# Will it never end



## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Will it never end. I just want to finish my shed loft.


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## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

Wow I feel for you. Coastal Maryland has missed the worst of this winter other than the cold. I have been watching the news from my hometown in NJ and can't believe how snowy it has been. It reminds me of the winters of the late seventies / early eighties.


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## heeler (Nov 19, 2013)

OMG, I too can feel your pain...It's almost 70F in Florida today, with a little chill in the air.Brrrrrrr........HaHaHa..


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

heeler said:


> OMG, I too can feel your pain...It's almost 70F in Florida today, with a little chill in the air.Brrrrrrr........HaHaHa..


You know your not making things better


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Zippy said:


> Wow I feel for you. Coastal Maryland has missed the worst of this winter other than the cold. I have been watching the news from my hometown in NJ and can't believe how snowy it has been. It reminds me of the winters of the late seventies / early eighties.


When I built my last loft I worked all through the winter. I'm just had 2 babies hatch, and I would have liked to have the loft done to use it for the ybs this year, but they say warner weather is coming next week.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

I so hear you!! I haven't been on here all week. We finally got a break in the weather (we are no longer -40* F) but with that comes the winds (40 -80 mph depending on the day plus gusts!) 

Much of my work this week has also had to be 'bare handed' work, sewing together wire in corners of the aviary, and such. The loft is almost done... but there is still work there as well. I still have much snow on the ground, down from hip high, although it is sitting water underneath as you can tell as you go across...

I have one day (tomorrow) to try and get 'ladder work' done before the winds and snow come in again *Sigh* then it's back to trying to working on the 'sheltered' side of the aviary. 

Hang tight, you'll be getting in my leaving 'warming trend'.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Oh no, new forecast, 5 more inches of snow tonight. I just got all the paths cleared to the lofts.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Finally, Things are looking up. Lots and lots of robins in the neighbor's yard


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Those are probably winter robins. Many now stay for the winter and don't fly south. We have them here in N.E. all winter too. Used to be a sign of spring, but no more! LOL!


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Not sure, but we never saw them all winter at the feeders, till yesterday.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I want one of these beside my lofts to keep hawks away. This guy carved this last week at a house on the way to my work. Very cool. I wish the pic would have come out better, it doesn't do it justice. Look close at the trunk of the tree there are faces carved in there.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Not sure, but we never saw them all winter at the feeders, till yesterday.



Do you have crab apples or other bushes that have berries? That would be what they were there for. They don't eat birdseed.


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

Snowed today too. Only few inches not bad its better then the other day, fourteen plus eight on top of the piles from days before.
Had to clean the snow of the aviary taking it off felt like eighty pounds on a small thirty by fifty inches area.
There are Robins like never before I have holly trees and they are covered in berries but the Mocking bird watches over them and chases of the Robins.
Tomorrow I'm going to a state flower show, cant wait for winter to be over, that should brighten things up a little.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Do you have crab apples or other bushes that have berries? That would be what they were there for. They don't eat birdseed.


Yes your right, that tree they are under has little berries on it. but I don't know what kind of tree it is.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I want one of these beside my lofts to keep hawks away. This guy carved this last week at a house on the way to my work. Very cool. I wish the pic would have come out better, it doesn't do it justice. Look close at the trunk of the tree there are faces carved in there.



That is REALLY Cool !!! I have been wondering about all this kind of stuff myself... If it would scare the pigeons more, or help... Thoughts? If nothing else it looks great! I have a friend who lost two wonderful huge trees in the front yard, they had them carved the same way as "King" and "Queen" as they are side by side as you come up the garden path.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

sdymacz said:


> Snowed today too. Only few inches not bad its better then the other day, fourteen plus eight on top of the piles from days before.
> Had to clean the snow of the aviary taking it off felt like eighty pounds on a small thirty by fifty inches area.
> There are Robins like never before I have holly trees and they are covered in berries but the Mocking bird watches over them and chases of the Robins.
> Tomorrow I'm going to a state flower show, cant wait for winter to be over, that should brighten things up a little.


Good idea to remove the snow, that stuff weighs a ton when you get 'wet' snow. I'm so thankful I now live in 'powdery snowland' but still you have to be careful.... Mocking birds??? Ouuuuhhhhhh miss those guys, I don't see them out here. You know they can learn to speak human? They are our equivalent out here of a Magpie - but smaller.


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

Silver Wings said:


> Good idea to remove the snow, that stuff weighs a ton when you get 'wet' snow. I'm so thankful I now live in 'powdery snowland' but still you have to be careful.... Mocking birds??? Ouuuuhhhhhh miss those guys, I don't see them out here. You know they can learn to speak human? They are our equivalent out here of a Magpie - but smaller.


