# my new starter loft



## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

hi all just about finished my starter loft, what do you think, hope the pigeons like it.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

It looks lovely! I like the colours you've chosen for the outside. What are the two little hatch things for undeon the bottom?


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

Becca199212 said:


> It looks lovely! I like the colours you've chosen for the outside. What are the two little hatch things for undeon the bottom?


Hi becca the two think at the bottom are vents to let more air in. I got the design from redrose lofts, but i added a couple of fet to it.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Did you buy it or have you built it?


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

Becca199212 said:


> Did you buy it or have you built it?


I build it myself becca, it took about a week in the evenings after my normal work. I enjoyed every minute of it . Might start building a bigger one see how things go.


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## CUFFANDLINK (Jul 25, 2007)

How Deep Are The Boxes On The Wall?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Your loft looks wonderful. I do have one question though. Why do you have wire covering the opening going out to the aviary?


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Wow one week! Thats amazing, you must have worked so fast


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

CUFFANDLINK said:


> How Deep Are The Boxes On The Wall?


the perches are six inches deep, i thought this would be big enought in a small loft.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> Your loft looks wonderful. I do have one question though. Why do you have wire coviering the opening going out to the aviary?


Hi lovebirds, i put the wire on there because i thought if i wanted to let out certain birds i could and the others would'nt get out. the whole front on the avary comes down.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

Becca199212 said:


> Wow one week! Thats amazing, you must have worked so fast


I had a few cups of tea in between and a little help.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

jojo67 said:


> Hi lovebirds, i put the wire on there because i thought if i wanted to let out certain birds i could and the others would'nt get out. the whole front on the avary comes down.


Ok. I understand your thought process, but just a suggestion. As it stands right now, the only way out into the aviary is through the small opening in the middle. If a bird that you need to catch is out in the aviary, you can't catch it. It will take your birds about 3 or 4 days to learn this. When you start going in the loft to catch birds, they will scramble out of the opening to the aviary and sit out there and look at you (and laugh..... ), knowing you can't catch them.
My husband made out aviary a little deeper than it needed to be. My arms aren't long enough to stand inside and reach completely to the other side. My hens know this. They will go out into the avaiary and get as close to the far side as possible and just stand there. My husband has to come out a reach them.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

I was thinking of that too lovebids after i had it done, but i will see how it ges and if i have the same problem i will maybe make frames that can open .
I am underestimating how smart pigeons are, as you said they will go in there and they will laugh there heads off at me , i will probably laugh too.
renee the young birds i get when will they be able to mate.


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

It looks nice and clean. I like it and I like the colors




> they will scramble out of the opening to the aviary and sit out there and look at you (and laugh..... ),


Yes, they will...


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

jojo67 said:


> I was thinking of that too lovebids after i had it done, but i will see how it ges and if i have the same problem i will maybe make frames that can open .
> I am underestimating how smart pigeons are, as you said they will go in there and they will laugh there heads off at me , i will probably laugh too.
> renee the young birds i get when will they be able to mate.


Well, I'll tell you.........when I get ready to basket them up for a race and they do this to me, I don't laugh!!   You should see them standing there, with me reaching for them and they are about 4 inches out of reach........and they just stand there..... They are a lot smarter than people give them credit for....


Well, yea, eventually. LOL
I think you are asking can they be mated together? If you get peds on them, you might look to see how closely related they are, if at all and decide from there.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

KIPPY said:


> It looks nice and clean. I like it and I like the colors
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Its nice and clean now, the pigeons i am sure will make it like home.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Wow, I'm certainly envious of that loft! Looks amazing, and I bet it was fun to build. The birds will love it.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

I will have a loft of laughing pigeons, a need breed maybe. i think i will change it before they start renee. 
and the breeding the youngones i get now can mate next year as long as they are not closely related.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

maryjane said:


> Wow, I'm certainly envious of that loft! Looks amazing, and I bet it was fun to build. The birds will love it.


Hi maryjane, i loved the time it took to build but i will love it more when i get pigeons into it.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

I will have a loft of laughing pigeons, a new breed maybe. i think i will change it before they start renee. 
and the breeding the youngones i get now can mate next year as long as they are not closely related.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

jojo67 said:


> I will have a loft of laughing pigeons, a new breed maybe. i think i will change it before they start renee.
> and the breeding the youngones i get now can mate next year as long as they are not closely related.


