# Need help on Improving Existing Coop PLZ



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

*Need help on Improving Existing Coop *PICS PG2**

I am currently trying to figure out ways we can improve our coop. The coop was here when we moved in and was used for chickens. My husband made a few modifications and we now have 6 homing pigeons in it.

Unfortunately, the people who built the coop did not put fill dirt under it so it is level with the surrounding ground so it floods when we have heavy rains. Also, the way the tin roof is, it is allowing rain to come in and soaks the entire coop.

Being that we are in Florida, heavy rains with winds are a constant issue. I know we need to keep the open areas for ventilation, esp with the heat, but we are struggling with the wetness.

Also, dirt + moisture + food = ANTS. I am really pushing for some type of floor, like wood, to try to make it a drier environment.

Any ideas on how to fix the floor and how can we safely kill the ants? I am scared to put pesticides in there. I tried diatomacious *sp* earth and it did not work. And I was veryyyyy liberal with the application.

I will try to get some pics of it tomorrow. Its around 6x6x6 and it has a one way door thing with a landing pad for them to come and go out of. Then 4 nesting areas, a wooden ladder from the floor to the "loft" edge that was there I guess for the chickens before. The bottom half of the walls on 3 sides are wood with wire on top. The back wall is solid wood except for the door. Unfortunately, the tin roof has a slightly angle but there is NO over hang and it allows the water to run in and soak the coop. I would think SOME over hang would help with the rain blowing in. And obviously something other than dirt (IE mud) for the floor.

Thanks!


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Have you thought of just starting over? Might be easier in the long run.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you put down cinder blocks, or bricks and put plywood down on them as a floor? This would lift it up. Or put wooden 2X4s around the inside walls, and put in a hardware cloth floor. Of course, you'd have to have something under that to pull out and get at the poops. Also, something under it where you walk to support your weight. Or put plywood on the 2X4 frame. You could also build a drywell around it, and fill it with gravel for drainage. If it is wide enough, and deep enough, the water should drain down, instead of running into your coop. 
You still need to raise the floor, as rats can and will dig under and into the coop. They'll kill your birds.

Put another roof over the one you have, that is larger so that there is an overhang.

As far as the ants, put ant bait outside, under something so that the birds can't get into it. Some of the ant baits come inside a can or something that the ants will enter. 
Keep us posted as you improve it.


----------



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Start new. Dismantle the old ones. Then use those woods to create a semi-new one. Based on your descriptions the only working part of the chicken coop are the walls.

If you can't, then you have to make a sort of foundation which you then lift your old loft and put it down on the new foundation. You have to fix the roof as well.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

sounds like you put the cart before the horse. did you not know it was a wet place? wet and pigeons spells sickness. I would cage up the birds and start over, a wood floor off the ground, ventilation down low, in Fla you can have a bit more of an open situation as it does not have alot of freezing winds like other places. the chicken coop also should of been disenfected too, no telling what kind of bad microbs are hangin out in there being it is wet....


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Ya know, a little shed makes a nice pigeon loft. You can often pick them up for not too much money, then add windows and ventilation, and an aviary. They come in all different price ranges. 
Spirit wings, thanks for mentioning the part about disinfecting. Probably the most important part, and I thought of it after I had posted. I just came in to add that, but you had already mentioned it. She's right. Lord only knows what kinds of bacteria and the like are lurking there where it had been used before. Especially with a dirt floor. Many things live for years in the soil. Keeping pigeons is lots of fun and enjoyment, but that's if you keep them healthy. Sick birds are not fun, and it's expensive treating them. You also can lose many. Until all that is done, I'd remove the birds to cages for their safety. Good luck. Keep us posted.


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

*I* want to rebuild but husband is being very resistant to that idea.


I did disinfect the whole thing and left it for 2 weeks before we got the birds. I used Stallsafe, the same disinfectant I use for my horses. Its antimicrobial as well.

