New loft in the making

[DynaBMan]

I am finally in a position to be able to add onto my loft. The loft I have now is facing to the north and I realize that is not the optimal direction. South is not good, considering where I am at, so I am going to turn the loft I have to face east and add about 13' x 6' onto the end of it. It will be open on the east side, with 1/4" hardware cloth and an avairy coming out of the front. I have a lot of ideas in my head (I actually go to sleep at night thinking of how I am going to do it) and I just hope I can get it put together.

I already have the roof and the back, made out of a giant sliding garage door that I cut apart and reassembled into two pieces. I am going to set it on 4" . 4" treated posts and the floor is going to be good solid plywood, with around a 2' strip of the 1/4" hardware cloth on the back wall, directly under the perches. I will try to make sure I get pictures for everyone, when I get it finished. Hopefully, that will be sometime next month.

[DEEJAY7950]

Congrats on your loft project, a true labor of love, one thing I don't really get and this by no means is directed only at you, is why so many people try to re-invent the wheel when it was never broke in the first place? This is in regards to putting in mesh floors in lofts? This can only lead to heartache's and more troubles than you bargained for, do yourself a favor and put in a solid floor you won't regret it! The only place I would use a wire floor is in a fly pen, this is JMHO!

[learning]

Originally Posted by DynaBMan

I am finally in a position to be able to add onto my loft. The loft I have now is facing to the north and I realize that is not the optimal direction. South is not good, considering where I am at, so I am going to turn the loft I have to face east and add about 13' x 6' onto the end of it. It will be open on the east side, with 1/4" hardware cloth and an avairy coming out of the front. I have a lot of ideas in my head (I actually go to sleep at night thinking of how I am going to do it) and I just hope I can get it put together.

I already have the roof and the back, made out of a giant sliding garage door that I cut apart and reassembled into two pieces. I am going to set it on 4" . 4" treated posts and the floor is going to be good solid plywood, with around a 2' strip of the 1/4" hardware cloth on the back wall, directly under the perches. I will try to make sure I get pictures for everyone, when I get it finished. Hopefully, that will be sometime next month.

Be aware that while 1/4" hardware cloth will keep the critters out, it also won't let the poop through. Trust me, I know this from experience. You will end up with a real mess. I ran into this with the floors of some of my aviaries. I also put 1/4" hardware cloth on the floors of my breeding nestboxes. After this breeding season I am going to rip it out and replace it with 1/2" X 1" rabbit hutch screening.

...and you thought you covered every possible issue! Just more to keep you up late!

Dan

[DynaBMan]

Originally Posted by learning

Be aware that while 1/4" hardware cloth will keep the critters out, it also won't let the poop through. Trust me, I know this from experience. You will end up with a real mess. I ran into this with the floors of some of my aviaries. I also put 1/4" hardware cloth on the floors of my breeding nestboxes. After this breeding season I am going to rip it out and replace it with 1/2" X 1" rabbit hutch screening.

...and you thought you covered every possible issue! Just more to keep you up late!

Dan

That being the case, then I may just install good plywood on the entire floor and just use a scraper. It should be that hard to scrape. I will use the hardware cloth for the front and for the aviary.

[DEEJAY7950]

Dy, You made my day you won't regret it! Please when you can don't forget to take pictures, we all just love pictures! Take your time, have fun, and get ready to enjoy many hours with your birds, I can sit for hours just watching them do their thing, it's amazing just how different each one really is so enjoy!

[DynaBMan]

Originally Posted by DEEJAY7950

Dy, You made my day you won't regret it! Please when you can don't forget to take pictures, we all just love pictures! Take your time, have fun, and get ready to enjoy many hours with your birds, I can sit for hours just watching them do their thing, it's amazing just how different each one really is so enjoy!

I will make sure I get pictures. Like I said, Lord willing and the creeks don't rise, I will have it completed sometime next month. I can also set for hours and watch my birds interact with each other and with their surroundings.

Wow, I am a senior bird now. I feel so special. LOL

[DEEJAY7950]

Originally Posted by learning

Be aware that while 1/4" hardware cloth will keep the critters out, it also won't let the poop through. Trust me, I know this from experience. You will end up with a real mess. I ran into this with the floors of some of my aviaries. I also put 1/4" hardware cloth on the floors of my breeding nestboxes. After this breeding season I am going to rip it out and replace it with 1/2" X 1" rabbit hutch screening.

