[themela]

Hello all,

I am getting ready to build some nest boxes for my homers. I've tried other "nest" and they like these boxes I have in there. Problem is now I have two large boxes and three pairs, so someone is odd-man (bird) out. Besides the two boxes are very large and take up too much room in the loft.

After searching through this forum for great ideas, dimensions and suggestions, my plans include a 4" front "ledge" (to keep eggs/babies from falling out. I'm thinking of hinging this 4" ledge so I can drop it down to make it easier for me to clean/scrape the box as needed (hopefully between babies and new set of eggs???)

I can attach a hinge to the bottom of the box and the side of the ledge. I'm thinking of using magnets to keep the ledge in the "up" position. Sorry I don't have pictures.

My dumb question is: would it affect the homers having the magnets anywhere near the loft. These are little 1" plain square magnets. I read that homers homing ability might have something to do with magnetic compass to get home. Is this the same thing?

Has anyone had any experience with magnets and homers? I don't want to irritate them.

What does irritate your birds? When I was a little girl, we had a ring-neck dove that was irritated with anyone in our family wearing a hat because he liked to land on our heads. I miss that bird.

Thanks!

 

[spirit wings]

I do not know if magnets would irritate homers or not, but what would irritate them is not having a nest box...lol... all the pairs should have their own spot, or you will get fighting going on over what is available. even if your not letting them hatch the eggs and using fake ones. pigeons need a place to nest and go thur the motions, it is what they do, mate, make nests and lay eggs, so I would be more worried about giving everyone nesting boxes and also enough perches as well.

 

[Jaye]

Good Q - l wouldn't use magnets - use some plastic kiddie-proof latches which are made to keep cabinet doors shut

 

[Skyeking]

I think it is not a dumb question either, and I would like to know myself.

 

[sreeshs]

You can try keeping the magnet near the nest or loft and observe whether there is any behavioral changes. I don't have homers but I have used nest boxes with magnetic attaches as lockers for pigeons which included local flyers and they didn't mind.

Just for information, magnetic fields are created by electric wirings also when they pass current through them, so a wired loft anyway has a magnetic field induced when passing the electric current.