# starting out loft



## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

after looking through the lofts here, needless to say i have loft envy! but im just starting out and have little to no money invested here so this is what im working with for now, any tips or ideas to improve id love to hear!?





obviously its not done but hopefully within the week it should be



this was the back wall that needed replacing when i got it, i made it 2 doors so i had full access to the coop instead of reaching through the doors on the ends. these doors open to the back of the nesting boxes, 3 high and 3 wide per door, a seperator between the 2 halves and a 1/4x1/4 wire mesh floor. im very new to this and am looking forward to getting some birds soon. ill get pics of the interior up in the next day or 2

is it okay to paint the interior??


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

http://rochester.craigslist.org/zip/3982099414.html

You don't have to get this, but craigslist is a good place to look for wood.
Dave


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

yeah thats no small undertaking, not only do i not have the means to transport that amount of material but no place to store it if i did get it home. i wish i could just pick up the whole barn and bring it home!


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Found these on craigslist about a month ago going to make breeding pens out of them.
Dave


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## pigeon is fun (Sep 6, 2010)

the material you used is kinda weak.(not trying to discourage you) you should use more thicker size of wood. just a suggestion.


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## bigislerollers (Jan 20, 2008)

hthomas, I have just one suggestion. The aviary that you have framed up looks to be about 8 feet tall. I would drop that down to maybe 6 to 6 1/2 feet. The reason is that at the height that you have it the birds will be very hard to catch and will make for wilder birds. It will also be very frustrating trying to catch a bird that can fly over your head. At the 6 to 6 1/2 foot height the birds won't be able to fly over your head and will make for a lot tamer birds. Good luck........


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

pigeon is fun said:


> the material you used is kinda weak.(not trying to discourage you) you should use more thicker size of wood. just a suggestion.


couldnt agree more! this was kinda a low cost test fit, to see how it fit/work and how much space it took up in the yard. im gonna essentially build the frame out of 2x3s or 2x4s in the coming week

bigislerollers thank you very much for this info. ive been into aquariums for years and its always bigger is better for their tank, kinda just applied that to the aviary. it makes perfect sense what your saying(it'll make it alot easier to put the material on the roof too!) as i build the new frame work out of 2x4s ill do just that 8'x8'x6-1/2'

thanks guys and keep the info coming!


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## tick and twitch (Sep 26, 2012)

2x2s are fine to frame with I have two lofts with 2x2 frame and a small starter loft that is 4x8 that has no internal frame the outside 1x4 trim holds it together my dad has the same consept in a 4x 16 widowhood . its really cool how plywood really brings it all together


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

well after doing some inspection and spending a bunch of time on here looking at others lofts im gonna do a tear down, re-use what i can and build this thing better. found numerous places where the wood was rotted, yesterday one end sank a little and shifted the building out of square i think with minimal investment $$ wise i should be able to build it big enough to walk in and stand up while inside

ive decided to down size the aviary- height based on suggestions here and the length based on fencing material available.

everything i build i draw technical scale drawings (amature style) of first regardless what it is so ill try and post those here if anyone likes to look at that kind of thing


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

is it more important to have enough/more perches than birds or nesting boxes?? for example say i intend on keeping 20 birds do i needs 25 perches and/or 25 nesting boxes- do the birds sleep in the boxes or on the perches? 

if i have a hardware cloth bottom on the loft should i not put nesting boxes to the very bottom? same thing about the perches how high up should they start?


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

well i had a pretty productive Labor day. Unfortunately like many of my projects i get rolling and forget to stop and take pictures. when i called it quits yesterday for some cookout here is where I'm at.





this is an 8'x8' with a 7'-6' roof height/pitch interior and the aviary will be 4'x8' with a 6' height, 3' bottom up hardware cloth and chicken wire the top 3 and roof

also helping me to give up before it was done was the fact i ran out of materials, another trip to the lumber yard for 2x4s. found an old shed to dismantle on a farmers property that i plan to use for the frame work for the aviary. the face of the wall that is between the interior/aviary will have a door a drop box/landing pad and a window.


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## napcinco05 (May 10, 2011)

Even if it's not finished yet i know it'll be awesome. The ventilation i guess would be perfect. Good job man. Can't wait til it's done.


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## ThePigeonShack (Jun 14, 2012)

Iis looking good

keep us posted


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## Joe Black (Nov 21, 2012)

I love the space.. Its going to be great and your birds are going to love it..
keep them pictures coming...

Joe


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

How is the ventilation at the back going to work? If your area of the world is warm all year round then it will be fine but pigeons do not like drafts, You could probably put venting shafts down the bottom, wire at the top and have a shutter on the top one to close it in when its cold, The bottom one could also have a shutter system so you can adjust the amount of air coming through depending on temp.


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

That large strip across the top of the back wall will be made smaller and than have hardware cloth or chicken wire over it and than at night and in the cold weather i will have a piece of wood that is hinged to close it up with a latch. its hard to see but theres a similar vent on the floor that i intend to do the same thing with. all the windows will open or atleast partially open when its nice out too.


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

please anyone that has concerns or ideas of what to do shout em out! i am very open to ideas and suggestions as i have zero experience in this and am kinda just making things up as i go and looking at other lofts here on the forum

and thanks everyone!


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Looking good. My only suggestion would be always put your 2x4 roof trusses up edgeways, if you lay them flat your roof will sag if the span is long enough.


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

theyre 2x2s and the one in the middle is a 2x4 but its on its side :/ if I add more 2x2s will it help/improve it??


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I would put a 2x4 under them up edgeways to stiffen them up or your roof will sag if you get a lot of snow, which you will in NY. Or you could nail a 2x4 to the sides of the 2x2 up edgeways and one under the 2x4 in the middle should do it


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

little glimps inside, i seem to keep working till dark and than its impossible to get any pictures, my plans to get the wood work finished up tonight on the loft, paint the inside up and have birds in by the middle/end of next week. still gotta construct and screen in the aviary but thats a quick project


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## flight (Dec 29, 2011)

The loft looks great I just finished mine this year also. The birds are alot of fun. My next project is to put in nest boxes yours look nice. Good luck I bet you can't wait to get your birds.


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## jafacanyan (Jul 17, 2013)

looks great and spacious!


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## Crazybird (Jul 13, 2013)

The removable shelf in the nest boxes seems like a good idea. You might want to put some some type of front on them though. Mine are just simple boxes with a five inch piece of wood on the front to keep babies from accidentally falling out. Good luck with your new birds


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

thanks everyone!

yeah the left row and the top 3 in the middle have the fronts on,i ran out of 2x2 but have them on now. the build is essentially done except for paint and some finish work here and there.


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

well i have birds in the loft, needs paint obviously and the aviary is still not built, im salvaging wood from deconstructing a shed on a farmers property and finding the time between work and family is slowing that down, but atleast i have them in, theres room for them to stretch their wings and i can get inside and work on the loft/birds with out fear of them getting loose


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

and some pics of my birds

my fantails






and my breeding stock for my racing homers


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## hthomas (Aug 7, 2013)

first day out in the aviary today for my birds, it was funny to watch them perch at the door way and look puzzled by the fact that the door was open, took quite some time for the curiosity and courage to build up before they came out


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## talpog (Mar 16, 2009)

very nice, bro!


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## CGull (Mar 26, 2013)

Looks good, I need to get started on a new loft real soon here before the snow starts falling.


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