# Loft for 2 Pigeons?



## pjj1020 (Jul 15, 2010)

I need a loft design or maybe even a premade loft for 1-2 pigeons. What size do I need? Any suggestions?

They are pets, and i will be letting them out most of the time I am home to fly around.

I also have a 9 x 13 x 6H chicken wire area, and i can put chicken wire on top also to close it in completely. Would this be a good idea to let the birds flap around a bit??

thanks


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## pjj1020 (Jul 15, 2010)

I currently have this: http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_n_hutch.html
Dimensions:
43"W x 24"D x 38"H.
3.5' x 2' x 3'

If I were to modify it by taking the floor off, and purchasing ply wood and putting it around the outside. Then, I can cut a hole through the back, and put small area i can build with spare wood i have laying around. 

New dimensions would be

43"W x 24"L x 50"H

I could also modify it much more, but i don't know what size it should be minimum.

Or should i leave it be? Or build/buy a new one?

thanks


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## cotdt (Apr 26, 2010)

If they are only going to sleep there, then you only need 1 sq ft per pigeon. You need a much bigger place if the birds are going to be spending a lot of time in there though.


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## pjj1020 (Jul 15, 2010)

cotdt said:


> If they are only going to sleep there, then you only need 1 sq ft per pigeon. You need a much bigger place if the birds are going to be spending a lot of time in there though.


Would the chicken wire cage thing work?

thanks


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

cotdt said:


> If they are only going to sleep there, then you only need 1 sq ft per pigeon. You need a much bigger place if the birds are going to be spending a lot of time in there though.


You need at least 2 square feet for each bird.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

pjj1020 said:


> I currently have this: http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_n_hutch.html
> Dimensions:
> 43"W x 24"D x 38"H.
> 3.5' x 2' x 3'
> ...


If your plan is only for keeping 2 pigeons, that set up is more than enough. As cotdt mentioned, if its only to sleep, that is the pigeons are let out in the morning and trapped back for the night, 1 sq. ft. per pigeon is somewhat the minimum required.


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

For 2 pigeons you should be ok. I would raise those cage legs at least 3'. Its better to have their loft high and not low to the ground. If you use chicken wire make sure you can make it as predator proof as possible. Rats, Raccoons, Possums, Weasels will make a quick snack of your birds if they break through. I use hardware cloth myself but I also use Decon rat baits around my yard just in case predators smell my birds and get interested. Also your chicken run Aviary you should bury some 1/2" hardware cloth around the bottom around 18" up and at least 6" down to prevent critters from digging under and getting in. Other then these precautions you should be good to go for a single pair of birds. Good Luck and have fun!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you use chicken wire how do you make it predator proof? Rodents and snakes can get in. And rats can burrow down 18 inches and get under things.

There will be times when your birds will not be able to get outside for one reason or another. One square foot of floor each is really small. According to the formula made by the experts, whoever they are, the MINIMUM square foot requirement is 1 1/2 square feet of floor space. 2 square feet is better.


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## pjj1020 (Jul 15, 2010)

The chicken wire part is only for during the day so they don't get swooped down by a hawk. It is the very small holed chicken wire, so nothing can fit through.

There are no snakes around me, but rats is a different story. It's currently about 4" underground, any ideas of things i can do so that i wouldn't need to re wire everything?

thanks


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Rats are normally out only at night, but sometimes they are out during the day time. Rodents will be attracted to the seed, and can get in. I don't know of another way to make it predator proof, other than using the hardware cloth. I would also add a solid floor to the cage. I bought a large hutch recently for soft releases, and had the guy use hardware cloth rather than the rabbit wire he normally uses. It was heavy, but things can get through it. Also I put wood down over the hardware cloth in the yard part. So nothing can grab them from beneath. You could just add the hardware cloth over the chicken wire a little at a time, as you can get it.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

pjj1020 said:


> The chicken wire part is only for during the day so they don't get swooped down by a hawk. It is the very small holed chicken wire, so nothing can fit through.
> 
> There are no snakes around me, but rats is a different story. It's currently about 4" underground, any ideas of things i can do so that i wouldn't need to re wire everything?
> 
> thanks


if you have rats, then you have snakes.. they are sneaky, you may not even see one, but know he has been in your coop if a sqaub goes missing. sometimes they will try to swallow an adult, esp at night when they are sitting in a nest bowl.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

spirit wings said:


> if you have rats, then you have snakes.. they are sneaky, you may not even see one, but know he has been in your coop if a sqaub goes missing. sometimes they will try to swallow an adult, esp at night when they are sitting in a nest bowl.


Snakes come out at night?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> Snakes come out at night?


yes, esp at night, at least black snakes here in VA. in the past that is the only critter I had problems with, had to really check every inch of my loft to shore it up.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

spirit wings said:


> yes, esp at night, at least black snakes here in VA. in the past that is the only critter I had problems with, had to really check every inch of my loft to shore it up.


Good grief, you learn something new every day. One evening, about dusk, I ran into a garter snake up in the back yard, but I thought it odd that it was out and slithering around so late. 

Snakes can be hard to keep out, as they require such a small opening, and they can climb.


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

If you have a problem with snakes I can tell you a old time way of keeping them away from your property. You need to get a 5 gallon bucket full of pig manure..not the fresh stuff but the dirt from a pig pen. The stuff pigs wallow in. Sprinkle that soil around your loft and throw the extra along fences and you will never see a snake again. Not sure why it works but I know it does. We used to get rattler snakes at my moms house...they would even go in the garage and about gave my mom a heart attack when she went to do her laundry..Anyway a family friend told us to do this and 5 years later still no snakes around the house.


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