...and you thought you covered every possible issue! Just more to keep you up late!

Dan

Dan, you would think with all the experience on this site we could guide the new people so they would get it right the first time lol and yet we are still learning (no pun intended lol) things ourselves, the things that work and those that don't, thanks for the heads up on the small wire, I was lucky enough or cheap enough to put in the 1/2x1/2 mesh for the fly pen!

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by DEEJAY7950

Dan, you would think with all the experience on this site we could guide the new people so they would get it right the first time lol and yet we are still learning (no pun intended lol) things ourselves, the things that work and those that don't, thanks for the heads up on the small wire, I was lucky enough or cheap enough to put in the 1/2x1/2 mesh for the fly pen!

My whole loft is covered with 1/2" by 1/2" (both lofts) and I've never had a problem. As long as it's a heavy gauge, nothing can crawl through it, (cept bugs) and nothing can tear through it.

[DEEJAY7950]

Forgot to mention< Dan becareful of that 1/2x1" wire a raccoon could get your birds by reaching in and pulling them down! I'm sure you thought of that and our taking steps that that won't happen!

[DEEJAY7950]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

My whole loft is covered with 1/2" by 1/2" (both lofts) and I've never had a problem. As long as it's a heavy gauge, nothing can crawl through it, (cept bugs) and nothing can tear through it.

Renee, you always say heavy gauge but really it never seems to be available on a local level, you almost always have to special order that kind of stuff and that can be very expensive Most of the wire we can get our hands on is the stuff that is stocked at our local "Tractor Supply store" or "Home Depot" and that is not a very heavy gauge wire! So if you have a secret sourse or supply please share it with us---pretty please!

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by DEEJAY7950

Renee, you always say heavy gauge but really it never seems to be available on a local level, you almost always have to special order that kind of stuff and that can be very expensive Most of the wire we can get our hands on is the stuff that is stocked at our local "Tractor Supply store" or "Home Depot" and that is not a very heavy gauge wire! So if you have a secret sourse or supply please share it with us---pretty please!

We buy ours at the local Lowes and it's 20 gauge. I believe that they make flimsier stuff but that's not what we have available. I was just throwing that out there. I don't know if you could by 1/2 by 1/2 in "chicken wire" gauge (whatever that is) or not, but IF you can, lots of animals could just rip that right open and help themselves.
I just know that the wire we use can not be easily broken unless you've got some wire cutters, and none of the critters around here carry those.

Now, I'm not so sure about the "20 gauge"...........I can't even find the stuff on Lowes website.

[rock]

A lot of the 1/2 x 1/2 wire at Lowes and Home Depot and hardware stores is 19 gauge around here. Same with Tractor supply. Plenty strong enough.

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by rock

A lot of the 1/2 x 1/2 wire at Lowes and Home Depot and hardware stores is 19 gauge around here. Same with Tractor supply. Plenty strong enough.

Yep, think you're right and that's what we use.

[kalapati]

Originally Posted by DynaBMan

That being the case, then I may just install good plywood on the entire floor and just use a scraper. It should be that hard to scrape. I will use the hardware cloth for the front and for the aviary.

this is the kind of flooring i have in my loft (see attached) and you can buy them here:

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies...;pgha2215.html

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies...15_HA2215.html

it's real easy to clean by just a waterhose, no scraping. the plastic thicknessis 1/2 inch gauge. a 1ft by 1ft square network of woods support it under and i can stand on it.

i have raccoons in my place but with the small clearance at the bottom edges of my loft they're not able to get through. about rats they cannot come closer 'coz i notice the raccoons are there every night thinking how they'll be able to snatch those birds...lol

the white wire mesh on the sides are shelvings that are available at hardware stores like lowe's or home depot.


kalapati
San Deigo
http://myracingpigeons.mypets.ws:81/jview.htm

[DEEJAY7950]

Looks nice indeed, expensive but nice, but I would be cautious only because it is plastic and can be chewed through easier than wire, please let us know how this stands up over time say a year or so!

BTW-- you've done a nice job on your loft and I love your birds, they look GREAT!