We had abnormal rains a few weeks ago (CONSISTANT downpours for over 8 days straight) and that is really what did it in. I went in each day and scooped the floor, put down "stall dry" which states it is safe for birds and has DE in it, and constantly replaced the bedding. So other than the walls that are wood and therefore wet, everything was dry, it was just having to be tended to multiple times a day, which needs to be fixed.

Is there nothing safe we can put in the coop on the dirt to kill the ants? I will try the ant baits and see what happens.

Thanks guys and I will try to get some pics soon.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I know borax kills ants, so I googled it and found this article.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Borax is made of 100% Borax, a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water. Borax is a fabric softener and Borax is not harmful to washing machines, plumbing or septic tanks and does not contain phosphates or chlorine. If you mix borax with sugar, the worker ants would carry them into their ant hills and feed it to the Queen ant. The queen ant dies after consuming the borax and the whole ant hill is destroyed. For more information: http://killgardenants
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although for some ants, you have to mix it with sugar to get them to take it. You probably don't have to even put it in the loft. You could probably put it along the outside walls of the coop, and they would probably take it. Although, if you were to sprinkle it along the inside of the walls, I don't think the pigeons would bother with it.
Lots of us use Borax in the bath water for the pigeons to keep mites and lice away.


----------



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

If you can't rebuild, then raise the coop!


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Thanks for that info on Borax.

As far as raising the coop... the support posts (I believe they are 4x4 posts) are deep down in the ground. At least 3 feet. Husband said he couldnt lift the coop due to that. He was going to try to lift it up and put cinder blocks under it and build a wood floor until he saw that the posts were in the ground. It is already just tall enough that I (5'7) can go in there to feed/clean/etc and Im afraid if we have to build a floor without raising the actual structure, it will be very difficult to move around in there.

Hmmm.... I think if I can find some cheap wood and come up with the plans I can get him to rebuild or just severely modify the coop.

I am going to look into the Borax. That is just the kind of suggestion I was hoping for. 

BTW, we have a waterer for drinking (like the kind you can use for chickens that has a shallow bowl and then a center cylinder that is gravity fed to only let the bowl fill up a certain amount) and then a 2" deep pan for bathing and all but I never see them bathing in it. Does it need to be bigger or something? They are allowed to fly each day and it is possible they are bathing somewhere else but they stay on the property (3 acres) for the most part and like to hang out on the barn and shop roof.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ixitellyixi said:


> Thanks for that info on Borax.
> 
> As far as raising the coop... the support posts (I believe they are 4x4 posts) are deep down in the ground. At least 3 feet. Husband said he couldnt lift the coop due to that. He was going to try to lift it up and put cinder blocks under it and build a wood floor until he saw that the posts were in the ground. It is already just tall enough that I (5'7) can go in there to feed/clean/etc and Im afraid if we have to build a floor without raising the actual structure, it will be very difficult to move around in there.
> 
> ...


cat littler pan works for the bath, with about a tabls of borax to the gallon. as far as the drinker goes, a gallon milk jug cleaned, with a hole cut out of the side makes a great drinker,it is hard for debris and poop to get in, in a few weeks make a new one, no need to have to scrub a drinker, just make a new one!


----------



## grau geist (Jan 17, 2009)

ixitellyixi said:


> Hmmm.... I think if I can find some cheap wood and come up with the plans I can get him to rebuild or just severely modify the coop.


I built this loft for about $250 in materials, and a weekend of my time to build it. http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f38/going-to-build-a-new-loft-have-a-few-35501.html


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Wow. That milk jug waterer sounds SO easy and simple. I have to clean the water every day. Genius. I love it.

grau, that is a very nice loft. Except the the aviary, it is very similar to ours but ours is like 6x6x6. What do your nest boxes look like? 

Also do you HAVE to have an aviary? Like I said, ours fly every day and love it. They start flapping and trying to escape if I dont let them out. 

Heres some pics of the birds.

This is Mr Boo and Roxanna - very upset that I was taking pics in the dark. I love this pic because Roxanna is giving me the stink eye, which she is very good at.









Mr Boo and Roxanna again









This is Tito, my boss male pigeon, taking a nice flight around the property









This was 6 months ago when we first got them.. You can see the trap door where they fly in and out.


