# My New Breeders Loft



## heeler

Well I took the easy way out with my new loft. I'm gonna add some pics and I'm always open for constructive idea's and hint's to make it better for the breeders that will be there. I may not make this years baby quota for 2015 young bird race team but maybe next year.

Here she is at the dealers lot.


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## heeler

They delivered it and leveled it off. Now it's time to start modifying it for my purpose. Thats my race loft with the aviary sitting next to it and I have some mofifications coming this winter to that too. You northern folks wait till summer to work on outside projects but us southern folks do it in the winter.


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## heeler

So far I've got the holes for the aviary to the outside cut and framed from the inside - gonna make em 2'x2'x6'. One for hens and one for cocks of course they will be on different sides of the loft. And of course air vents because I'm in Florida and in the summer it's not uncommon to stay 98F for weeks on end. So I'm gonna make sure we have good air circulation.


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## heeler

Here's a look at the inside so far...you see two double doors that split the loft in half (if you look at that window in the back maybe you can see what I mean). I'm gonna have a divider wall that is removable when it's time for em to get busy.


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## heeler

Ok so here's the short wall, I'm gonna add a top section (that's gonna be the removable part) I'm gonna add some kinda insulation on the wall just not sure what kind yet 
I also used spring loaded hinges so the doors hold themselves shut.



Ok then, more updates in the neat future.


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## Shadybug Lofts

Looks nice. It should work well for you. One question. It looks really light without any wood wall do you have to ancher it to the ground? I would asume you get hurricane force winds that close to the oceam.


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## Paragon Loft

looking good,im in florida too.i did the same thing but I also insulated the walls and like shadybug said needs to be ancher it down.i also built a avary.keep it up is looking good good luck buddy.


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## heeler

Gary, yes sir we do and being that close to the coast just magnifies whatever comes. We get summer squalls that will blow 60 mph wtih regular frequency. So the answer to your question is... you bet I do, it's actually code here for the shed company!! What you see is a 2 foot long anchor and the strap is 1 inch that goes across the shed and through the bottom and comes out the other side. It's kind of a ratchet strap deal.




Paragon, thx -- what part of Fl ya in?? Do you race your birds?? And what did YOU use to insulate the walls and are you happy with your choice??


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## Shadybug Lofts

Thats what they use around here on house trailers, you don't want your loft flying better than your birds. LOL


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## heeler

Well I got my loft insulated today,this is a 1/2" styrofoam panel and it's easy to cut and put in place.
This is a view of the walls.....


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## heeler

This is a look at the ceiling, I noticed that the metal would get really hot so it just made sense to do that too. That back wall never gets sun so no need to spend more $$$$ on that.



I got a good deal on some plastic 1" mesh type fenceing so that's how I'm gonna make the inside encapsulated if you will but that's for another day.


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## Shadybug Lofts

Looks good


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## hollywoodlou

Your coop is coming out very nice I also live in florida. But I would still insulate the back wall and recommend more windows or larger windows for Air flow .I would recommend cutting out the plywood floor and use expanded metal on it you can not image how much work it will save and how much less dust you will have in the coop and in return healthier birds 

Lou


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## sport14692

Looking good !!!


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## heeler

hollywoodlou said:


> Your coop is coming out very nice I also live in florida. But I would still insulate the back wall and recommend more windows or larger windows for Air flow .I would recommend cutting out the plywood floor and use expanded metal on it you can not image how much work it will save and how much less dust you will have in the coop and in return healthier birds
> 
> Lou


hollywood, I cant say you are wrong but I just can't see how you would keep unwanted pests out. This far south Fl is a swamp...how would I keep snakes and mice out?? Not to even mention the dreaded --- Fire Ants????
I know others have used that flooring but the fact that mine is built over dirt and is only a foot off the ground well that expanded metal floor just cant be the best idea. Maybe if the floor was higher off the ground the grate metal would be the perfect solution to the dust issue. I think if I get no ants in my nests then I will just have to live with the dust but thanks so much for the idea's.
And I think I wll add a window to the front door in the near future. Tim


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## pigeonjim

I look forward to seeing how your divider wall works out. I did much the same thing, but it was a pain and in the way if you need to catch them up. easier to duck under than to climb over and the older I get the harder to do both.


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## heeler

pigeonjim, I think you were right. It did fit here nicely but I had to rethink it...
I found that the cocks would battle for property rights on the wall and not let the others come to the other side of the loft. I thought I may need two feeders so I just moved the wall as you suggested.


So this is what I decided on for now, it seems to be out of the way now and it's still inside so the weather wont affect it.


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## heeler

This is the way my nest boxes worked out for now but it may change in the future. I wont have too may pairs anyway so that may be enough boxes for now.
With the walls in the middle that cock you see up on the right would really make trouble for any other bird except his coming to the other side but with it moved I guess he just gave up.


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## heeler

I still need to add a window of some kind to the front door, as you can see I put the waters outside for easy cleaning and replacement. I made those doors on the end of the aviaries so in the future the birds can come and go through them, it may not happen but we'll see. I'm now looking for a solar panel to hook up a internal exhaust fan but can't find the workings just yet.


