured birds, i have some tumblers and i cant risk them breading with my white birds,
will post pics as i progress, i agree this thread should have been in the loft design area but i didnt know it existed lol