# First timer loft question



## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

Hello all, this is a great forum and I've already learned so much from here. My wife and i want to get some homerpigeons and maybe get into racing pigeons also. I was looking for advise from everyone to a newbie on building a loft. I wasn't sure if they had special needs to make these kind of pigeons more comfy in their home or maybe there's just something you wish you would have known the first time. Thanks all


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

Well it all comes down to how much room you have available? Depending on the room available and how many birds you plan to house, an approximate plan can be developed. 

A loft doesn't have to be anything fancy because pigeons don't know how to use a tape measure, but it does have to be well ventilated (but not drafty), kept dry inside all year round, and have enough room for the number of birds you plan to keep (overcrowded might be the number one cause of sickness). Perches for them to sit on (V perches, T perches, or box perches) and nesting boxes for them to use when breeding.


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

I live on half an acre lot in a wooded area. I am thinking 6 or 8 birds for starters but may want more. I have an 8 by 7 and a half foot floor that was here when I bought the house so I am going to build off of that most likely. Not sure why it was made at 7.5 feet rather than 8 but whatever, that parts done now.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I only wanted 6 birds when i started with a 3' x 6' loft and now I have 2 lofts with 30 birds now and had 50 this summer. I have no land. If I had that much land no telling how many lofts and birds I would have. I guess what I am saying Is build big.


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I only wanted 6 birds when i started with a 3' x 6' loft and now I have 2 lofts with 30 birds now and had 50 this summer. I have no land. If I had that much land no telling how many lofts and birds I would have. I guess what I am saying Is build big.


Love the way you think Shadybug. I was thinking of buildIng it so it was easier to add onto later if need be. Bigger and bigger as the fun starts.


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## brentjohnf (Sep 8, 2008)

If you build it they will come! 

Glad there still some out there that think ahead, unlike allot of us who get the birds then try to scrap up ideas on what you need to do for proper care and houseing!!


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

If you can aford it build it big enough the first time. I just rebuilt my nest boxes and it is a pain to be building when you have birds in there.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> If you can aford it build it big enough the first time. I just rebuilt my nest boxes and it is a pain to be building when you have birds in there.


Tell me about it. Always adding one thing or another. And yes, it was lots easier before the birds were in it. LOL.

Painting the inside will make it easier to clean, and that's something you can't do once you have the birds in there. I did the nest boxes, but wish I had done the walls. Too late now.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

When I work on mine I put the birds in the aviary with food and water and close the door for the day while I work.


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

I just got home with some lumber so i'm headin' out to make a little progress on the loft. Man i can hardly wait to fill it with pigeons and i barely got started.


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## meldrew (Jun 10, 2009)

Welcome to the hobby and good luck with your build. Building is a part of the fun of having pigeons.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> When I work on mine I put the birds in the aviary with food and water and close the door for the day while I work.


The ones on eggs get very upset if you do that, even if they are wooden.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

None are on eggs when I just did it to do my boxes their seperated now. I have the cocks in the breeding loft and the hens in the old loft.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Ah...........I see. I can't do that. I don't separate them. Mine are rescues and most are mated up. That would make thing easier.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Wingflapper said:


> I just got home with some lumber so i'm headin' out to make a little progress on the loft. Man i can hardly wait to fill it with pigeons and i barely got started.


 So how big did you decide to make the loft 10' X 50' ?


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

Well Im going with a 8x8 floor with a 8ft front side sloping back to I'm thinkin' a 6.5ft back wall. Thats about where I'm at so far but I have about 15ft of empty space to the west side of the loft...uhh "just in case" I need to add on later. 10x50....your funny man!


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Wingflapper said:


> Well Im going with a 8x8 floor with a 8ft front side sloping back to I'm thinkin' a 6.5ft back wall. Thats about where I'm at so far but I have about 15ft of empty space to the west side of the loft...uhh "just in case" I need to add on later. 10x50....your funny man!