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## Paragon Loft

HEELER im in winter haven fl,i breed my birds and friends in tampa,springhills and polk county fly them.


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## heeler

Ahh ok, I'm thinking if the price of fuel dosen't fall off just a little I too may just breed and have others fly them for me. I just HAVE to race for a while or I may bust.....I should have some really good racers with the stock I have aquired so racing is gonna happen but only time will tell. We have some really good racers over here with really good birds so I'm hoping to learn all I can from them in the near future. Anyway thx for the chat and good luck this race season. Tim


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## heeler

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I was gonna modify my race loft landing board, well I got it done and I hope it will work, I don't see why not, it's got an extra long landing approach board that doubles as an outside resting and sunning area that I can also close to keep predators at bay. So here she is.....


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## heeler

I also wanted a Belgium drop trap so I built one, prolly not as perfect as one you buy but I like to build whatever I can....


Just a quick assembly on the truck tailgate


I decided to use magnets to hold it in the up position and you can see I inlaid them and glued them in place.


This should do just fine. I had the bobs but I saw youngsters hesitate when entering and I don't want that when I'm training racers so that was my thinking with a Belgium drop.


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## Shadybug Lofts

Looks good.


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## pigeonjim

Very nice, wish I had a palm tree in my yard!! I'm breaking ice out of my water feeders now!! Hee! I like how you slatted your landing board, keep there attention funnelling in! good job!


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## alby68

*main loft/new loft*

Heeler---seems like a top hung sliding door would be easier to use as a divider, no climbing or ducking. also a expanded metal floor, like Lou suggested, would work if you put insect screen around the crawlspace, preferably metal insect screen, around the perimeter of the loft, from the floor level down and into the ground - armored with plastic lattice on the outside- presto- no raccoons, mice, rats, snakes, or mosquitos! and plenty of good air. as for the fire ants you could put the bait granuals down right thru the metal floor, and spray around interior at the floor level only, to keep them out....Bruce........ Great job on the trap!


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## heeler

alby, I can't say you are wrong but it's the whole availiable funds thing, every time I turn around it's another 150.00$ for something so maybe in the future that pocket type door may just happen, so thanks for the tip.
I wish I knew better I would have built a different type loft and made it 4-5 feet off the ground too. That wouldn't help with hawks but other type vermin it could hold at bay. OH well live and learn.


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## heeler

Well I found the windows I've been looking for to add to the door of my breeders loft, this should really circulate some air in summer. I found two just alike so I'll add the other pretty soon.


I only added one today but I'll get to the other one of these days... I'm gonna put the other above this one. I also added hardware cloth or wire mesh to the inside of the window to keep out critters. We all know a cat could jump right up in that but the cloth will keep em out.

I've also got a solar panel and a couple of computer fans I'm gonna mount behind that upper vent. Solar so no electricity usage all summer long, when the sun is shining the fans turn and at night well no worries.


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## heeler

Well this is my idea for some air movement in the loft. The fans were 10$ each and the solar panel was 40$. I just wired em together and I'm gonna do a little test to see if my thinking will work...


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## heeler

Here I've got em wired up and if you look closely it looks like there are more blades on the fans in this photo but that's what happens when you take a pic of them spinning, it works just dandy, now lets try to install em.


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## heeler

This is a look from the inside and the outside. I'll clean up all the wires and make it safe for the birds. The tape was just to hold em in place until I could get a screw in em to mount em. The paperwork on the fans said they moved 97 CF and if you hold your hand outside you can feel it moving air and that's the idea.


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## heeler

This is a look at how it played out for today, I still have adjust some wires cause that panel came as a battery charger and I need to solder the wires together now that I know it will work. I still need to add one more window to the door but not now. Plus I'm gonna mount that panel on the south facing side of the loft for full sun exposure.


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## hollywoodlou

The loft came out very nice if it is hot i see you can just leave the door open and the fans should help some good idea maybe you can hook the solar pannel to a led light bulb


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## heeler

I don't think that would work, a solar panel needs sunlight, now then I could hook the solar panel to a 12 V car battery and a 12 V DC light to that and that would work all night long running from the charged battery, hmmmm you might have givin me another project!!! It's so hot here in the summer I was concentrating on air ventilation but I won't rule out the solar panel light project.Thx


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## heeler

I know ya'll have seen my landing board enclosure and I think it's just dandy, but I noticed that all my birds wouldn't go out at the same time -- too crowded I guess....


So I made this today -- it's a cage type enclosure that will hold everybody and they seem to really like it so now they can all hang out in the sun and take a good look around and still be safe, the dimensions are 5ft long x 3ft wide x 16inches tall. I just made to fit what I had and give em more wander area.
Of course it can be removed when it's time to fly or race and the trap works the same, oh I also added a board block inside so I can leave it in place.


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## vmj83459

more pictures?


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## heeler

*New YB/race loft for 2016*

I'm building a new race loft this year for the next YB race season. I had lots of fun last year but didn't win anything, my highest placing was 25th. I learned lots of what TO do and lots of what NOT to do, but push on we must. I'm gonna add some pics as I go along.


