# what to use to clean pigeon lofts?



## lisamchugh (Dec 1, 2008)

hi i want to buy something for my dad so that he can clean out his pigeon loft easily can anyone point me in the right direction i was thinking maybe an industrial hoover? any ideas? thanks.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

lisamchugh said:


> hi i want to buy something for my dad so that he can clean out his pigeon loft easily can anyone point me in the right direction i was thinking maybe an industrial hoover? any ideas? thanks.


I use a very large shopvac to get the feathers and dust, but day to day I just use a wide paint scraper that my hubby attached to a long handle for the floor and a hand scraper for the perches and nest boxes. then dust pan it into a big bucket and dump in the compost pile.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

I scrape,and use a porable dust buster vacum...Other then that,a "Loft Manager" to do all the work will do fine...Grand kids,nephews etc etc !!! hahahaha!!!! All kidding aside,a small vacum works real well..I vacum every morning,and it gets all of the dust and small feathers easily for me.....Alamo


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## floppy109909 (Apr 3, 2008)

i use a scraper everyday for the poop and let it fall to the floor of the cage and then i use a shopvac and vaccum up all the poop and feathers and dusk


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I do it the hard way and scrape the place top to bottom with my little bitty scraper and sweep it all up. A vacuum would sure make things easier


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Once you start scraping poop you become officially a pigeon fancier (LOL). Pigeons are those birds that poop too much. I can't believe that in the beginning I just finished scraping and then when I was done they started pooping all over the place again. They pooped anywhere. I call them poop machine and breeding machine, too.

As mentioned if you have dry-wet-vac use it after scraping. You may even want to spray some disinfectant. Use a mask as well if you can.

This video shows a little bit of scraping demo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gWkqKgLzyU&feature=channel


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## Chilangz (Apr 3, 2008)

The video was really educative withs loads of information. Thanks for sharing it !!!!!!!!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I did not have sound, why does he put the feed on the floor of the nest box and not use a crock....ummm....he did have a nice clean nest boxes....


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

spirit wings said:


> I did not have sound, why does he put the feed on the floor of the nest box and not use a crock....ummm....he did have a nice clean nest boxes....


I wondered the same thing. However, he has disabled posting replies, so we can't ask him.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Actually he says that the birds will poop to the right of where he put the feed, pickpot and grit. If he doesn't want to replace all that stuff, he uses the triangle shaped scraper to just scrape one side. If he wants to replace all of it, he uses the other scraper and cleans the whole side and replaces all the stuff. 
I don't know........seems to me that the pots are easier to deal with. But, hey.......what do I know?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Lovebirds said:


> Actually he says that the birds will poop to the right of where he put the feed, pickpot and grit. If he doesn't want to replace all that stuff, he uses the triangle shaped scraper to just scrape one side. If he wants to replace all of it, he uses the other scraper and cleans the whole side and replaces all the stuff.
> I don't know........seems to me that the pots are easier to deal with. But, hey.......what do I know?


yea, I hate seed on the floor of the nest box, I try to not feed too much in the crock so I don't get too much of a mess, I don't like the seed in contact with poopie stains.....


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Here's his web site. He keeps a blog and has written TONS of stuff every single day.................his race records look pretty good I guess, but I'm a little suspect of some of his methods. He says at one point he raises something like 175 to 200 babies every year and then races only the top 12 or 20 (don't remember exactly)......the rest are "eliminated". Couldn't find exactly what that meant, but it would take hours and hours to read all of his blogs. 

http://www.drjohnlamberton.com/index.htm


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Lovebirds said:


> Here's his web site. He keeps a blog and has written TONS of stuff every single day.................his race records look pretty good I guess, but I'm a little suspect of some of his methods. He says at one point he raises something like 175 to 200 babies every year and then races only the top 12 or 20 (don't remember exactly)......the rest are "eliminated". Couldn't find exactly what that meant, but it would take hours and hours to read all of his blogs.
> 
> http://www.drjohnlamberton.com/index.htm


yea, 150 birds would not be easy to find nice homes for...ummm....so maybe he does'nt care if they eat off the floor, they won't be around long enough...


