# My Loft and Kit Box



## Fire_Baller_916 (Apr 17, 2008)

Just a plan quick set...Loft on the left side and kit box on the right side...Its 5feet tall and 8 feet wide...


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I'm glad you posted a picture of this.
Now I have a question. I asked it a long time ago and if I remember correctly, almost started world war III.... 
Why do Rollers have to be kept in such a small space?


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## bigislerollers (Jan 20, 2008)

Aloha Renee,

Roller fanciers keep their "kit" birds in these smaller "kit boxes" for several different reasons. 
Some want the birds to stay calm and quiet in the kitbox and not expend any energy flying around and to use all their energy in their performance when let out.
Some believe that the birds "kit" (fly together) tighter, therefore giving better simultaneous performance.
Some use *darkened* boxes to also help keep the birds quiet but also to keep the birds from pairing up. (If the birds start to breed in the kitboxes there is a possibility of a hen who is ready to lay an egg to injure herself while rolling.)
Some also believe that the birds kept in the darkened kit box will have a more active performance when released.
There are many other reasons for the smaller boxes. The birds are flown daily or everyother day so they get a lot of exercise and are healthy and don't seem to have any negative effects from living in close quarters.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

I like that!
Another thing about the size, if you only can keep a few birds, or only want a few, it works as long as you don't let things get out of hand.
Some of these, that I've seen, have a wire front and shudder type front doors, that can be left open (nice weather) or closed (bad weather)
I'm just finishing one that is 5' tall, 4' long, and 3' deep. perches only, but I installed a poop tray under the wire floor. I put in a piece of plywood, that just sits on top of the wire floor (so the birds can walk on it), when it comes time to clean, I'll just tilt it and scrape. Everything will go to the tray. The tray slides out, from the outside, so i don't disturbe the birds when I empty the tray. (plywood tray )
I'll post pictures sooner or later.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for sharing that, that is interesting. Do they get a normal size coop and boxes once they become breeders or retire from rolling?


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## bigislerollers (Jan 20, 2008)

Aloha Treesa,

Yes, they get to go into the "honeymoon suite" once they make it to breeder status. 

One more thing about the smaller kit boxes is that the birds are easier to handle and less flighty.


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