# My new pigeon loft?



## Flapdoodle (Nov 8, 2009)

I went to look at a few lofts for ideas. This loft was offered to me. I just need to move it to my house. 

It is a little more open then I am used to. 

Anyone ever moved a large loft before? Suggestions? 

It is built in pieces, it would be a tear down and rebuild. Not moved via a crane and trailer.


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

I've only move one of my 16 foot lofts in my own yard from one side to the other by droppign it down on to pvc pipes and rolling it. Idk about moving that one from one yard to another. But I like how you guys out there have plenty of open space around the lofts. It shouls be pretty easy sticking birds. I wish I had that much area around my loft here I have 6 neighbors with giant trees covering their yards within 100 foot of my coops. It's like my birds have to drop in through a whole in the trees to land. The only kinda clear spot is to the east of my coop so they get good morning sun but my birds have to fly past me on race day to use that as their landing path.


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## TN_PIGEON (Aug 20, 2010)

Pretty cool. 

My advice:

Get some help. 

Ought not be too difficult with a few pry bars and some hammers. You should be able to salvage a good deal of it. Wood is expensive, so IMHO it's worth it.

When knocking down nailed walls that you want to salvage, put a 2x4 in your left hand and a hammer in your right hand. Hit the 2x4 so it disperses the force of the hammer over a larger area and doesn't damage the wall as much (hope this makes sense).


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## maniac (Sep 27, 2009)

A hammer, sawzall, a good nail puller and some help will do it. It can be a helluva job as I have done it with a large shed. Don't forget to figure out a system to identify what goes where..... when you put it back up.


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

Flapdoodle. Last spring, there was a guy from Richmond, Virginia, who posted on this forum that he had a loft free for the taking. I and my wife drove from Ohio to his location (just for the adventure) and him and I took the loft apart in about five hours, and had it loaded onto my 5 x 10 trailer and pick up truck bed.

The loft was "L" shaped. About 12 x 6 with an additional 6' for the bottom of the "L". The guy had said it was 12 x 6 and didn't mention the extra 6 foot extension, plus very large aviary sections.

All of it would not fit on my trailer and truck, so I had to leave the entire floor. No big problem with that though.

But I hadn't been to Virginia or West Virginia before and did not understand the mountains we would have to cope with hauling a load like this. It wore out my truck, up and down those mountains. I had to get my transmission worked on afterward.

We made it though, but I have yet to put the loft together, mostly because after that, I broke both of my arms in an accident, and then I was so far behind on other summer stuff I had to catch up on, that I just left it on my trailer and in my second garage. It is all still there waiting for next spring.

Anyway. I guess my point is, things you do not forsee yet, can and will pop up, in this adventure. 

Before you take the loft apart, make annotations on a lot of the pieces in marker and take a lot of pictures inside and out. If life gets in the way of you putting it back together at your place soon, you will forget what it looked like and what goes where.

Additionally, measure the floor plan precisely, in case pieces break in the "taking apart" or somehow come up missing (like socks in the dryer). 

With the pics of your location you have previously posted. I think this loft will serve you nicely.

A lot of work though. Good luck.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

If you can break it down in panels does not seem like too much trouble. I love open lofts. Much easier on the fanciers lungs. You can build panels for the winter. Couple of guys and a couple of days. I would get a paint gun when it was time to paint. They work great for the job. Looks a little rugged on the outside. May need some sanding and a power wash. Free is relative.


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## billyr70 (Jun 11, 2009)

Looks straight forward to me, a weekend to tear apart and three weekends to put it back together. I have torn down large barns and moved them. (One was a 30 x 50) If you don't mind a little labor it shouldn't be bad at all. Actually i think its fun...  Good luck and post some pictures of the process.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

I think I would redo the front anyway. Do a middle access, maybe an upper skirt to give the birds a bit more protection.


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## Action (Oct 18, 2009)

*No Help*

I moved 3 last week but we used a crane and trailers-So I guess I am no help-LOL.
Good luck.
Jack


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

If you don't want to go through the trouble of disassembly / reassembly you could get a price quote from one of those outfits that move mobile homes. It seems if they could slide it onto a trailer moving it shouldn't be too bad. Its 40' x 8' you may have to split it in half..still alot quicker then a complete tear down and rebuild.


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## Southwing (Feb 7, 2008)

Cutting it in half and using a tractor to pic the two up and putting it on a trailer.


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## The_Dirteeone (Apr 18, 2010)

Oh man totaly worth it.Lumber is so expensive ,and you could modify and paint it your way.I get a lot of free wood at my job,otherwise I would have 1 loft instead of 4 LOL.


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## atvracinjason (Mar 4, 2010)

take a can of spray paint and number the pieces before dissasemble


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## TN_PIGEON (Aug 20, 2010)

atvracinjason said:


> take a can of spray paint and number the pieces before dissasemble


Yep. For sure.


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## hasseian_313 (Oct 31, 2009)

i love it's desighn simple but eligant


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

It is amazing how you people can do those jobs. Moving things big like that scares me.


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## Flapdoodle (Nov 8, 2009)

atvracinjason said:


> take a can of spray paint and number the pieces before dissasemble


Great idea! 