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## j_birds (Sep 8, 2008)

I sure am curious what happens to the ones he don't want


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

j_birds said:


> I sure am curious what happens to the ones he don't want


You could email him and ask. Doubt he'd tell you exactly what happens to a lot of them.  I'm sure he probably gives some away or sells some, but not THAT many......hell, I can't even give away 8 cock birds.  and you're talking 100 plus birds every year.


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

$1000 ?!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

penname said:


> $1000 ?!


what? did I miss something?


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

In the for sale page, some are $1000!


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

there are pigeons that go for more than that lol


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

StoN3d said:


> there are pigeons that go for more than that lol


 

Do they make money in races?


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

As per his blog:



> Healthy pigeons should love to fly! Weak pigeons quit early and often land in trees - on wires - or are continually trying to get into the loft when they should be routing far from the loft. Eliminate them quickly.
> 
> In like manner, healthy vibrant pigeons will model the behavior of the most deviant pigeons. I eliminate all sickly or deviant pigeons as soon as I discover them. I never ever tolerate pigeons landing anywhere other the the top of the loft or the landing board. The only exception is squeakers that are learning to fly for the first time. However, if young birds continue to land anywhere other than the top of the loft after a few days, they are eliminated from the team.


I hope by elimination he doesn't mean what I think he means?


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

penname said:


> Do they make money in races?


yes... if you have really good fast birds you can make a fair amount of money in prizes


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## blackjack (Dec 11, 2005)

I use a ice scraper/chopper. Works fine.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

There are hard core racers. They cull (kill) birds that don't satisfy their criteria. Some even have this philosophy: Breed many, cull many.

I am those people that don't have the heart to kill a bird even a dumb one. So perhaps I have no racer blood in me.

With respect to feeding on the floor, I think some people believe that it encourages the natural(wild) instinct of these birds--they forage on the ground in nature. I think it is personal preference. I feed mine on feed trough.

Speaking of cleaning, he has another video about poop. At the end of the video, he actually scraped some poop. I've waited for that end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwikwpLHq-w&feature=channel

Another cleaning tip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZ632NQ6EI


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

RodSD said:


> There are hard core racers. They cull (kill) birds that don't satisfy their criteria. Some even have this philosophy: Breed many, cull many.


I don't think it takes a hard core racer to cull a bird. Does it? But I'd have to agree and yet correct you on the fact that us racers; most of us, the majority not the whole field do cull lethally. If I implied all of us did, I'd only wait about 60 seconds before I got replies on that. Along with many other fanciers, not just racers. While Racers have it easiest because nature does like to take care of things for us, she took care of 30 of my young birds this year. People like rollermen and showmen don't have it so easy and they are cullers too. And yet I'd like to point out all of them dont cull but the majority do. And Its never good when the 'c' word comes up on pt. I can already see where this will be going. So please, lets not make this another discussion on why lethal cullers are the scum of the earth here and make a little more work for our moderators. Its not their job, well actually it is, to babysit us and close down threads when I was simply trying to just point a fact out. Not implying anything, nor am I defending a way of fancying. Just facts I wanted to share. .... Thanks.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*Yep .. The Lethal "C" Word Has Shown Up Here ..*

Sorry members, it is not allowed to discuss lethal culling here on Pigeon-Talk so cease, desist, and let it go. If you have to talk about it, then take it private.

Terry


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Matt, Terry,

I totally agree. There are other websites or forums that can discuss this freely. In my understanding Pigeon-Talk is a place where birds are love and are given the chance to live no matter what.

I am very aware of the "c" word policy. I was just trying to clarify someone's post of what was exactly being implied.

If I have offended any, I apologize. Being trained as biologist I love animals especially birds. In fact when I was a kid I wanted to be a pilot and fly like birds. For now that is postponed.


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

RodSD said:


> There are hard core racers. They cull (kill) birds that don't satisfy their criteria. Some even have this philosophy: Breed many, cull many.


Thanks for the explanation, I'm new at all this and wasn't aware of many (sometimes shocking) things. Thankfully I've read about more beautiful stories than stocking things here 

PS: mods - it's my fault, RodSD was merely trying to explain something to me, I'm sorry I brought it up, didn't know there was a rule about it, didn't even know what "it" was till it was kindly explained to me.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

sooooooo, ....what do you guys use to clean a pigeon loft?...........