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

And me learning how to catch pigeons.. hah - that is Madonna flying. She is Tito's woman.









You can kind of see how the coop is from the last pic. I am thinking maybe we need to place a solid wall where the bigger post is in the left of the last pic. That is where it goes from a solid full wood wall to a half wire wall. Maybe if I made the area that is already 1/2 mesh the "aviary" and put up a seperating wall, it will at least keep the back half of the coop dry... RIGHT? Did I just have an epiphony!? lol Did I even spell that right... heh.


----------



## grau geist (Jan 17, 2009)

ixitellyixi said:


> grau, that is a very nice loft. Except the the aviary, it is very similar to ours but ours is like 6x6x6. What do your nest boxes look like?
> 
> Also do you HAVE to have an aviary?


I thought the aviary was quite nice  I can close it with all the birds in the loft or in the aviary, and it keeps the rain/snow/wind out when it is closed. YES, as most will say it is best if you have a aviary, it is best for the birds to get some fresh sun light, and help learn their area from just sitting in the aviary. It is also a good place to give the birds their bath so you don't get the loft wet when the birds splash in the bath. Spirit wings, I just went and bought some borax and the birds are bathing right now 

I have not built nest boxes in mine yet, all of these birds are only a few months old, but I will build some next year most likely. 

Mat

P.S. not all dog trainers are the same!!!


----------



## Timber (Jan 6, 2009)

Where are you in FLA? I'm in Ocala. If its not to far maybe we can meet and Ill help you figure it out. I too got that crazy rain you mentioned and also like you have a metal roof which I hate! I plan on replacing it at the end of the YB season.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

spirit wings said:


> cat littler pan works for the bath, with about a tabls of borax to the gallon. as far as the drinker goes, a gallon milk jug cleaned, with a hole cut out of the side makes a great drinker,it is hard for debris and poop to get in, in a few weeks make a new one, no need to have to scrub a drinker, just make a new one!


Actually, I've used the pigeon waterers that are heavy plastic and work like the milk jug one, and I now use the chicken waterers myself. They work better. When you mix in probiotics, or medicine, or whatever, it doesn't always mix well. Lots of what ever it is will settle back to the bottom. With the milkjug type, or pigeon ones like them, the birds drink from the top. If they don't drink the water on the very bottom, they often don't get all the additive. With the chicken type waterers, they do, as they are drinking from the bottom where it has settled down to. For this reason, I think the chicken waterers work better. Mine seldom soil it. They can't sit on top of them, as I cut the top from a one litre soda bottle, and use caulk to cement them onto the top of the waterer. They can't perch on that. And even if I used the milk jug, I'd still be cleaning and bleaching every day or so. Easier to do that than to make another one. It's also easier for a handicapped bird to drink from if you have any, which I do.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

ixitellyixi said:


> As far as raising the coop... the support posts (I believe they are 4x4 posts) are deep down in the ground. At least 3 feet. Husband said he couldnt lift the coop due to that. He was going to try to lift it up and put cinder blocks under it and build a wood floor until he saw that the posts were in the ground. It is already just tall enough that I (5'7) can go in there to feed/clean/etc and Im afraid if we have to build a floor without raising the actual structure, it will be very difficult to move around in there.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Would it be possible to cut the support posts off with a recipricating saw, or sawzall? Can you dig down a little around each post, just enough to get in there with a saw blade? You could cut them off at the base of the coop. Then you could move or raise it. It shouldn't be impossible. A pain in the neck maybe, but not impossible.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

grau geist said:


> I built this loft for about $250 in materials, and a weekend of my time to build it. http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f38/going-to-build-a-new-loft-have-a-few-35501.html


Wow! You did a great job for $250. I can see that you're very handy. Unfortunately not everyone is. Be a lot simpler if we could all do that. Didn't take you long either.


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

I am just south of Jacksonville, across the river from Green Cove Springs.

I took some more pics of the coop.. am about to upload them.

I will talk to my husband about cutting the supports.

Also he informed me today that the coop is 8x8x7 - oops. Bigger than I thought.