They can talk and make alot of different sounds. Between Mocking birds and starling I never know if its real or just a bird in a tree

Had more snow today, not much just a coating
I just have to knock off ice sickles of the gutter

Its winter  soon its going to be hot and sticky


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

NEG teens during the day on the way, with nights at NEG 30s. About another foot of snow too. I can handle snow, my birds can handle snow.. But these brutal temps are wearing! 

Thinking reptile heater? No one heats a loft up here, I'm thinking I may break down. Thoughts?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The reptile heaters do throw a nice heat, but you can only warm sections of the loft with them. I have used them to warm shelves or perches, to give the birds a warm place to perch, but now use an oil filled radiator heater in my loft. It's 8 X 10 and I wanted to keep the whole loft from those freezing temps. They will keep a hutch warmer, but just can't warm an entire loft.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I use one of those oil filled heaters too in my breeding loft and it works great, it stays about 40 in there.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

*Looking for Wisdom...*

Well I have heard words used various ways (and some seem really wrong) and have pulled dictionaries etc. LOL Trying to better educate myself.

What I have is an "Aviary"(?) A flying area of 25 feet x 12 feet. At one end is the 'loft'(?) a roosting area of 8 feet by 4 ft and 4 ft tall, it's divided into two sections and each side has 12 nesting boxes of 1x1x1 with a floor area (nesting boxes start a foot off the floor. The whole roosting box (8x4x4) is off the ground about 2.5 ft.

I don't want to get them so warm that the outside temps are a bigger shock to them. Just enough heat that they are comfortable.

I have a wireless thermometer in the 'loft' last night it got down to 12F, currently with NO SUN we are up to 22F inside (both are inside temps). Looks like we've always been 5* warmer at worst than the outside temps and sometimes as much as 12* but I'm still keeping an eye on it as most the time I'm out there working and don't have the temp display with me (I keep it in the house).

What are your thoughts about comfort for them? What about temp differences from inside to outside? Keep in mind that while we get pretty darn cold temps, when we have sun it's VERY warm in the sun and they like to come out -even the humans shed clothing when the sun is out due to it's warmth... Maybe just heat one side at night (the empty side) so they don't get 'too warm' ?? ***Currently we only have three pigeons. They are in dry straw that is very clean and warm. They've made little dimples in their sleeping areas on the floor. So far they aren't 'cuddled' up trying to keep warmer. Looking for wisdom..


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I don't like heating a loft, I think it can make them sick, the temp change that is. I expected the temp to moderate some by now, but that didn't happen, so I got caught with 10 babies and sure death without heat. I decided to save them and heat the loft. I do have a loft that I can't heat well and 2 babies in there, but their small enough that the mother can still cover them for a week or so yet. I have 2 birds in a open cage with only cardboard around two sides and a little box on the back with some perches in there. They have been in there all winter with temps below 0 many days and they are doing great. I I was not trying to get a jump on the breeding there is no way I would heat my loft. Although some breeds may not fair as well in the cold, I have saddle homers.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I always heat mine as I like to spend time with the birds and can't do that if it's freezing in there. Also miserable to try and scrape frozen droppings, which I do twice a day. At least I don't have frozen water either. And it hasn't bothered my birds to go outside in the colder temps. But then I wrap the aviary in plastic too, for the winter, so the cold winds don't blow through. The fresh air does come in from the aviary bottom and the top, under the winter roof there are spaces for air circulation. When I set up the bath out there, with the sun shining on it, it isn't near as cold as it is outside. And they still get fresh air. Don't think it bothers the birds by keeping the loft a bit above freezing. They like it warmer.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

*A great round up and chilly forecast for the week.*

Just put my birds up - early. I don't know if I got lucky, the 'baby' of the three let me catch him (Snowflake) and I put him on the landing board to the loft and in he went. Normally he tucks himself in, but like I said I put them in early tonight. Gracie did one flight circle thru the loft and decided it was time to go and in she jumped (1st time!). I turned and looked for 'Duke'. I said let's do this Duke! Circling once he landed and looked like he may have been thinking for a second circle. I gently held my hands up shoulder height and said 'you can do this.' I was several feet back (8?). He jumped in (his first!) told them I was very proud of them and closed their door for the night. 
Here's our forecast from tonight's closest news station. Snow is still coming down heavy as it has all day. Many schools, malls, and banks closed for the first time since the 80s.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I have so many babies that are getting to the point where the mother can't cover them, and its to be cold here till next Fri


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

I still have some snow left over on the roof
And another one is coming my way 

Going to Philadelphia's The Flower Show Sunday before it starts, haven't been there in few years hopefully it will start later in the day, i'll be getting back around six in the evening and the storm should start at three.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Raining now, but I'm sure it will turn to more snow soon. All the babies are ok as of this morning.