Tell me i'm funny a year from now when you will say dang I should have built it 10 x 50, like shady said. LOL


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## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

welcome to PT Wingflapper

i build my loft last year , i was planning to build first a 4 by 8, then i saw it was way to small so i decided on a 8 by 8 but i was thinking what if i wanted to break it into two section later on? two 4 by 4 section is way to small so i decided then on a 8 by 10 by 8, here my PT albums when i was building it 
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/album.php?albumid=1582
i could break it up to 4 by 5 section, am i happy about it , not really i should have went for the 8 by 12 by 8 , break it up to two section and you get two nice 4 by 6 by 8 sections ,believe when i say pigeons ten to grow on you ,lol , started with 4 birds and now i have over 20 , when i come to building your first loft bigger is always better, I think lots of the guys here will back me up on that comment


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## Feathered Dragons (Oct 15, 2010)

My YB loft is 8X8 and works great for me. I sometimes have a few too many birds for that size but my birds are out loft flying all the time so there isn't really any fighting going on. My breeder loft will be larger due to having prisoner birds that need the extra room. So if you can loft fly all your birds I'd say you should do just fine but thats just my opinion.


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## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

Rafael I've never seen a picture of your loft completely finished. Could you post one?


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## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

yea once i get a camera, mines when down , just finsh cleaning the inside today because my birds are molten and had a ton of feathers all around not good for the bird heath or me i wear a mask and use a job vac to clean it up but they happy including my young birds i get this year, will be training my young birds soon also


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## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

Feathered Dragons said:


> My YB loft is 8X8 and works great for me. I sometimes have a few too many birds for that size but my birds are out loft flying all the time so there isn't really any fighting going on. My breeder loft will be larger due to having prisoner birds that need the extra room. So if you can loft fly all your birds I'd say you should do just fine but thats just my opinion.


you said your young bird loft so that mean you have more then one loft buddy,lol , and again you said sometime you have more then what you loft was made for which tell you . you need to make you loft a little bigger, =)


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

well here is a pic of the first 2 walls. 3rd one is on but no pic. Guess i better start checking craigslist for a front door soon because the front walls next!


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## Feathered Dragons (Oct 15, 2010)

Rafael/PR said:


> you said your young bird loft so that mean you have more then one loft buddy,lol , and again you said sometime you have more then what you loft was made for which tell you . you need to make you loft a little bigger, =)


Yeah I have 2 lofts, 1 for breeding and 1 for YB's. The only reason the YB loft gets a little full is I figure the head count will drop once I start training.


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

as i said i only planned on 6 birds for my loft but how many can i fit in an 8x8 loft, just in case i could get more later.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If giving them the MINIMUM floor space that the formula says they need, which would be 2 sq. feet of floor space, that would hold 32 birds. But to me, they would be crowded in that space.


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

Thanks Jay I thought there was probably a formula for bird space. I agree 32 bird in that space seems like it would be way crowded for them.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Mine is 8X10 so according to that I could have 40 pigeons. To me, that would be like packed sardines. They need room to move around. The more room they have, the healthier and happier they are. Crowded brings stress and stress brings on illness. You will be able to judge for yourself if you get more birds, as to when it looks like enough. I would think 20 would be more like what I'd want in that space, but that's me.


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## West (Mar 29, 2009)

Welcome Wingflapper. Have you met anyone in your area with birds yet?


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

No not yet. I was hoping to find someone close to get quality birds when that time comes.


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

Well here is the loft pic update. My niece and wife were painting primer in the dark by spot light last night and it looks great this morning so on to the inside today. Oh yeah, Rafael "the oil artist" thanks for the pics of your set up i really like it.


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## West (Mar 29, 2009)

Wingflapper said:


> No not yet. I was hoping to find someone close to get quality birds when that time comes.


Let me know when you're ready and I'll see what I can do.


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

Thanks West, I think/know i want some kind of homers but rollers look like fun to watch too.


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## mikeyg (Jul 11, 2012)

Seems like alot of trees around for the birds to make any kind of a really safe landing. Or is it just the picture angle?


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## Wingflapper (Sep 8, 2012)

It is a little more open in the area than pics show but your right and I was worried about the trees myself. I can prune more branches from the tree as needed though. So far I think there should be enough room for them to fly in ok but we'll see. I know it isn't as wide open as others but I am surrounded by trees here.


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