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

spirit wings 

I wouldn't know, I don't have a loft, just the dove and the canary. These two guys make quite a mess can't imagine the kind of hard work required to clean a whole loft.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

penname said:


> spirit wings
> 
> I wouldn't know, I don't have a loft, just the dove and the canary. These two guys make quite a mess can't imagine the kind of hard work required to clean a whole loft.


actually I find it easier than taking care of ones in cages, they are outside for one thing and it only takes me 15 mins to scrape everything down, i do it daily or even sometimes twice a day if Im home, I find it enjoyable really, I get to be out there with my sweeties and make their home squared away.


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

Your birds are lucky to have someone like you spirit wings


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

spirit wings said:


> actually I find it easier than taking care of ones in cages, they are outside for one thing and it only takes me 15 mins to scrape everything down, i do it daily or even sometimes twice a day if Im home, I find it enjoyable really, I get to be out there with my sweeties and make their home squared away.


You've got that right!! It takes me just as long to clean Walley's cage as it does to clean the whole loft. Thing is, it only has to be done every few days, not every day AND it's warm in the house. LOL
But, there's the problem of convincing Walley it's time to go back IN the cage when I get through. Sometimes that takes a few minutes and sometimes it takes an hour. 
Yea, taking care of the pigeons is easier.


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

Lovebirds said:


> But, there's the problem of convincing Walley it's time to go back IN the cage when I get through. Sometimes that takes a few minutes and sometimes it takes an hour.


Poor Noddy generally stays put wherever I place him, it's very heartbreaking. He'll walk cautiously, feeling his way around and will occasionally hover, it's easy getting him back into the cage. I wish we'd been able to save his eyes


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

to be honest its not that hard to clean a loft
you just scrape all the poop onto the floor from perches and nest boxes
then you scrape the floor with a scraper liek the pic posted earlier then you just sweep it up.
It takes me like 5 or 10 minutes max to clean my loft
well thats each side so like maybe 20 minutes total
one thing though
they do poop A LOT lol
I had no clue how much they did poop


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

StoN3d said:


> to be honest its not that hard to clean a loft
> you just scrape all the poop onto the floor from perches and nest boxes
> then you scrape the floor with a scraper liek the pic posted earlier then you just sweep it up.
> It takes me like 5 or 10 minutes max to clean my loft
> ...


LOL....just wait.........you ain't see nuthin' yet..............babies can poop a mountain in no time flat...........


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

It takes me 5 minutes at the most to clean my loft (which is only resident to 2 birds for the time being) I do it morning and night, scrape the poops then disinfect with spray and a brush then it gets wiped down. 

They are in the show cages this week in the house as it is so cold outside and it take AGES to clean them as it means moving the birds, emptying the cages, cleaning them and then hoovering up! I put them back in the cages and within 10 minutes it looks the same as it did before.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Fbirdie82 said:


> In the winter I scrape perches and clean founts/feeders every other day, then I scrape the floor and remove all the poop once a week.  In the summer I clean more than that, but working two jobs and going to school makes it a little more difficult in the winter.
> 
> To disinfect I use Nolvasan and would recomend it to anyone! It smells bad but it cleans anything up. And I was in to see my vet the other day -- and there it was sitting on their shelf!!! They use it in SURGERY!


hey, I use nolvasan too, I put it in a spray bottle dilute with water and spray the poopie areas after I scrape...I don't know about the smell bad part as I dilute it, because they do at the vet I work at, to flush dogs ears, and clean wounds. it smell pretty nice to me.......


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

This site saved many birds and bird owners from losing all their birds during the Exotic Newcastle Disease epidemic here in So Cal some years ago: http://cocka2.com/biosecurity/ Have a look at this disinfectant info. If you care to, read the whole bit on END .. very scary times here in So Cal and nearly 4 million birds lost their lives. Lots of the information on this site should be taken to heart by any/all of us who have birds, IMO.

Terry


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

Q. "what to use to clean pigeon lofts...?"

A. My husband.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

kippermom said:


> Q. "what to use to clean pigeon lofts...?"
> 
> A. My husband.


