# Pics...feedback please!



## Great Falls (Dec 3, 2008)

Hi everyone...

I have been a lurker around here for some time and after reading everything I can to help get me started, I am finally posting. 

Here are a few pics of my little loft, I know its small but...I only want to jump into birds with 4-6 pigeons. I understand that 4 turn into 32+ really quickly, but I will make sure that doesn't happen. I run sled dogs and know how 1 becomes 3 which becomes 6 really easily! 

Basically, I was hoping to get some feedback on the little loft. What should I change? Will this hold 4-6 ok? Too cave-like? I live in North Central Montana. I plan on moving the Bob-trap to the top of the flight pen after a suggestion from another flyer. 

Please offer any tips, tricks, or feedback you have. I am brand new to this hobby and could really use someone setting me straight and making sure I'm on the right track. 

Thanks!


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## Great Falls (Dec 3, 2008)

*Another pic...*

Another pic of my little loft!


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

WOW!
very nice work there buddy
how many birds do you plan on keeping?
what are the dimensions of it?
what kind of birds are you planning on keeping?


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## Great Falls (Dec 3, 2008)

*Thanks fort the first feedback!*

Plan on keeping 4-6 homers. It not very big and that is my big worry, overcrowding even with that small number! It is roughly 6' x 4' x 2'. 

I got interested in homers as I am outdoors playing every weekend, whether running dogs, or backpacking, paragliding, etc. and thought that with the right training, I can include birds in these activities and fly them home! 

Any suggestions are great, I' m to new to know if I screwed something up!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Great Falls said:


> Plan on keeping 4-6 homers. It not very big and that is my big worry, overcrowding even with that small number! It is roughly 6' x 4' x 2'.
> 
> I got interested in homers as I am outdoors playing every weekend, whether running dogs, or backpacking, paragliding, etc. and thought that with the right training, I can include birds in these activities and fly them home!
> 
> Any suggestions are great, I' m to new to know if I screwed something up!


I think you mean 2' X 4' X 6'(tall?)..........if that's the case, you really don't want to put more than one pair of birds in there. And, even then, you're talking less than 6 weeks before you've got your self two babies.........and so it goes. 
The loft is cute. Really cute and PERFECT for a pair of birds, but, IMO, if you want to REALLY get into pigeons, you need to build yourself a loft. Not a BIG loft, but that one is either going to hold you back or you will get overcrowded in no time flat, and that's not good.
Now, what you COULD do.........is find yourself about 4 squeakers and start right from the beginning, training and flying those 4 birds. 4 birds that are able to be out of the loft on a regular basis will do ok in that size (for now)....but by the time they are around 6 months old, they start getting into mating up, breeding........etc........and you're right back where you started. 
Don't mean to sound like dooms day here, but I'm just trying to keep you AND the birds happy.


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

I also think its too small for more than a pair. Its very nice though.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

And another thing.......(I'm sorry ).....I know you are proud of what you've built and you SHOULD be,........but you asked, so............the cage that you have hanging on the loft really isn't very safe. A hawk could get his talons in there with no problem, not to mention raccoons, possums and worst of all, cats..........that's really heartbreak waiting to happen.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

4 to 6 pigeons can not live in a closet....the aviary bars are too far spaced for the small feet, 1/4 inch wire would be better.....it looks more like a kit box for rollers, which I know nothing about, but for homers.....yikes....


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## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

*Same Dimension...*

That's how I want to build for breeding coop but not standing...That's a cute coop though...

Strong Advice, only if you can...

If I were you be ready to build 5 times bigger than that in few months...I remember I had a smaller coop then family multiply like rabbits , so I end up making a lot larger than 4'H X 4'W X 4'D...I don't want to burst your bubble but 1 pair can lay 5 sets of eggs in 6 months, so that's about 12 pigeons altogether, then the 1st set will be mature after 6 months, next thing you know you'll have a whole flock of birds...Whew!!!, I can imagine how many birds you may have by next year...


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## Great Falls (Dec 3, 2008)

*Thanks guys!*

Thanks so far for the ideas guys. This is perfect, and the reason I posted on here! Sounds lik eI have some work ahead of me. Changing things out, adding on, etc.

I do plan on free flying them during the day and then a flight on the weekend so they will be getting lots of flying time. 1 pair sounds ok, although lots of folks around here have already warned me about the losses you can sometimes expect while flying them.

Thanks for the info and keep it coming!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Great Falls said:


> Thanks so far for the ideas guys. This is perfect, and the reason I posted on here! Sounds lik eI have some work ahead of me. Changing things out, adding on, etc.
> 
> I do plan on free flying them during the day and then a flight on the weekend so they will be getting lots of flying time. 1 pair sounds ok, although lots of folks around here have already warned me about the losses you can sometimes expect while flying them.
> 
> Thanks for the info and keep it coming!


Well then, if I was you, I'd start by getting a pair of youngsters and break them to the loft. Then you can go from there. You don't really want to put an adult pair of birds in there (prisoners) because it would be risky and a little difficult to clean without them escaping, unless you could run them out into the aviary and lock them out till you finish cleaning. 
And losses is something that you will always have to contend with. They can "just get lost" or they can get taken by a hawk...........just part of having pigeons that free fly.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

just to add, and with only two, you may find yourself with none if they get picked off by a bird of prey.....


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

1/4" hardware cloth is your best friend


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

What I would do is keep that little loft and add a large aviary to it say 6'x6'x the width. In here I think you could then keep a few pairs to raise you some flying birds. I would then build yourself a little flying loft like the Red Rose starter loft etc. I would upgrade that 4x8 foot loft to say 6 x 10 where you could divide it when needed. I would then keep this one for isolating breeding pairs etc. It is always to have space for separating birds and isolating pairs. This set-up would give you three small sections. This set-up could hold say 20 birds if you are flying them. 

My two cents. 

Randy


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

To give you an idea, I have a 16 x 16 foot loft with four sections two about 
8 x 7 and two 8 x 5. Here I have 40 birds. 60 birds max when raising youngsters. 

Randy


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

On the bottem of the page Forum Jump, in there you'll find loft designs, you should be able to turn yours into some thing that will make the birds happy.


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## pastabalodis (Jan 9, 2009)

I am just wondering how many birds you now have?


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

I don't see any vents. With that size I rather build a roller kit box. I think the depth should be a minimum of 3 feet so that pigeons can stretch their wings. You might as well reverse the box and ends up with longer length than height. In other words it will look like a rectangle horizontal wise instead of vertical. Just an opinion.


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