I did draw up some plans that might work. 

He said I was expensive to be married to.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

ixitellyixi said:


> I am just south of Jacksonville, across the river from Green Cove Springs.
> 
> I took some more pics of the coop.. am about to upload them.
> 
> ...


If he thinks your expensive, wait til you ask him to cut the posts! LOL. I don't even want to tell you what mine cost. It started out one way, and changed here and there as we went along. 8X8X7 is a pretty good size. Now if you can just make a few minor fixes to it. The birds need good ventilation, an aviary to get outside into the sun and air, and a floor. A loft has got to be DRY. Diseases are spread in moisture. Bacteria grows in moisture. And NO ants. Besides, rats can dig under, and get into a loft with a dirt floor. This is do-able. You'll see.


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Ok guys & gals..

Here are some pics to show the design of the loft. Im not showing the floor because its embarassing... my husband is getting tired of me complaining to him about it. 

This is the front exterior. You can see the 3 areas where the wire is that is letting the rain in. AND the stupid roof with NO over hang (lovely design.. bleh)









Just inside the door and looking towards the back left corner. 









And looking to the back right corner


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Ok so I have been working like crazy on drawing up ideas on Paint. Here is what I have.... lemme know if its a good idea or not please.

So this is the exterior... still the same but it gives you an idea of where I want to place an internal wall to make the aviary.









So a more interal look. The aviary would be in the front right corner. The loft is 8x8x7 so enough room to do this and still be able to walk in there and feed and clean. I would then modify the back left corner to have 4 nest boxes (we have 2 mated pairs right now and a male and his offspring). Then put some more perches under the nest boxes on the wall. Obviously that ladder would come out of the existing loft. And of course, I want him to lift the loft and put a floor!









Inside the aviary. I wasnt really sure if I wanted to add more screen in here or not. The loft is right next to the fence where the dogs are. Obviously the dogs wouldnt be able to get to them but I dont want the birds all stressed with the dogs barking right in their face though they arent really bothered by them now. I was just thinking of making vents. What do you think? Oh and a little entry way with a ramp to get into the aviary from the nesting area that can be closed off.









And finally, this is the front of the loft to show where they would be able to fly in and out. We currently have the landing pad and the one way door on the back of the coop. But it would be very easy to move.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hi again ixitellyixi. Where to start. First of all, you have chicken wire. Rats can and will get in there and kill your birds. My sister lives in Florida, and they found a huge rat snake that had packed itself into a birdhouse, and eaten the resident birds. The opening to the birdhouse was very little more than the holes in chicken wire. I think a raccoon could probably tear through it. They'll also kill your birds. You are asking for trouble if you do not use hardware cloth on the openings. Then, from your picture, it looks like something has either dug under the coop, or at least tried to. Rats and skunks can dig under. Both will kill the birds. Now for your perches, they come to a point. Not good. That would be very uncomfortable to stand on. If you flatten off the point on top, so at least it doesn't hurt their feet, where you live where it is warm, they would be do-able. Better still are 2X4s cut to 6 or 7 inches long. If you mount several from their end, on a 1X4, then mount the 1X4 vertically on the wall, it makes great perches. Pigeons like to lay on their perch when they can, and with the 4" side up, they can do this. They'd love it. 
The coop could be fixed into a loft, but some changes are needed. The birds aren't safe in there right now. All this with the water and ant problem.

Can I ask you why you are not adding the aviary on the outside? Normally, people put an aviary on the outside, so that the birds can get air and sunshine. You are talking about making another section to your loft, only with large windows. You could build one out from the front window. There is also a large crack at the top of the door, which gives more access to rodents. If you keep dogs there, and they bark a lot, I would think it would make the pigeons nervous. If you are planning to raise the coop, is there any way it could be moved. 
I'm sorry to sound negative, but it just needs a bit of work to work. Not saying it couldn't be done, just needs work. I think that before worrying about making another section to the loft, I would worry about making it safe for the birds, and raising it, and a floor, and a roof that works. You need to keep the water out. The loft needs to be dry. These are much more important to the welfare of your birds.Make it safe and dry first. Then worry about another section. Maybe put an aviary on the outside front window.


