# I learned something new about lofts and aviaries



## Yong (Oct 15, 2003)

Hi all, I have not posted much because I got very serious into pigeon rescue and keeping. I had mostly an indoor loft with a medium flight area and was always led to believe that pigeons need the indoors more than anything, nest boxes, special perches, OMG you name it.... 

Since then a hurricane came through and wiped everything out. This time I made small living quarters, and a big flight area. I broke all the rules. the floor is natural. There is grass and mulch, and there isn't a roof over the general area. Just wire. Every bird from my Jacobin to my homers enjoy flapping, flying, sun bathing, and eating the grass too. They are overall healthier, the UVB is a large contributer to that. They take baths almost daily, and have nice full chests from all the exercise.

I took the upper perimeter of the pen and put boards up for walking. these are all reachable with ladders, for the birds who cannot fly. When given the opportunity, even the cripples like to be up high and feel the sun on them.

So not everyone lives in sunny florida, and a nice warm loft certainly does have it's place, and understandably so. When you see birds in cages, and so on, you don't give it much thought, until you have really seen them blossom in an avairy. Cleaning is a breeze too. I used to spend hours cleaning each week. I made myself nuts over it. Not having an overcrowded loft or avairy, and having natural flooring, has eliminated 95% of my cleaning duties, Whew!! 

Also I have found that when I have get an injured bird, that I believed could not fly or walk, etc...I found that being outdoors was like physical therapy. The supporting muscles grew stronger, and birds that weren't able to fly 6months ago are flying today. Thats a great thing!

Anyway, just sharing my thoughts. I personnaly will not be going back to a loft with flights. I now have an aviary with a bedroom for the birds=)

Oh...I forgot to mention...Building an aviary cost me $450 aprox. Building a loft...costs a whole lot more. An open roof avairy does require quarterly worming and so on. I also am doing away with special feeders and waterers, afterall, they are made to keep food and water from being soiled. We should change the water twice daily regardless.


yong


----------



## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Yong, 

Good to hear from you finally!!! I knew you were having log-in problems for awhile. I was sorry to hear that you suffered significant damage to your home and property during the hurricane

Sounds like your new aviary concept is a good one. Like you said, it wouldn't be feasible for everyone in different climates, but it could be very workable for you and others in the hot Florida weather. Good to hear that you will be worming regularly because this is one concern with natural earth floors for sure. You should also consider treating the birds for external parasites regularly as well because this will be another issue.

Good luck with this and good to see you posting again


----------



## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Yong, it's very gratifying that someone with your experience would recommend small living quarters and a big flight area. We set ours up that way to reduce my allergen load and because we didn't know better. I open the door to the flight pen first thing in the morning and the birds fly out to poop. (It's very sweet - the males escort their mates outside and stand guard until the hen is safely back inside.) Once I scrape out the overnight poops, the inside area pretty much stays clean all day.


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Yong, 


This sounds very good indeed...

I imagine the Grass will grow luxuriently..!

Climates of the North of course, can not be good for so open an arrangement, but for anywhere it is mild, this sounds ideal...

Years ago, when I had in effect 'my' flock, they roosted by night in my home, and by day, flew and grazed and so on to their heart's content. Comeing and going through the Kitchen Window at their own descretion.

This seemed quite good at the time in many ways.

My acccomidations since then, are less ideal, and 'my' flock has long been entirely out of doors and feral and those Birds I help, or raise from Babys, when releaseable, I release to them...and there is no out of doors near here which is not asphalt and cement and inner city hard.

Once I move to happier landscapes, I will emulate your method...climate permitting!

Phil
Las Vegas


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Welcome to the wonderful world of open aviaries!*

Hi Yong,

It is really good to see you post and I'm so sorry about the devistation Wilma brought.

I'm glad to hear you have a nice large aviary for your birds. There is nothing like sunshine and clean air to bring out the best in our birds. 

My husband built a huge aviary for my birds before the hurricanes of last year. They are attached to each coop, and they are walk in, and I just love it. I can keep the doors to the coops open and they come and go as they please, and so can I. 

It is open roof, but not open to the ground, I have it a foot off the ground, supported by a frame and walkway, and wire. The hurricanes of last year didn't damage or move my coops one bit, and that was partly because of the aviaries we built on.

Please share your experiences when time permits, and thanks for posting.


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Yong,

It sounds much like what we have here (I think Ali and Karen work on the same principle) which is plenty of aviary room for daytime activities and a nice cosy shelter for the night time and for nesting. 

I had begun to worry when I read that the ideal square feet to bird ratio applied only to the shelter and didn't take the aviary room into account, because lgreater part of my accommodation is an open air aviary.

However, I have to have wire panels as flooring because otherwise the rats get in, and in the end paved the inside area so that I could wash it down as the "natural" base became very poopy very quickly!

Cynthia


----------



## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Welcome back Yong, we have been worried about you. That was an informative and interesting post~Thanks!And, by the way, please don't be gone as long...make some room for us!!


----------



## Yong (Oct 15, 2003)

HI all, good to speak with you too. I recently had 6 birds in my bathroom due to isolation of various contagious diseases, and I was SHOCKED on how much dander was in the air. My filter filled in two days! It does keep down allergens for sure. As well as worming, Quarterly I do Baycox, Moxidectin Plus, Turbasol, and 7 Dusting. Any new birds get vaccinated for PMV and Pox too. It seems like a lot, but I know what it would be like without it. 

I built my avairy completely out of glvanized metal and plastic. the rate at which wood rots here is nuts! 

Yong


----------



## upcd (Mar 12, 2005)

*Sounds*

like paradise. I am happy your birds are enjoying thier new home. I to had a small wooden loft which I added a large flight to. Wish I had grass floor. I have been throwing in grass for them.


----------



## Cricket (Sep 1, 2005)

Great Post! My aviary is not yet built and reading your post has definately convinced me to continue to harass my husband to build us a large aviary area with a ground floor. I live in the cold north so our building plans are on hold until Spring. Once the Winter passes, the Aviary will blossom! I can't wait! I think this idea is wonderful and natural. Of course your birds are prospering! thanks for sharing.


----------



## alaska (Mar 17, 2005)

Hi Yong,
It must have been a while since you have posted here, as we have not yet met, however it's great to have you back here, where is sounds like you belong 
I live in Australia, and the warmer climate allows for a similar setup to that which you have described above for your birds.
My 'Loft' design is really just a smaller area for my birds to roost and nest, and then a larger area for them to fly around and exercise. This design is positioned under a pergola, which prevents any rain getting into the loft.
My birds too seem to love this setup, and love to sit out in the 'flight' section and sun themselves and do their helicopters.
Here is a pic of when I first built my current 'Loft' design:
http://www.pixalbums.net/post.php?site=Pigeon&album=Alaska&pix=nloftpen.jpg
I am looking to build a larger design shorty using a metal frame, I'll keep you posted on the new look when I build it.

Regards
Alaska


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Alaska, we all hope you will build a really, really, big loft so we can have more beautiful baby pictures.  

Maggie


----------



## Yong (Oct 15, 2003)

HI cricket and Alaska, Alaska, you're a great builder...yoou make my aviary look like a train wreck! lol Cricket, just remember if you have the room, build the aviary part on the cheap, and what money you save on that part will make a good apartment for them within. I had visions in my head of a big beautiful avairy, and I wound up with a big aviary that was not what I had pictured, but it was still beautiful because of the life within. It also saved me a bunch of money to go towards other little pij's that need help. Yong


----------