Action said:


> I moved 3 last week but we used a crane and trailers-So I guess I am no help-LOL.
> Good luck.
> Jack


Thanks for the offer. You have the experience and your right down the road.


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## Flapdoodle (Nov 8, 2009)

There is no way to really move it with out disassembly. The frame is actually metal shelving units like the ones at a big warehouse store. You can kind of see it in the last picture in the corner. They metal beams are bolted down to 4x4 posts suck in the ground a few feet. Once unbolted there is not much support. I will probably do the same type of foundation. 

The guy moved half the loft up from the bay area in pieces six or seven years ago. It is mostly bolted together. I will probably have to scrap the roof but some up it I should be able to save. 

The first step is gut the inside, perches, nest boxes, feeders, landing board, all the wire. Then go in with a tape measure and measure everything and sketch it out on paper. Paint pen or spray paint and label all the sections. 

The guy is not in a hurry and is less then five miles away. I will end up doing this in several trips over the next couple of months. 

I will keep updates going on the project… if someone gets anymore bright ideas fire a way.


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## eyespyer (Jul 14, 2008)

Congratulations - looks like work, but you will be glad when you are done.

Depends on how far you are moving it, but I would use a trailer and keep as much as possible togeather so that you do not rebuild the entier loft.

Again congrats ...


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

TN_PIGEON said:


> Pretty cool.
> 
> My advice:
> 
> ...


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2010)

thats a real nice loft to be getting for free , looks like it will be keeping you busy for a spell which I would find very nice minus the shorter days that are upon us now, but still a great investment of your time to take your pigeons to a whole new level of fun  good luck


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## billyr70 (Jun 11, 2009)

Do you have a Tractor, Bob cat or loader? I looked at it again and i think i would actually Chain saw it in three sections and then move each one, hell that would be really easy with two guys and a Tractor. You could concrete some short 4x4's in the ground and place each section on them and bolt them to that, then when you moved the next section it would butt to the next and you could use wood to hem it together. Now that would be the quickest i think and maybe the easiest as well. Post pics, i would love to see the process on this project.  Good luck, Billy


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## eyespyer (Jul 14, 2008)

Any progress ?


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## hasseian_313 (Oct 31, 2009)

im looking to buy few lofts any for sale in michigan


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## Flapdoodle (Nov 8, 2009)

eyespyer said:


> Any progress ?


Not much yet. I have been trying to find the best place for it. The county requires a 30' set back.

I plan to get over there Saturday for a good walk through. I will take the video camera and show everyone his set up. It worked well for him when he raced birds. I am sure I will set it up a little differently. 

The landing board, front, and floor are all 1x1 welded wire. They are all hooked together with J clips like a rabbit hutch. I am familiar with J clips. The cages that I used for my breeders were basically just rabbit hutches. When you make a mistake with J clips they are a pain to take off. In this case I need to remove a couple hundred of them. They make a tool that makes removal a lot easier. I am trying to track one down. I want to be able to save as much of the wire as I can. 

Saturday I don't plan on doing to much. Remove perches, sliding doors, nest boxes. If I can get the J clip tool I will start on that as well. Once I get the wire all off I can a tape out and draw and measure everything and get down on paper.


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## Flapdoodle (Nov 8, 2009)

I did not get much time today to work on the project. 

I did get the landing board off. This week I plan to remove the wooden slats on the roof and remove the wire front, perches, nests, doors, and walls. 

I did get a video before I started, thought maybe some would want to take a look, it is a little long and unedited.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFqZWVgOikg


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

Flapdoodle said:


> I did not get much time today to work on the project.
> 
> I did get the landing board off. This week I plan to remove the wooden slats on the roof and remove the wire front, perches, nests, doors, and walls.
> 
> ...


That rooster really wanted to be heard! lol


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

You won't have to worry about breathing issues. Lots of air flow. I think the floor will be the biggest issue. You may want to reinforce it a bit. Like the sliders. Can't wait to see what you do with it.


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## 4nursebee (May 27, 2009)

Thanks for the video. It was nice to see.


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## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

so hows the moving coming along? if i was up their i would be gladly give you a hand


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## sport14692 (Jan 3, 2011)

I say you did a good job on that


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## dogging_99 (Apr 21, 2009)

Flapdoodle;
I will keep updates going on the project… if someone gets anymore bright ideas fire a way..[/QUOTE said:


> Ok Tom, I have a suggestion about the front. I used a sheet of 6"x 6"x 1/4" thick welded wire, comes in like 4' x 16' sheets. I think some call this pig pen or some thing. you could stack two sheets on the front and then you would have a good base to attach the 1"x 1" welded wire to and use pig rings and ring pliers. (I would not use tie wire because of the sharp ends.)
> 
> Thats what I used for this Avery in this picture.
> http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/album.php?albumid=972&pictureid=14613
> ...


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## Flapdoodle (Nov 8, 2009)

Thanks Mike, I like the idea and I know the wire your talking about (hog fence). I might use it to help reinforce the floor as well. I worked on the loft a little this afternoon. I plan to spend more time tomorrow and a good chunk of the day Saturday. 

My finish by the first of the year project has been bumped to the 1st of March.


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