# Loft Question



## TheGame

What is more important when building a loft height or length??

Im thinking about building my first loft thats gonna be around 7'L x 5'W x 4'T and will be standing on about 3 feet off the ground.

What do you guys think??


----------



## trailbound

Height....Don't make the same mistake I did, and put 8 foot ceilings in a loft 16 feet long and 8 feet wide.* Catching birds is a nightmare.* I spent all day yesterday putting a dropped ceiling in (down to 6') and a partition right down the middle, (so went from 8 feet wide to 4')* so I am looking forward to catching birds up this am for thier toss.* The dimensions you listed is very manageable, but you might want to ad a foot in height, as stooping over all the time can get old really fast.*In the future the easiest way to add size will be to add length. Kelley


----------



## Skyeking

TheGame said:


> What is more important when building a loft height or length??
> 
> Im thinking about building my first loft thats gonna be around 7'L x 5'W x 4'T and will be standing on about 3 feet off the ground.
> 
> What do you guys think??


Length, is more important, but do make sure it is at least high enough to where you can move around comfortable get your birds, and the birds have some height to where they can roost nicely.


----------



## TheGame

So you think the dimensions im thinking of will be fine?? 7'L x 5'W x 4'T

Thanks!


----------



## Lovebirds

TheGame said:


> So you think the dimensions im thinking of will be fine?? 7'L x 5'W x 4'T
> 
> Thanks!


Depends on how tall you are. 4 feet isn't tall enough IMO. You need to be able to stand inside comfortably.


----------



## TheGame

Well this will be my first loft and I don't have the money to make one tall enough for me to stand in. 

So I figured id start out small with a simple rectangular set up. If I enjoy having birds and get more into it maybe ill upgrade it into something tall that looks like a shed.

Also what kinda wood you guys suggest using??


----------



## ezemaxima

My first loft was a cube 4'x4'x4'. The upper back 2 feet i had built 8 nest boxes and measured 1'x1'x1'. So there was 4 nest boxes across, side by side. I started with one then a friend gave me 2 more then my bro got 2 more from his friend then they started breeding. This was last year January...

Now i have a 10'x8'x7.5' loft with about 24 birds. But now i'm planning on dividing the loft into 3 sections so i can control their breeding.


----------



## TheGame

Thanks for the reply!

As far as material goes what kinda of wood do you guys buy and use?? I was at Home Depot today and they had sooooo many to choose from!! Im very confused to what wood to use and what kinda thickness the boards of ply wood have to be???


----------



## TheGame

????????????


----------



## ezemaxima

It all depends on you and the size of your loft. But I recommend getting treated wood to prevent termite infestation. My first loft was made from left over scraps from my friend's house remodeling. The only thing i had to buy was the 1/4" hardware cloth.

Found a photo of it just now..










Here's a closeup look at the nest boxes.


----------



## TheGame

Ezemaxima thank you very much!! Is it just me or is this pigeon forum rather slow?? Feels like it takes forever to get a reply...

Id like to thank everyone thats helped me so far!!


----------



## maryjane

TheGame said:


> Ezemaxima thank you very much!! Is it just me or is this pigeon forum rather slow?? Feels like it takes forever to get a reply...
> 
> Id like to thank everyone thats helped me so far!!


We have members all over the world and in many different time zones, so of course many people are at work, or taking care of animals/kids, or sleeping, etc., and therefore only get a chance to hop on and check the forum once or twice a day. That's why you can often get no responses for several hours, and then get several responses in a short period of time, or get a response every few hours over a few days. It just depends on when people are able to get on. Also, some members may not reply if they don't have any valuable info to pass on, or maybe if they don't know a lot about the subject you're asking about. So don't feel ignored at all, it just varies day to day on who can be on, when they are on, and how much they know about your subject.


----------



## TheGame

maryjane said:


> We have members all over the world and in many different time zones, so of course many people are at work, or taking care of animals/kids, or sleeping, etc., and therefore only get a chance to hop on and check the forum once or twice a day. That's why you can often get no responses for several hours, and then get several responses in a short period of time, or get a response every few hours over a few days. It just depends on when people are able to get on. Also, some members may not reply if they don't have any valuable info to pass on, or maybe if they don't know a lot about the subject you're asking about. So don't feel ignored at all, it just varies day to day on who can be on, when they are on, and how much they know about your subject.


Gotcha, thanks you Maryjane. Never really thought of it like that. But thanks for the info


----------



## Hanz

You don't have to make a "walk in" coop.

Here's what I did with a low budget:




























It's roughly 4'X4'X5' and it sits approximately 2' off the ground. I have a larger "aviary" and trap set up since those photos were taken. I also extended the doors down so they reach the bottom of the coop. The PVC is covering electrical conduit "bars" to keep out predators. 

The biggest change I should make would be to add an interior dividing wall down the center. There are times when I'm trying to catch a bird and they have me running from door to door


----------



## maryjane

That is a great idea, Hanz. You may want to add a layer of hardware cloth or small chicken wire on the bottom so nothing can get in.  Keep that in mind while you're building, Game; you want wire with no larger than 1/4 inch holes in it for safety from predators.


----------



## TheGame

IV changed my mind and decided to go something bigger now  .

Thinking of going with 8x4x6. What do you guys think about this size??

Also as far as ventilation goes how many vents and where should vents be placed??


----------



## DEEJAY7950

Cute small lofts, I think the 4x8 is a good starter size, the height depends on your height I'm 6 ft tall so a 7' height inside is good for me, everyone is a little bit different and height is important, but as large a loft that you can build is even more important because even if you intend to have only a few birds your flock will multiply fast unless you select only cock birds or only hens to keep, but what fun would that be?