Call 911! I'm in extremis here from LAUGHING! Good one! 

Terry


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

TAWhatley said:


> This site saved many birds and bird owners from losing all their birds during the Exotic Newcastle Disease epidemic here in So Cal some years ago: http://cocka2.com/biosecurity/ Have a look at this disinfectant info. If you care to, read the whole bit on END .. very scary times here in So Cal and nearly 4 million birds lost their lives. Lots of the information on this site should be taken to heart by any/all of us who have birds, IMO.
> 
> Terry


Nice link...Thanks....as far as the shoes go, I have a pair of crocks that I use and wear only in the loft, no palce else, I work at a vet so you can't be too careful what you might bring home on your shoes.....


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

*Disinfectant & Insecticide*

I need some input regarding which disinfectant and insecticide you recommend? Which ones, how often, etc. This is after cleaning each day. I am going to be using shavings on the floor and inside the nest boxes. Thanks, Don.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

spirit wings said:


> I use a very large shopvac to get the feathers and dust, but day to day I just use a wide paint scraper that my hubby attached to a long handle for the floor and a hand scraper for the perches and nest boxes. then dust pan it into a big bucket and dump in the compost pile.


Pretty much what I do. I think the shopvacs work well. And can be used for wet or dry.


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## Peg 'n Peter (Mar 6, 2009)

RodSD said:


> There are hard core racers. They cull (kill) birds that don't satisfy their criteria. Some even have this philosophy: Breed many, cull many.
> 
> I am those people that don't have the heart to kill a bird even a dumb one. So perhaps I have no racer blood in me.


Killing birds because they don't move fast enough and make him money?? That is absolutely, totally disgusting. In my opinion, that is not an animal lover, that is a money lover. Same with greyhound racing. Don't get me started. Go ahead and ban me but I'm stating my opinion on this and if I have to leave this forum, fine. I wouldn't want to share a forum with people who kill birds because they don't make them enough money. When I think of the lengths I've gone to to save wildlife, including many birds, people like that make me sick to my stomach. Shame on them.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Peg 'n Peter said:


> Killing birds because they don't move fast enough and make him money?? That is absolutely, totally disgusting. In my opinion, that is not an animal lover, that is a money lover. Same with greyhound racing. Don't get me started. Go ahead and ban me but I'm stating my opinion on this and if I have to leave this forum, fine. I wouldn't want to share a forum with people who kill birds because they don't make them enough money. When I think of the lengths I've gone to to save wildlife, including many birds, people like that make me sick to my stomach. Shame on them.


Don't think you have to leave the forum there p&p, he just stated that some do that, I don't think anyone on THIS forum does, and if they did they would not last long here....


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Here's how I do it, in Crazy Town, LOL:

I scrape out the nest boxes almost every day with a flat scraper, then sprinkle *sani-loft* and *pine shavings*. Each nestbox has snap-in cups (from Foys) which I clean daily, and disinfect weekly with *sani-coop* and then *10% bleach* solution. 

All V perches are scraped daily and sprayed weekly with sani-coop solution.

The floor is scraped clean every other day, shavings are swept up, and I throw a few handfuls of pine shavings around where most of the poops land. Once a week I thoroughly scrape the floors, sweep out the pine shavings, shop vac any remaining debris, spray the floor down with sani-coop solution and keep it "wet" for 10 minutes. When it's totally dry I sprinkle some *Belgium white* around, sweep it around good and remove excess. Toss some shavings in.

I also have a "community" plain water drinker (cleaned and refilled daily, disinfected weekly), grit buffet (with pic pots and APC health grit), and feeder with quality seed mix (some human grade organic seeds and grains mixed with 15% pigeon seed and some pellets) tossed in Form-Oil (10-in-1) and vitamins (2x a week) in the morning (they get organic pellets in their boxes and any vitamins, elixers, teas or pro-bios in their individual water cups).


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## Peg 'n Peter (Mar 6, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> Don't think you have to leave the forum there p&p, he just stated that some do that, I don't think anyone on THIS forum does, and if they did they would not last long here....


Thank you for clarifying, Spirit Wings. I feel a bit better.


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