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## Mader631 (Sep 7, 2008)

Wisconsin here, us in WI. are getting sick of this big snow winter!!!!!


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## SODOVESFORLOVE (Sep 21, 2007)

here in southern Maryland they are calling for 6 to 10 plus tomorrow. ughhhh I hope my back holds up from shoveling


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## cire345 (Jan 5, 2014)

wow all that snow we up in Alaska haven't had snow for about three weeks only clear sky's the tempter has bean staying in the 30s 40s'F during the day at night 20s 30s'F


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## CarloSantoro (Jun 22, 2011)

I'm hopping these weather people are wrong.. So done with this snow


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

After the 15th it is going to be in the 60s every day and above freezing at night.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Good, all the white stuff should melt. Had enough of it for one year. Maybe two.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

It may not end but the break we are going to get this weekend will be a blessing.
Dave


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Yes Pete, It is -1 this morning I hope my babies make it through these next couple days they were all fine yesterday. I only have 2 that are in a unheated loft. I try not to disturb them to much so the parents stay on them. I only feed once the temp gets to the high of the day in case they get off to eat. If we can make it till the middle of the week, it will be close to 50.


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## njhntr (Jun 5, 2012)

Moved to Virginia 3 years ago to get away from snow and darned if we dont get hit two years in a row. Yesterday another 4 inches and oh boy two giant red tails just sitting in trees waiting Birds havnt been out in a week because of migration starting here in VA


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

0 temps tonight and 50 mph winds holly sh%^&%%$. Will it never end.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It's been like 50 here for a couple of days, actually 54 today. Now it's raining, going to freeze and turn to snow over night. Not a lot of snow, just enough to cover up all the black ice under a layer of snow. Slippery morning commute. Then supposed to be back to 50 by the weekend. So tired of winter..............................


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I know Jay, I was working on the new loft this morning with a tee shirt on and now it is below freezing and very windy.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

njhntr said:


> Moved to Virginia 3 years ago to get away from snow and darned if we dont get hit two years in a row. Yesterday another 4 inches and oh boy two giant red tails just sitting in trees waiting Birds havnt been out in a week because of migration starting here in VA


Where is bracey? My daughter lives in leesburg and woodbridge Va. We travel to both places often.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

Jay3 said:


> It's been like 50 here for a couple of days, actually 54 today. Now it's raining, going to freeze and turn to snow over night. Not a lot of snow, just enough to cover up all the black ice under a layer of snow. Slippery morning commute. Then supposed to be back to 50 by the weekend. So tired of winter..............................


Much the same here. It's getting to be a muddy walk down to the loft. I'm getting pretty anxious for better days. We get something resembling a nice day and there's 20-30 mph consistent winds.


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## njhntr (Jun 5, 2012)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Where is bracey? My daughter lives in leesburg and woodbridge Va. We travel to both places often.



Hello,
Bracey Virginia is southern Virginia right on North Carolinia border Roure 85 exit #4
Lasr exit in Virginia on 85
Thx for the note
Don


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## njhntr (Jun 5, 2012)

*location*



Shadybug Lofts said:


> Where is bracey? My daughter lives in leesburg and woodbridge Va. We travel to both places often.



Opps replied to wrong post scroll down to see my reply


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Last post here was March 13, here it is april 17 and I had waterers frozen solid the last two days. I took the heaters out 2 weeks ago. What the crap is goin on, must be that globle freezing everyone is talking about.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Minnesota and upper Wisconsin just had well over a foot of new snow, and expecting more. Meanwhile, in southern Wisconsin, we're in the forties to lower. fifties. Go figure!


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## aarongreen123 (Jan 26, 2005)

Global freezing haaaahaaha!


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

Well we got near 60 this week (a huge heat wave by our standards....) Following day?? A blizzard with a good foot of snow... Yea... I just want bright sunny skies with (lower) winds... Spring is asleep and I think we are headed for summer!


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

we had 82f last week, this week 1" of ice and snow 19f with wind.

I'm just trying to keep up with wearing appropriate clothing when going to work I need to wrap my self like the kid in the movie "Christmas Story" and on the way home i roll my sleeves up.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Here we are 1 year later asking the same question. I can't remember when it's been this cold. I have 3 babies so far. I just looked at 2 eggs in the pen with the heated bowl, the babies died in the egg before the hatched. I noticed that the eggs didn't stay under the hen, the botom of those bowls are flat not cupped. I had sand in the bottom and lot of times while I was feeding I noticed one egg out and not under the hen on those cold days.


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## flight (Dec 29, 2011)

Just put the nest bowls in last weekend hoping for warmer weather.Today was -10 should reach 30 buy next week hoping I didn't put them together too early.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I have 5 babies now should have two more in the next couple days. I hope it warms up soon.


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