# Traps..?



## Homer242 (Apr 4, 2006)

Can anyone show me a picture of their trap door or describe how they work and what do you need to make one?? Thanks alot


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## Jiggs (Apr 1, 2005)

I thought I did reply here, maybe it did not go through but here goes.

I know of three types of traps. A trap door which is very basically a hinged swinging door sometimes made of wire so it sort of looks like a comb so the bird puts its head through and forces it up and drops down into the loft and then cannot come back out.

A drop trap (which I use) is basically a rectangular hole cut into the landing board (about the size of your flat hand) then the birds can land and drop down into the loft. You can have more than one hole as well. The birds cannot fly up as their wings would be open

And then a trap that is ussually made of metal pipes that look like upside down 7's spaced next to each other which protrudes into the loft thus the bird can jump down from the landing board but not fly out again.

I prefer the drop through the landing board as the bird does not touch anything to get into the loft like the swinging bars which could slow it down if teh bird flinches or is hestitant as it is moving in the wing etc.. And as well if dropping through the landing board it drops into a "box" before it can get into the loft thus making catching the bird after a race so much easier as you do not have it flying around in the loft if it gets startled.

BUT once again only my opinion!!


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## LuisO (Nov 14, 2005)

The birds also seem less afraid of drop traps and are more willing to go in. I just made my very own custom Sputnik trap. It is still drying from the paint but as soon as I attach the wire I will take a picture of it and post it for you.

Luis


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

Search the forum on the word *Sputnik* and I think you'll find some pictures of that style of trap.

Someone posted a really good picure of a sputnik trap on their loft awhile ago, but I cannot remember which thread it was in.  


Bod Traps are also popular... that's what I use in my set-up...

If you go to:

http://www.redroselofts.com/starter_loft.htm

There are lots of pictures of varriations on this design... scroll down to the bottom and hit the links to pictures of other folks designs... a lot of these use Bod Traps and what I've heard called a "California Landing Board"... that's where the angled part of the aviary hinges open... there's a few pictures in there of folks lofts with the aviary open if you look through them all.

Good luck!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Here is a pic of a simple bob trap. We are currently renovating and repainting it, as well as the launch pad. The hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, made it quite nasty.

BE SURE to put an outside door on this type of trap, if you get one of these. Without an outside door, anything will trap, including predators.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Here's my sputnik trap - I like it because it doubles as an aviary. I have perspex sheets which cover it for the bad weather and the birds can still go into the sun without getting wet or cold.


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## Homer242 (Apr 4, 2006)

Thanks for the pictures!! For the bob trap they can push it in from the outside but push in out from the inside?? For the sputnik trap, are those always open?


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

The wires in the bob trap are longer than the depth of the hole so they will not swing outwards only inwards as the bird pushes in. The sputnik has a perspex sheet which covers the holes when the birds have all trapped.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Homer242 said:


> For the bob trap they can push it in from the outside but push in out from the inside??


You have to make sure the floor on the outside of trap (launch pad) is higher then to dissable the bobs from swinging out. Wheres the inside of the trap, the perch or pad, should be lower to enable the bobs to swing inward. There should be enough clearance so the bobs can swing inwards.

The outside launch pad of my coop is high enough to where there is no clearance for bobs to swing. 

I hope that isn't confusing


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## Jiggs (Apr 1, 2005)

Homer

A lot has been said but you have to realise that ANY trap no matter which trap is designed to keep birds IN.


It does not matter which trap, but ALL of them - if the bird is IN it's IN. If the bird is OUT it's OUT but can get IN but not OUT!!! LOL


Does that make sense? - so anything that you think off is to let the bird in the quickest but without letting it out!!

And yes the sputnik or "drop" as I call it is always open when the birds are free - but you can close it very easily with a plank etc.


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## Homer242 (Apr 4, 2006)

Yes I understand, Thanks


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## Symbro (Oct 28, 2005)

i dont think it got stressed enough. but on a bob trap the birds hesitate a lot. if you are using the electronic clock you are 'supposed" to have it inside your loft. atleast in my club. 

there is one trap not talked about here... it is a combination between the bobed and drop... basically the birds go into a drop box from the landing board and through the bobs to finishing getting into the loft. 

my next loft will have a drop type. i cant stand watching a bird pop his head in and back out as he touches the bars. 

all work... the question is which will work better for you!


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## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

*drop trap*

If a drop trap is a hole in the roof, then how do you stop rain getting into the hole when it rains heavily?

I could cover the hole with a board, but won't it leak if the roof has a slight slope?

Regards
Ellie


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