Pigeon Lofts: Free Loft Construction
--Since 1998.    (click on thumbnails)
 

    Recently I took the time to integrate all the ideas I have thought of and developed over the years. I came up with a unique concept for a maintenance free loft system. It sounds hard to believe I know, but after basically doing the opposite of what is considered to be the norm, I feel I have accomplished just that. It was definitely worth the effort of demolishing my existing lofts in order to start all over again!

    As I have stated before, Texas is a pretty warm climate and it doesn't take a genius to realize that an enclosed loft will only lead to more unnecessary talk on the subject of "Pigeon Lung Disease". Our family of birds and I deserve better. With this in mind I am sharing with you several photos that were taken during the development and construction in January - February 2001, of my maintenance free loft system. I do not pretend to have all the answers but after many years of trial and error I know this might be just what you are looking for!

    My idea was to utilize as much of the same conditions found in the rock cliffs and the old dove cotes of the past, with the present comforts and materials available today. Health and prosperity are its own rewards and so, If you want to increase the quality of your birds, from; egg production to healthier breeders, with only two days of loft building, then you might find the following information extremely helpful.

    The first concept is to make sure our birds were walking on a raised wire floor. This is imperative in order to keep the birds feet free of droppings and subsequently the birds as healthy as possible and at the same time, removing them from the hazards of a dirty floor, sometimes referred to as a "Deep Loft". The wire I use is "9 gauge expanded metal wire". It can be purchased at any local steel company for as little as $24.00 for a 4' x 8' sheet. This size of flooring is in my opinion perfect. When your birds are either on eggs or on their respective perches, you will still be able to reach in and handle them without entering the loft and disturbing the other birds.

      After building a 4' x 8' frame out of treated 2" x 4" I anchored the metal to the floor with "U" shaped nails and placed it on four concrete blocks, which in turn are sat on top of a flat 1'. square block. This gives the structure support and also maneuverability, (you may wish to move your loft at a later date). Untreated 2" x 2" x 6' are used on the outer corner uprights, but I place two 2" x 4" about 24inches in from each front corner and one in the center of the back wall. If you purchase 2" x 4" untreated wood (framing studs) and rip them down the center on a table saw it will save you a lot of money rather than paying for pre-cut 2" x 2". Do not use any treated wood above the galvanized metal flooring as it unhealthy for the birds. Treated wood is injected with arsenic and can kill your birds over a few short weeks. All the wood is attached using 2" and 3" wood screws. Several 45 degree braces are used for extra support, and in addition helps to keep the structure square and plum.. The top rail is screwed down into the top of each vertical wall stud for additional strength and stability.

      On the side walls, I measure to the center of the base 2" x 4" and place a 2" x 2" in the middle of the base. The 2" x 2" upright is sandwiched in-between the two bottom rails as a precautionary measure. All the wood is held together by 2" Screws.

      An additional top rail is added to the front of the pen to in order to slope the angle of the two roof rafters. On the front of the loft a 2" x 2" is placed 56" up from the wire and is there to make your entrance to the pigeon loft an easier one due to the fact that the birds will not be flying past your head trying to get out as they otherwise would be.

      A center wall is also added and the two 2" x 2" dividers are simply to give you something to nail the wire to later on and also to hold a perch system which will be covered later. The outside walls are also spaced to hold the wire. From this angle you can see the two roof rafters are spaced evenly between the outside walls and the center divider. The angle is attained by attaching it to the top rail on the front of the loft. For most weather conditions this is enough of a pitch to avoid any leaks.

      Now seems to be a good time to paint the structure and as you can see it helps you to get a better view of the loft up to this point of its development. In case you were wondering what the ground is covered with I have been very happy over the years using 3/4" pea gravel.

      3/4" pea gravel works very well for me. Whenever the ground needs raking the droppings come right out from under the cages and the gravel is pretty much left undisturbed. This is also the time that I start adding the chicken wire to the sides of the loft. Many people use only 1/2 inch wire to prevent snakes from getting in the cage. Over the years I have not had any problems with animals of any kind and as I like to see my birds clearly I use regular plain old chicken wire. It is easier to install and your fingers don't get smashed as hard with the hammer when you miss the nail!

      The expanded metal wire is very strong and yet flexible enough to support your weight without any additional support other than one middle brace. This is helpful as the droppings go straight through to the floor and do not get hung up on unnecessary floor joists.