Well, depends on when you want to start breeding them. Don't know how old these guys are, but lets say they are thirty days old. In January, they will only be 6 months old. I recommend a bird be a year old before breeding, especially the hens, but sometimes it might be ok at 9 months. Your younger birds have a habit of not sitting on the eggs long enough and it's simply because they just aren't mature and don't really know what's going on.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> Well, depends on when you want to start breeding them. Don't know how old these guys are, but lets say they are thirty days old. In January, they will only be 6 months old. I recommend a bird be a year old before breeding, especially the hens, but sometimes it might be ok at 9 months. Your younger birds have a habit of not sitting on the eggs long enough and it's simply because they just aren't mature and don't really know what's going on.


so renee it means that it would be better not to let this birds mate until at least 9 months old ,so if i wanted to race the ones i get now i will have to race them as old birds,not young next year.Is this right.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

jojo67 said:


> so renee it means that it would be better not to let this birds mate until at least 9 months old ,so if i wanted to race the ones i get now i will have to race them as old birds,not young next year.Is this right.


Yes, that's right. I don't think racing birds their first time in OB's is the way to go actually. I think young birds should be raced with young birds. Essentially what you are doing is racing a "young bird" that is considered an "old bird' simply because of the year on his band. It's still the same age as it would be if you had gotten them early enough in the year to race young birds this year. They will have no experience at all and will be competeing for the first time with birds that for the most part have already been through a young bird race season and "know the ropes".........that's just my opinon. Many people raise birds late in the year for the simple purpose of racing them as old birds the next year. I think you're asking a lot from the bird. There will be the exceptions of course and a few birds that will (maybe) shine, but for the most part, it don't work. Lots of birds are lost this way. 
If you're asking my opinion.. ......I would say break these birds to your loft, just so that they don't have to be kept prisoner, get you some breeders and raise your young birds from them for next year's young bird season. New flyers don't normally come into the sport with Old Birds their first year. If you break these birds to your loft, then next year when you train your young birds, you'll have some older birds that they can fly with and train with.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

maryjane said:


> Wow, I'm certainly envious of that loft! Looks amazing, and I bet it was fun to build. The birds will love it.


Hi maryjane i was just looking at your photos of all your birds they look great, how many have you.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

Ok renee so the best thing as you said is to get breeders or i was thinking to get young birds at the start of the season from the breeder i got the previous birds, so i can race them as young birds and they can train with the birds i will have this year and if i dont race the older birds until later in next year they should do better in a old bird race, this could get confusing.I don't want to be getting different birds bred from different people, i want to keep track of what i will have. For now i have a small loft and i will end up being overcrowded in no time. Will have to build bigger loft, wait until i tell the wife the good news.


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Cool red rose loft. I built a bunch of these and they are great. I did leave the devider that everyone is talking about here off of mine. I also make other little changes, like 2x4 construction, but they are red rose lofts. Here is some pics of 2 of mine.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

ohiogsp said:


> Cool red rose loft. I built a bunch of these and they are great. I did leave the devider that everyone is talking about here off of mine. I also make other little changes, like 2x4 construction, but they are red rose lofts. Here is some pics of 2 of mine.


hi i seen your lofts before on the redrose site i liked them and thought they where good to start with. I see on your loft the front does'nt come down but you have the trap in it good idea. how many birds have you got in it. i used heavier osb board to build it and add a couple of feet.


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

I have 12 pairs in my prisioner loft and a little less in my white loft. I have the added space of my aviary but your's is accually longer than mine right?


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## Young Bird (May 2, 2007)

I built a redrose loft a couple of weeks ago these are nice little lofts especially when you have limited space like me. I have 11 young birds in it right now. Oh and to get the pigeons out of the aviary I just rattle my seed can and they come strait in and the ones that stay out well I just get a sick and move them closer to me so I can grab them.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

ohiogsp said:


> I have 12 pairs in my prisioner loft and a little less in my white loft. I have the added space of my aviary but your's is accually longer than mine right?


The aviary is eight feet, but the whole lenght of the loft is ten feet. I will probably have to build another loft later with deviders.


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## jojo67 (Jul 14, 2007)

Young Bird said:


> I built a redrose loft a couple of weeks ago these are nice little lofts especially when you have limited space like me. I have 11 young birds in it right now. Oh and to get the pigeons out of the aviary I just rattle my seed can and they come strait in and the ones that stay out well I just get a sick and move them closer to me so I can grab them.


Ha they will come out when they are hungry, i liked the redrose loft when i seen it. I was looking through a lot of sites to get a simple loft to start with and the redrose loft looked ideal. I think my birds are coming tomorrow i should have ten young ones, i will post pictures of them in the loft later.


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## pigeonboy17 (Dec 20, 2006)

*Good Job!!!*

You got a great loft there. I like the colors you chose, very nice.
I hope you have many happy, stress-free years of raising pigeons.






Good Luck,
Colt


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