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

ixitellyixi said:


> I am just south of Jacksonville, across the river from Green Cove Springs.
> 
> I took some more pics of the coop.. am about to upload them.
> 
> ...


*All husbands say that...........LOL*


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Well I can tell you we have no racoons or possums or anything like that. The only thing we sometimes have are rats. The way our property is, racoons and possums do not venture over because it is so flat and open and there is no where to hide. We dont even have squirrels. 

The birds do not react to the dogs. They will be out in the grass eating and pecking around with the dogs like 2' from them on the other side of the fence and they ignore them. I mean I could put the aviary on the outside but I was trying to keep from totally enclosing the existing coop. 

We are already in the process of buying more tin to extend the roof and then making more over hangs to prevent the water from coming in.

If we were to actually move the coop, it would have to be on the house side, which is where the dogs are. The only area where the coop can be on the "horse" side is where it is. If it goes on the "house" side, the dogs will be able to circle it and jump on it. We dont have a fenced off area for it to go so it really is in the best spot it can be in.

All the online V perches we saw people making came to a point. I have already modified (see the drawings) to have the 2x4's that are flat for them.

Could we just put another layer of the smaller mesh wire along with the existing chicken wire? That way there will be a double layer?

So if we put an aviary off the front of the coop... would we have to make soild wood walls where the wire is currently? What would we do for ventilation and air and light? I know you can have the vents at the tops and bottoms but it would just seem very closed in to me. Obviously they can go into the aviary and fly free but inside the coop would be very enclosed and even with vents, the humidity (its 97 degrees today and with heat index, over 105) I am not so sure how to keep them cool?

BTW, I just got back from Wally World and bought the 20 Mule Team Borax. I already put a cat litter pan out with water but they wouldnt go in it. I even took some and put them in the water to show it to them but they wanted nothing to do with it. Will it just come in time?

And just to repeat, the point of adding the other section to the loft WAS to make it so that there was still an open area for an aviary type deal AND to keep the rest of the loft dry. And that also includes lifting it and getting a floor in it.

Finally, if I could actually convience him to build a new loft.. but we would have to tear down the old one, so where do the birds go while that happens??


----------



## bcr1 (Jun 9, 2009)

You could make a 2x2 or 2x4 frame with hardware cloth on ti and attatch it to the outside of the existing aviary. you would just have to cut a hole in the wire that is there so they can go in and out.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

As far as the perches, pointed is not good. Not comfortable. 
Yes, you can just add a layer of hardware cloth over the chicken wire.
They will get used to the bath pan. It is just new to them. Honest, they'll love it once they try it.
As far as the aviary, I don't know what it is you are asking. Why would you put walls up where the wire is now? Remove the wire from the front window. Make a simple frame around hardware cloth that you can hinge to the wall to open and close it. Now you have the same window, only you can open and close it up at night. The aviary is just a frame, with hardware cloth for walls,that would be connected to the outside of the window. Since it is all wire, and no solid walls, it doesn't block either air or light. It can hang on the front of the coop, or run all the way to the ground.
Oh, I almost forgot. If you were to build another loft where the present one stands, yes, you would have to keep the birds somewhere else til it was built. Been there, done that. When I started with 6 rescues that I was planning to release, we just enclosed an area under the back deck. When we decided that we were going to keep them and build a loft, that is where it went. So we had to remove the birds to cages and delegate one room of my house to pigeons for a month! Not fun, but we got through it. Once the walls were up, I would run out there every Sat. morning, and put up the shelves and perches, and the like, so that we could turn them out in there for the weekend, where they could more around freely, bath, and just be pigeons outside of cages for a couple of days a week. Come Sunday night, we would have to bring everyone back in, remove the shelves and perches, so that the guy could work on it some more on Monday morning. You have no idea! Amazing what we will go through for our birds! LOL. But that is all behind us now, and we can laugh at it, and even remember the fun parts of it. We were thrilled when it was finally finished. So were our birds.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Check out this link. This guy just built a loft. You can see how his aviary attaches to the front of his loft. They also have them run the whole height of the loft, from ground to roof, or raise them on posts. All different sizes. How would this block air and light from the loft?
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f38/new-loft-37067-3.html