      I attached two 6' x 10" sheets of plywood to the inside back edge of the divider wall. This makes the sizing of the shelves more accurate and a lot less hassle. Any spare 2" x 2" are used to make runners for the shelves to sit on. I make them roughly 8 inches long and they are attached exactly 10 inches from the bottom of the runner above. When you custom fit the boxes you will see how well this will work for you.

      The shelves are cut out of a regular 4' x 8' sheet of 1/2 inch plywood and are custom fit to the rails. The size of the shelves is usually 46" long and are 10" deep. This size is also by design as it allows the boxes (to be covered later) to fit perfectly without the birds having the opportunity to sit on the front of the shelf and pick a fight with their neighbor.

      Once you have the shelves in place you might want to take a good look at the water containers. They are custom fit to each and every one of the cages and are tight enough to allow the containers to stay in place and not be pushed out by the birds. This design works very well as the bird droppings never fall inside the container. A refill is usually needed once a day which also makes me fill them up with fresh water on a regular schedule. Once a week I slide the containers out and give them a good cleaning. Adding some apple cider vinegar once a day will also make this job a breeze as well as supplying the birds with much needed amino acids. A drop of bleach in the water once per month will also keep the container fungi free.

      After just a short week of work the project is starting to take shape. The whole system will give you the opportunity to fly, breed, and train your birds all in one. Simply place feeders in the boxes that have pairs with babies. The fliers will be fed once per day after their flight-time. If you want to start a new breed to see how it fits you, this is a perfect loft solution.

      I have studied many different perches over the years and they all involved lots of cleaning. The ones you see in the photo can be attached to a 5' x 1" x 2" and then hung in the loft with the help of two screws. The perches can be moved as you feel fit to move them. Best of all they are always maintenance free. When you have raised enough birds for the year, remove the breeding boxes and lean the shelves up against the wall. Screw some more perches in place and you now have a large fly loft.

      Just a quick photo showing the birds at rest and play. Contrary to what you might expect, there are never any eggs broken by the additional pairs as the boxes are only accessible through the opening in the center that is cut to allow one bird in at a time 4"x4". The pairs quickly pick out a box and go about their own business. There is no opportunity for the neighbors to pick a fight as the ledge is non-existent. As there is no space between the boxes a better time is had by all.

      I originally got my boxes from the local supermarket. The soap and water boxes are about the most sturdy and hold up well. You might have to take a utility knife and custom fit some of the boxes but the time involved will pay-off immensely. Take care to cut the opening for the birds in the center and about one inch up. At first I used the regular paper bowl but the birds ignored them and started bringing in sticks and grass to make their own nest. Taking a cue from my new residents I placed about one inch of fresh cut grass in each box. My concern with this at first was that I might end up with squabs with "spread leg". As soon as the youngsters hatched and produced dropping a nice round nest was soon made and not one bird has come out with a problem. (It is now August 4, 2001 and I have not used one nest bowl in eight months). When the birds are old enough I place them on the wire flooring and the parents lay again. After two rounds I empty the box and place more fresh grass in the bottom.

      A bird-bath should be placed in the cage once per week. Add some borax and a little blueing. Your birds will lay healthier eggs and feel much happier if you do take the time to allow them to bathe.

      Something that must be added to protect ones birds from predators would be possibly, a wood lattice around the bottom of the cage. I used 1' x 1' wire and attached it to the base of the loft as well as staking it into the ground to prevent the occasional digger! The front is completely removable and allows for raking clean once per week.

      As you can see it is a very attractive and versatile design. I have high hopes for it in my future pigeon dealings. Remember also that the water containers are now on the sides of the loft and away from the bird droppings. The large container inside is for feed and the other contains 33% red grit, 33% crushed oyster shell and 33% trace minerals.

      The bob traps give you the option of releasing the birds and allowing them to trap back in while you go about your daily life. At night, it is a good idea to place a wire cover over the trap door, to deter rodents from entering your pen and killing your birds. One night I came home and found a cooper hawk sitting on a perch, hummm!

      Due to several "shall we say" misunderstandings, I have found it necessary to purchase custom bands that have my name, number and date printed on the side. In the past there seemed to be some confusion as to who actually had youngsters from my birds. Hopefully there is now, no reason for confusion on this matter!

      I purchase most of my products from Global Pigeon Supply.