----------



## ND Cooper

Mine is 8' long, 4' tall, and 4' deep. I only have 6 pigeons.
I go by 12 cubic feet, per pigeon.
My birds have more than enough room.
It is mounted up on legs, and it is cat proof.
The smaller amount of pigeons, for me, the easier it is to clean and care for.
I made sure that my birds had enough room for themselves during lock down.
They exersize every day, and have out time (fly time) for 1 hour every day.
I have no rodent problems, preditor problems, even my 2 hunting dogs can't get to them. (It's actually fun to see them try!)They gave up!
I don't get my shoes dirty either!


----------



## learning

TheGame said:


> IV changed my mind and decided to go something bigger now  .
> 
> Thinking of going with 8x4x6. What do you guys think about this size??
> 
> Also as far as ventilation goes how many vents and where should vents be placed??


As far as ventilation goes, typically you would want the cool fresh air to enter at the bottom front and the stale hot air to exit in the top rear of the loft. This takes advantage of the natural phenomenon of hot air rising. My loft is 4' higher in the back than the front so my vents are along the front in the floor (my loft is elevated about 5-7 feet) and the natural movement of air is front bottom to top rear. Even here in Georgia I have no problem with the heat or dust.

Dan


----------



## TheGame

I have been building my little loft and would say that Im about 75% done!!


----------



## TheGame

Well here are the pics!

Iv never owned a drill or a circular saw until a month ago or so when I decided to build a pigeon loft. So I went out and spent close to $350. I was scared to use the saw at first cause I didn't wanna lose a finger or kill myself! LOL 

This was also my first time buidling anything!


----------



## the bird man

hey game if i were you i' use red wood for the material it will stand weathering and repell insects and if you want you can check out my aviary album in my public profile i built it out of scrap peices of wood off of job sites and alot of poultry neting.


----------



## TheGame

Why can I only post 4 pics??

I have more pics that show everything step by step for anyone thats interested.... you just gotta teach me how to post more pics


----------



## the bird man

and i built mine next to a fence too


----------



## TheGame

the bird man said:


> hey game if i were you i' use red wood for the material it will stand weathering and repell insects and if you want you can check out my aviary album in my public profile i built it out of scrap peices of wood off of job sites and alot of poultry neting.


Yea im going to paint all the untreated wood and frames to keep it from rotting and from bugs getting to it.


----------



## the bird man

wow i just seen your pics that is a nice bird pen. never mind checking mine out your's puts it to shame


----------



## TheGame

Im still working on mine. Im not happy with some of my cuts because they aren't straight so im going to do more framing. Im also going to build 2 screen doors that will pull out and upwards to let me in or so I can open the mini doors and allow fresh air and ventilation for the birds.

Ill keep you guys updated tho on the progress im saying another week or so and it should be complete!

The birds I plan on getting are Rollers


----------



## TAWhatley

TheGame said:


> Why can I only post 4 pics??
> 
> I have more pics that show everything step by step for anyone thats interested.... you just gotta teach me how to post more pics


You need to put them in the Gallery and not post them as attachments .. click on the Gallery link at the top and upload pics to your hearts content.

Terry


----------



## TheGame

Here is my loft 99% done!!


----------



## MaryOfExeter

Looking very nice! Much better than my loft looks  Might I suggest painting the insides all white? Seems to make cleaning easier and helps keep bugs from living in the wood. Oh and the trap doors...the picture may not show much justice but do you think maybe the birds may have a bit of trouble getting through? I mean like, maybe they need a little 'landing board' attached so they can just walk right through the bobs. Just a suggestion


----------



## TheGame

MaryOfExeter said:


> Looking very nice! Much better than my loft looks  Might I suggest painting the insides all white? Seems to make cleaning easier and helps keep bugs from living in the wood. Oh and the trap doors...the picture may not show much justice but do you think maybe the birds may have a bit of trouble getting through? I mean like, maybe they need a little 'landing board' attached so they can just walk right through the bobs. Just a suggestion


Yea I am gonna build a landing board and will most likley paint the inside...

Cant wait to get some birds!!


----------



## jeepsterwannabe

TheGame said:


> Here is my loft 99% done!!


Wowser......Great job! I have been building homes for 15 yrs and havent seen someone buy their first saw one day and turn out a project that nice ever.


----------



## TheGame

Thanks! Yea I just tried keeping it simple as possible...


----------



## juanputik

ezemaxima said:


> It all depends on you and the size of your loft. But I recommend getting treated wood to prevent termite infestation. My first loft was made from left over scraps from my friend's house remodeling. The only thing i had to buy was the 1/4" hardware cloth.
> 
> Found a photo of it just now..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's a closeup look at the nest boxes.


wat is the dimension of this loft? it's kinda cool...hehehe


----------



## ezemaxima

juanputik said:


> wat is the dimension of this loft? it's kinda cool...hehehe



Here's my post on the first page...



ezemaxima said:


> My first loft was a cube 4'x4'x4'. The upper back 2 feet i had built 8 nest boxes and measured 1'x1'x1'. So there was 4 nest boxes across, side by side. I started with one then a friend gave me 2 more then my bro got 2 more from his friend then they started breeding. This was last year January...
> 
> Now i have a 10'x8'x7.5' loft with about 24 birds. But now i'm planning on dividing the loft into 3 sections so i can control their breeding.


----------



## Guest

sometimes keeping it simple is the best way


----------



## Kal-El

My loft is 18 ft long x 8 ft wide x 6 1/2 ft tall.


----------