Ya know, people have started with a lot worse, and turned it into a loft. I don't really think that this coop is all that bad. I think with just a little bit of help, it could be a really nice little loft. Don't give up on it. It looks as though it is sturdy enough. You could get these things done in a short period of time, without too much effort. I would put a ditch around it, as much as I could, and fill it with gravel for a dry well, to keep water from coming in at the bottom, if that is a problem. If it is just the windows that are letting in the rain, then a new roof, or maybe even brackets with shingled boards attached over the windows, would give it an overhang.


----------



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

By providing some overhang on the coop, I believe can help fix the rain problem. I also supposed that you can just create a foundation inside to fix that moisture problem.


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Thanks everyone.

Well I woke up this AM to find my husband outside, cutting the posts, and lifting the coop. LOL I think he finally got the message. 

Will update later...


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

ixitellyixi said:


> Thanks everyone.
> 
> Well I woke up this AM to find my husband outside, cutting the posts, and lifting the coop. LOL I think he finally got the message.
> 
> Will update later...


LOL.........that's good.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That's nice of him to put the work into it for you. I hope you'll share the pictures with us. Once all these things are done, you'll love it. And better yet, your birds will be safe and happy. Does your husband like the birds, or are they your thing?


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Thank Goodness!!!! I tired to respond yesterday that the loft needed to be off the ground and my computer connection failed. I haven't been able to get back on line until this morning.
You owe that husband or yours.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I agree. You should make him a special dinner or something. And let him know how much you appreciate him.


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Being in Florida, you need to have an evacuation plan for the birds in the event of a Hurricane. Try not to accumulate more Pigeons than you can take with you if you need to get out. I have many animal carriers that I keep stacked up, ready to go with a towel in the bottom and clip on dishes, just in case. Often they can be purchased very reasonably at garage sales and yard sales.


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Thanks guys. Him and my step dad have been working all afternoon and only have to put in the last bit of screws. He had to dig down, cut the posts, jack up the loft, put more wood under the corners to lift it up, then frame out the floor, cut the notches to fit around the posts inside, and finally place the plywood and screw it in. 

Mr Boo and Tito are on their eggs and sat bravely as the men worked. I think they will really enjoy it.

I know the wood is pressure treated but should I put anything over it? 

And yes, I do have the best husband in the world.

The birds are both of ours. Though I am way more into them than he is.

And as far as hurricanes, we have.... 4? I think dog/cat carriers that we can use. We dont want more than like.. maybe 10 if that. So we will take the eggs or put fake ones. But luckily, knock on wood, we havent been hit with a hurricane in over 10-15 yrs. We are up in the northest corner, just south of Jax. The way the jetstream is, it pushes the storms up the coast. But we do have an evacuation system (I have horses, dogs, and cats) in the event it does happen.

Thanks for all of your help. I will keep this updated.


----------



## TheHusband (Jun 22, 2009)

ixitellyixi said:


> Thanks guys. Him and my step dad have been working all afternoon and only have to put in the last bit of screws. He had to dig down, cut the posts, jack up the loft, put more wood under the corners to lift it up, then frame out the floor, cut the notches to fit around the posts inside, and finally place the plywood and screw it in.
> 
> Mr Boo and Tito are on their eggs and sat bravely as the men worked. I think they will really enjoy it.
> 
> ...



< The Husband. I knew i could cut the posts i was just being resistant haha. Ive been a work for a very long time but ive busted out a good days work and made a lot of headway. 

Our birds get to fly everyday. Is there really a need for a detached aviary? it is pretty open as the pictures show, and in this massive heat the ventilation is more important to me than anything else. I will probably plan to put some shutter system up like we have on the barn windows, for abonormal rain that comes every once in a while to keep it from getting soaked! But The 3/4 inch plywood floor we put in should make a massive difference. I am going to change the perches to a more comfortable idea today. I want to rebuild the nest boxes also with wooden dowel bars, and doors that i can close in the event that i have to quarentine something. Wish me luck. ITs not that hard really just hard to find time here lately. Thanks everyone for the ideas, and help Its a learning process, but i can promise that they will have th ebest life possible as long as Telly has anything to do with it. She is the architect , and i am the contractor.

