# My loft and aviary pictures



## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

These are pictures of my loft and the aviary. I couldn't upload more images as I kept getting some error messages. Can someone let me know if the loft is good enough (spacious etc.) and the same with the aviary (it is roughly 10 feet x 10 feet x 12 feet). I have 10 pigeons now. Apart from 2 of them all the rest seem to be in their own world with no interactions amongst them let alone breeding. Some of them were to sold to me as breeding pairs but they seem lost in their own world. This is housed in the balcony adjacent to my bedroom in the first floor. There is a sunshade right above the loft which provides shade to it. Brick walls form two sides of the aviary and the other two sides are blocked with nylon wire mesh. The aviary receives plenty of sun shine and wind. Still is it too hot that tires them or is anything else wrong here? The door that is seen opens directly to my bedroom and I spend a lot of time watching them. Apart from one pair (hopefully they are of opposite sexes) none of them are taking any interest in each other barring few occasional approaches by two cocks. Apart from the sunshade above the loft the entire aviary is open and the ceiling is also covered by nylon mesh. Can someone help?


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Sorry, but for me your loft is too open for pigeons to feel safe in it and start breeding. Plus they're new,they will take time to settle down.
You gotta make adjustments to let them feel safe in it.

Are you sure there's no chance for an ariel or land or reptilian predator to get in their enclosure?


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

Yes, I am certain that nothing can enter into the aviary/loft as it is covered in all sides. If a cat wanted to jump in from above it will most likely get entangled in the net unless it learns to slide between the wall and the net but that is unlikely. Sure the pigeons wont understand all these, so how do I make them feel safe? But apart from 1 pair all the others are keeping to themselves? Can you tell me what steps i need to take to make them feel at home? How about the roof? Do I have to cover the aviary? This wont let the sunshine in.


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

The picture explains the situation well. This was taken today after they settled down for the night. All 10 of them in different cubicles, none in the company of other. This is what is happening, none of them are interested in the other. Is something terribly wrong?


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Most members,including me would ideally suggest you make a wooden enclosed loft for them.

-But if you can't right now then first step I would take is to move the wooden board, the front of the arrangement towards the wall at the right,touching the back of the wooden arrangement with the boundary wall on the left which has wire on it and bricks placed on it to keep the wire pinned. So that they see the wall at front feeling safe without seeing the world and ariel predators.
-Yes you need to cover half of the wire from up top so for shade and to prevent rain from coming in wetting the wooden coop/open arrangement. Pigeons don't need sunshine all day ,just for 1-2 hours per day. If you keep them under sun,they will get dehydrated. By covering half of the roof you'll have 5 sides covered up with one front side open,from which you've clicked pics, which is enough for ventilation.
-to make pigeons relate to their own box and you need to reserve one nesting box for each pair. And you need to lock the pairs in their respective nesting boxes with mesh wire at night for 4-7 days. For few days you need to lock them up in daytime too. You can let them free in mornings and evenings and lock them up in the reserved boxes at noon. This will help them settle and become comfortable at your place.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Beautiful birds you got there! Congrats

Thanks fr the pics


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## ThePigeonGene (May 30, 2014)

how old are they?

Pigeons can take a while to trust and settle to a place enough to breed esp if they are young

Also if they are young it will take them longer to figure out how to breed.

What you can try to to make the space for safe feeling is add nest fronts so that their cubicles are not so open since the whole area is very open.

kind of like this pic I got from google









have a small entrance (you prob should add a perch in front so they can get in easily) and the rest closed.

You say the heat is bothering them? What do you mean - are they very quiet? What are their droppings like?


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

More pictures of the loft and aviary


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

Got it Jass, will try to make the loft arrangement look more enclosed and convincing. Will also cover half of the roof with poly cloth, hope the hooks to which the nylon mesh is attached will hold the weight or will have to think of some other idea. Thanks for all the insights.


