# converted shed?



## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

I am thinking about building a loft in my yard since I think my pigeons would be happier there than on my porch aviary - at least for the summer.

Is there any reason I should not convert a standard wooden garden shed into a home for my birds? I'm considering doing this for a few reasons. Would love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of doing this.

My main reason for not wanting a bona-fide pigeon loft in the yard is that I think most of them are ugly, and would attract negative attention from the neighbors. Whereas something that looks like a cute little potting shed and has some decorative plantings outside would blend in better and attract little to no attention. Does anyone have thoughts on the matter?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

amoonswirl said:


> I am thinking about building a loft in my yard since I think my pigeons would be happier there than on my porch aviary - at least for the summer.
> 
> Is there any reason I should not convert a standard wooden garden shed into a home for my birds? I'm considering doing this for a few reasons. Would love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of doing this.
> 
> My main reason for not wanting a bona-fide pigeon loft in the yard is that I think most of them are ugly, and would attract negative attention from the neighbors. Whereas something that looks like a cute little potting shed and has some decorative plantings outside would blend in better and attract little to no attention. Does anyone have thoughts on the matter?


Picture of the shed? How big is it? I'm not sure why you think that most lofts are ugly. SOME of them are and then some of them weren't at first but have been around for many years. Anyway.......in order to convert a shed, you would have to hang aviaries on it so that the birds could get outside. Perches, nest boxes, etc.......on the inside. Certainly could be done, but in order for it to be appropiate for the birds, it's not going to look like a shed when you're finished. You'd need ventilation which means more holes in the wall.


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## Big Boy (Feb 28, 2008)

I was in the same boat. I live in a community with a home owner's association. Pigeons aren't prohibited but its really easy for the neighbors to complaint to the association about ANYTHING. I built my loft to look like a child's cottage playhouse with a big red barn door and vegetables and flowers growing outside. So far no one has complained. I also keep mostly white pigeons so when anyone asks I tell them they're doves. Even my wife who thinks I'm a little off for keeping pigeons loves the white ones. Weird.


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## Big Boy (Feb 28, 2008)

Lovebirds, I think we posted at the same time. I should add that you are correct. I put plenty of ventilation in the loft but at the end of the day the birds weren't getting enough sun. I also lost a few because once they "escaped" they didnt know their way around. I just finished building an aviary attached to the loft. (Wife calls it the addition.) Anyway, now my cottage doesnt look so much like a cottage anymore. But the birds are happier.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Well, I'm pretty sure that amoonswirl's birds wouldn't be getting out at all to fly so that's even more reason to need aviaries. I was just saying that lofts can be pretty AND functional, but they'll never look like a "shed" if done properly. In order for the birds to be happy and healthy, it needs to be obvious that there are pigeons inside and not lawn mowers.


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

Hello amoonswirl,
I too am converting an existing garden shed into a loft and have spent much of the winter deciding on the right way to set it up not only for my ease of caring for the birds but also their happiness in living there. I looked at many, many lofts on different sites and found some that did look like what I pictured as a "pigeon loft" would look like, but I was also delighted to see many that looked like doll houses or a minature of the owners house, some on roofs...I could go on and on about the different structures.
I would suggest you look at the different breeders sites and do a search on 'Lofts' you will be surprised. While you are looking at the lofts you will also get ideas as to how you might want the inside set you too.


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## jack1747 (Sep 16, 2007)

*Thats what I did*

Converting a garden shed is just what I did when we got started 8 months ago. I had the shed and was going to get rid of it just before I got the idea to get some pigeons. I added another aviary to the rear and put a trap in the window. So far it has wooked well. The draw back now is I have no way to seperate the pigeons. So my plan is to build a traditional Loft and keep the shed also.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

There's 5 years worth of pictures on this site. You'll get lots of ideas. 


http://www.pigeon.org/showcaselofts.htm


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

jack1747 said:


> Converting a garden shed is just what I did when we got started 8 months ago. I had the shed and was going to get rid of it just before I got the idea to get some pigeons. I added another aviary to the rear and put a trap in the window. So far it has wooked well. The draw back now is I have no way to seperate the pigeons. So my plan is to build a traditional Loft and keep the shed also.


That's looks pretty darn good to me!! I see that familiar bag of Browns feed.


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

jack1747 said:


> Converting a garden shed is just what I did when we got started 8 months ago. I had the shed and was going to get rid of it just before I got the idea to get some pigeons. I added another aviary to the rear and put a trap in the window. So far it has wooked well. The draw back now is I have no way to seperate the pigeons. So my plan is to build a traditional Loft and keep the shed also.



Hi,
Thanks for sharing your photos, I loved seeing your loft. It looks so nice inside and your pijs look very happy too.


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

My pigeons live in a converted room, you can call them sheds too. Pigeons are very hardy and can live almost in any condition. Although I must say that air circulation is a must to control the heat and dust in the loft.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Wow! Never expected to get so many responses in such a short time, thanks everyone!

As for the end result not looking like a shed, I was thinking I would hang the aviaries on the side or sides of the shed that are not visible to the neighbors. Also I would cut some extra ventilation holes and of course deck out the inside with perches, nest boxes, and everything else a pigeon could want. But the side that's more visible to neighbors would look more like a garden shed. (I'm also a little nervous about curious kids getting into my loft...if it looks like a shed and the birds are not too apparent, there's a smaller chance of that happening. A padlock will also be a must-have. But camouflage also seems like a good idea.)

jack1747 - Your converted shed looks great! Thanks for the photos. Another reason I am thinking of using a shed is that they are widely available. And it seems easier to me to start with an existing structure and modify it than it would be to start from scratch. My carpentry skills are quite limited, as are my husband's. But I think we could handle making modifications. (Maybe that logic is flawed, but that's the way I have been thinking about it.)