-Randy B (future pigeon whisperer)


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hi Randy, I think you're a pretty great husband to do all this. That floor will make a huge difference. An overhang should help the rain problem. Actually, I think it'll be very cozy inside. I'm not sure why you guys thought that an aviary would close it off. It's just a matter of hanging a structure made of hardware cloth outside. The front window would be how they would go into it. With a way to close it at night. The only wood is the frame. Some people put up a frame from the ground up to the height of the loft, and cover with hardware cloth. It really doesn't interfere with the air circulation, as the air moves right through it. Most people do add an aviary, as there are times when for some reason, you don't want to put them outside. Or if you are gone for the day, and don't want to leave them out. With an aviary, they can still get outside. I guess there must be others who don't. I wouldn't worry about that part right now. I wouldn't put one inside though, because, unless you add more windows, that would cut down the air circulation in the other half. But yes, it would help to have some way of closing the windows when you want to. You're doing a good job with the floor, and other things. An aviary can be something that you think about for later. The chicken wire should definately be covered with hardware cloth though. Mice and rats can get in. And snakes. Rats and snakes will kill the birds, and even mice can make them very sick. They carry salmonella in their droppings. The birds peck at everything. If they pick it up, they can become very ill, even die. Rodents have to be kept out. Very important. I know it's work, but it will be a great little loft when you are through. If you want to improve the air circulation, cut out spaces on the wall, near the floor, and cover them with hardware cloth. Air comes in and passes through, and out the windows. It helps the air quality a lot. Lots of our members are building lofts, and many are turning sheds and other things into lofts. You should check them out when you have time. It helps give you different ideas. And it gets pretty interesting to see what they do. Anyway, it's been nice to meet the patient husband and contractor, (and future pigeon whisperer). We just love sharing pics of the different ideas people have to turn something into a loft, I see things all the time that I didn't think of, and would like to change on mine. I hope you'll share yours when you're done. Or even as it progresses. Your wife will be very happy when it's finished, and so will your birds. Thanks for coming in to say HI.


----------



## ixitellyixi (May 2, 2009)

Well he went out and took some pics tonight. Sorry they are foggy. Its SO humid that the camera lens was fogging up. But here we go...

Floor... and yes its a mess - this was before clean up - the bowls and everything got pretty dirty in the process









Other side of the coop with the new and improved perches









Big ******, Little ****** (his offspring), Roxanna (on the nest) and Mr Boo, her man enjoying the partially done nest boxes and new and improved perches









The outside showing it off the ground - yay - now to fill in the holes and make it look a little nicer and get an overhang.









What is nice is that Tito and Madonna were both over on the other side of the coop, laying on the new and improved perches. They def like them SO much more so thanks for that info! Still waiting for them to take a bath!!!


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

OMG!!! What a difference! Oh it looks just wonderful. The birds look so relaxed and comfy on their new perches. I knew it would be cozy fixed up. It really looks great. Girl, you'd better make him a special dinner or something for all that he has done. You've got yourself one good man there. You can tell him I said so. It looks as if he is pretty handy with tools. He did sooo much in such a short time. You said there was a picture of the outside. What happened to it? I'd love to see that. You will feel better and enjoy them lots more now. They'll be dry and safe. Just the hardware cloth, and overhang. And the nestboxes will be much fancier than mine. Mine are just boxes, no dowels or anything. All they have is a 2" board that runs along the bottom to keep nesting materials and babies from falling out. As far as the bath, they will get in it eventually. Honest. They love to bathe. I hope you will keep sharing the progress with us, and pictures. We really love pictures around here. And thanks Randy.


Okay, I can see the outside picture now. Thanks for sharing them.


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Vast improvement...great job!


----------