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## pigeon manic 12 (Jun 23, 2012)

That's a big aviary why not make a
Loft half the size the. A aviary the other half that's like a sanctuary haha


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

Hi ThePigeonGene, dunno the age of these birds but was informed that they were breeding pairs. They haven't lived up to the expectations so far but i'll take your advise to make the environment more conducive to them. Obviously I have to make few modifications to the loft to offer them some privy space but now as 1 pair has nested i don't want to hammer nails into the structure, will put up some thing in front so that it looks closed. Thanks for the wonderful picture -- as the old saying goes it does convey a solid message.

Regarding the heat, it was only my guess. They do keep mum and some of their dropping are watery, nothing very solid. I guess i'll have to start noting them and take necessary action.


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

Hi Pigeon manic 12, do you really think it is big? On the contrary I think it is a small place and wish they will learn to fly away and return to coop. I have strong advice not to let them out for a couple of months unless i want to loose them. I will be adding more wooden structure to the aviary and i feel it is small. Thanks anyway for your comment.


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## pigeon manic 12 (Jun 23, 2012)

Since there's breeders its fine but you could make like a small shed/loft in the corner and leave the rest for the aviary


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

Okay, will think how the space can be utilized better. I was of the opinion that the size of my aviary was too small. How long will it take for the birds to settle down here and come back even if i let them out?


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## pigeon manic 12 (Jun 23, 2012)

Have they been loft flown in there previous loft they can settle from a a couple of weeks to never if they were loft flown before and if they are a fancy breed and not homers and if the loft is more than 5 or so miles away I would wait a couple of weeks


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

As they were sold to me as adults (breeding pairs) (and they are full grown adults) probably they were loft flown and my sellers are all within a 10 mile radius. All the birds i have are homers, so you suggest they will fly back to their original owners if i released them? If I release them after they start to breed will they still fly back to their original owners and not return?


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

yup most likely they will, but agree you need a more closed in area for them to get comfortable and out of the wind, rain cold what ever weather. you will also need nest bowls and nest material like pine needles or small twiggs or even long grass, up in that one corner where the cloth is it is open from what I see anything can get in there, and the netting a rat or mice even snakes can get in even a hawk can break it if it wants your birds bad enough.. good luck on these guys ...


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

Hi Horseart4u, my aviary is housed in a balcony in the first floor, so its an absolute no entry for rats, snakes or any land based predators. A cat can only jump into the enclosure but there is no way a cat can get above as all our walls are high and steep. Like you say there is a small gap in the area which is covered with cloth due to shortage of wire mesh but that will be closed soon. I dont think a pigeon can fly away through that space. Hawks can't enter into the space as the nylon wire mesh with which the aviary is covered is quite strong and tightly held. I am not too worried about predators but I have to give them more closed private spaces which i will do so ASAP. Thanks for your advice.


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## ThePigeonGene (May 30, 2014)

hmmm if they're adults I'd expect them to coo esp in claiming boxes etc. 

EIther the guy told you wrong and their younger than you think (and not pairs) or they are not feeling too good.

watery droppings can be many things. Check their droppings first thing in the morning - that will give you the best idea on their health

Mine often have watery droppings during summer days because they drink too much - but at night and early morning the droppings are fine.

If night time droppings are wet something is going on.

Also drinking too much could be a sign that they aren't getting enough salt and minerals so they drink a lot to make up for it. If you think this might be the case, don't suddenly give them an overload of salt. Make sure you have good grit and a few days a week I add mineral powder to my feed (with a bit of oil) to give them a boost. You can also put a bit of electolytes in their water again for a bit of a boost. Don't do it everyday, just when you think they need it.


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## Ananth_Tvli (Jun 26, 2014)

yeah, you are right, i think they are not feeling too good. let me see how i can make them more comfortable. this morning i closed all the cubicles in the loft with a cardboard with just enough space to let them fly in. hope this will offer them some respite. i also think i should give them a better feed. so far i've been giving pearl millet, foxtail millet, polished rice and wheat. i will start adding corn, paddy etc. also have to feed them grit. 

will also check the droppings from now on. thanks anyway.


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