Renee and EgypSwiftLady thanks for the link to the showcase lofts and suggestions to look for more photos - indeed some of them are just gorgeous!! Apparently I have just not seen enough lofts. I'm going to keep looking...


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

We have a shed with a flight on the end, which is our last extension to the 'old' aviary. Cynthia had an old garden shed for years, and we decided that replacement was a better option than repair. It hastwo side windows facing into the garden, which are unglazed but covered with strong aviary mesh and which have planted window boxes outside. The windows also have a sloping 'porch roof' above for weather protection. The door opens into the flight pen. We had tiers of nest boxes made and fitted against the back wall and either side of the door. We have wired the floor and walls inside, and ensured that ventilation slots are rodent-proofed. 

The first pic shows the end of the old aviary where it meets the short flight pen leading into the shed. The solid wall where the woodchipped area starts was removed and a second interior security door installed (they are both open for this pic). We had to leave the big nest box area on the left intact, as it had been home for one of the original residents and his mate for years. Beneath it is a hatch through which the birds would normally walk or fly. The interior security doors are usually closed, of course. 

The second pic shows where the new flight leads into the shed (which had only a few residents at the time - they were slow to explore the new housing). The third pic show some of the gang lounging or nesting at the back of the shed.


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

Loved the photos John, I see you have a patio brick(?) floor in the top photo, to clean that do you just spray it down with a garden hose? I bet it helps keep the birds nails filed down.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

EgypSwiftLady said:


> Loved the photos John, I see you have a patio brick(?) floor in the top photo, to clean that do you just spray it down with a garden hose? I bet it helps keep the birds nails filed down.


At present, it gets scrubbed down with buckets of hot water and liquid soap or thin bleach, preceded by some scraping if needed. Cynthia will be getting an outside water tap installed, though, so we can use a power washer (pigeons stay out of the way when cleaning in progress).

John


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

John_D said:


> At present, it gets scrubbed down with buckets of hot water and liquid soap or thin bleach, preceded by some scraping if needed. Cynthia will be getting an outside water tap installed, though, so we can use a power washer (pigeons stay out of the way when cleaning in progress).
> 
> John


 

Thanks John. Those power washers make the job soooo much easier.


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## jack1747 (Sep 16, 2007)

EgypSwiftLady said:


> Thanks John. Those power washers make the job soooo much easier.


but it takes forever for their feathers to grow back


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

jack1747 said:


> but it takes forever for their feathers to grow back




 I have a picture in my mind of little naked pigeons walking around a loft.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

EgypSwiftLady said:


> Thanks John. Those power washers make the job soooo much easier.






jack1747 said:


> but it takes forever for their feathers to grow back



 FUNNY!!!


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

John_D said:


> We have a shed with a flight on the end, which is our last extension to the 'old' aviary. Cynthia had an old garden shed for years, and we decided that replacement was a better option than repair. It hastwo side windows facing into the garden, which are unglazed but covered with strong aviary mesh and which have planted window boxes outside. The windows also have a sloping 'porch roof' above for weather protection. The door opens into the flight pen. We had tiers of nest boxes made and fitted against the back wall and either side of the door. We have wired the floor and walls inside, and ensured that ventilation slots are rodent-proofed.
> 
> The first pic shows the end of the old aviary where it meets the short flight pen leading into the shed. The solid wall where the woodchipped area starts was removed and a second interior security door installed (they are both open for this pic). We had to leave the big nest box area on the left intact, as it had been home for one of the original residents and his mate for years. Beneath it is a hatch through which the birds would normally walk or fly. The interior security doors are usually closed, of course.
> 
> The second pic shows where the new flight leads into the shed (which had only a few residents at the time - they were slow to explore the new housing). The third pic show some of the gang lounging or nesting at the back of the shed.


This is fantastic John! I am collecting all of the photos in this thread for an "inspiration file." Thank you for sharing yours.


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## parrisc (Feb 14, 2007)

I didnt read through all these post, but you should put some vents on top of our shed. The lawnmower didnt need it, but your birds will.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

jack1747 said:


> but it takes forever for their feathers to grow back


Nice one, Jack  

John


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## DEEJAY7950 (Dec 13, 2006)

amoonswirl said:


> I am thinking about building a loft in my yard since I think my pigeons would be happier there than on my porch aviary - at least for the summer.
> 
> Is there any reason I should not convert a standard wooden garden shed into a home for my birds? I'm considering doing this for a few reasons. Would love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of doing this.
> 
> My main reason for not wanting a bona-fide pigeon loft in the yard is that I think most of them are ugly, and would attract negative attention from the neighbors. Whereas something that looks like a cute little potting shed and has some decorative plantings outside would blend in better and attract little to no attention. Does anyone have thoughts on the matter?


Pigeon lofts don't have to be ugly in fact most look better than a shed, so maybe your intention is to hide the fact you have pigeons? In which case i understand, if you look at this site you can see many lofts others have built that they are very proud of, hope this helps to change your mind that lofts are ugly! Please scroll down to look for yourself! Kennedy's, Ribaudo's for starters!
http://www.redroselofts.com/starter_loft.htm


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