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## heeler

The foot print is 6ft x 10ft, I will prolly have a 40-45 bird team in 2016 and that should be enough to have lots of fun. I've got the base done and the walls are coming right along.


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## heeler

A couple of siding views as the construction continues.


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## heeler

This one shows the siding completed, that's Hardee Plank which is concrete, that should last for a while. Also hardware cloth on the top and bottom for air movement.


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## heeler

With the door completed and the roof panels installed, it's an enclosed unit now, all I need is some finishing touches before the young are introduced. You can see the screen door laying inside, I will add screen and hang that on the inside and during the day leave the big door open and that should allow more air movement too.


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## heeler

This is a view of the back to show how air will move, this should create the chimney effect to channel air over head and out the front. Each gap will have wire added like that one, this should keep out big critters anyway.


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## heeler

And the inside view of the wire vent block. The tin is kinda yucky but it was free so it's fine with me.


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## heeler

From the outside the roof looks high and it is but I'm gonna do a drop ceiling inside so the birds cant roost up high or fly away when I'm trying to catch em for training. That's right at head height.
Also the insulation for the most exposed walls is a must in my opinion and of course the ceiling, that metal will cook your brains if it's not insulated and it will be.


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## heeler

And of course I'm gonna add anchors to each corner, I'll get to it soonish.


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## heeler

Well as you can see I got the anchors installed and buried. 3 feet in the ground, that should hold for a while.


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## heeler

Also the screen door is wired and hung, I used spring loaded hinges to make sure the door closes behind me on it's own so we have no escapee's.


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## heeler

In this shot you can see the ceiling is insulated and this is how the screen or mesh will block the birds but not the air movement up and out. Almost there...


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## heeler

So I got the screen and the siding up and I'm ready for the perches.


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## heeler

This is my trapping system, with the bob's down to secure the birds, then open and finally this whole window is capable of swiveling up and out of the way so the yb's can come and go out onto the landing board with ease and comfort.


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## c.hert

I have a question ? You seem to be very very handy with building things and putting together real good with good designs ---now my question??? lol Why in the world did not you start from scratch and build your own breeders loft to begin with? Your loft is looking really nice...Was it cheaper to buy the little building then to put up your own from the beginning? You have birdies on the right side of this building and is that your main loft? Good thing you have good weather in Florida and wish we were warm where I am right now--9 degrees--terrible...lol How about those fans that you put on the top of a building and it draws by the pigeons heat--they are sort of round....I have a solar one and it works pretty darn good to pull hot air out of the back...Just wondering if you are thinking about one of these...Are you going to have electricity in the loft?


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## heeler

Well as to the breeders loft, I happened to get breeders really quick, there was no time to build and no the shed was not cheaper!!!!! The shed was $2k and right now I'm at $900 on the new build. Of course the heat might just kill me before I'm done. The remodel on the shed took me a whole month and I think that was in July last year.
So for this loft I decided lets wait until December so it will be cooler, huh not yet anyway, we are still breaking high temp records almost daily.
As to electricity, yes. I don't need it but it will probably happen.
Thanks for the post.


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## heeler

Well I finished my trapping system today this is a look inside. And you are wondering what is the black mat on the wall??? You'll see........


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## heeler

And now you know what the mat is for, no unwanted roosting up there with the trap in the open position.


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## heeler

I also got a few perches installed today, the wall on the left will be more too.


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## c.hert

Everything is looking really good...Thanks for sharing..


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## Greek Boy

Your loft is coming out well. Your open front at bottom and top should serve the birds well as far as ventilation in Florida goes. I like the way you made the stalls an entrance and a exit. Well thought out, as well for the black mat to. All the best- Nick.


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## heeler

Thanks guys, 
I got a tip from a very seasoned flyer that noticed a mistake on my part, he pointed out that where the birds come through the bob's I left a lip there and that would make for problems, so as he suggested I cut that away and now the birds will drop in with no way to sit there and create a ruckus with the next bird. That should make for faster trapping in the race recovery mode. This is a pic before I cut it, it was a 2x4, now it's a 2x2. 
Thanks go out to Myron (EYESIGN 101)


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## heeler

I got part of my landing board finished today, I'm also gonna add a 2x5 piece and use hinges to swivel it up for bird recovery and down for storage or race bird recovery. That little addition is for when I toss my whole team and all 45 birds are trying to get on the landing at once. It might be next week before I get that done but I can now rest easy knowing I can add yb's to the new loft as soon as there are ready which should be in the next couple of weeks or so, I'm also gonna make a wire hat settling cage that will swivel up out of the way.


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## heeler

Well, I decided to make my landing board with a little roof type deal so it will keep SOME of the rain off my clock sensor during race season. I will add sides and a front with drop down doors soon.


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## heeler

Just another view and I will add wire sides and drop down doors soonish. On the left side I will have a swing out door just to open up the landing board for the WHOLE team to land.


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## heeler

I got the sides on the landing board and as you can see I made one side able to open for more access on the approach of the whole team training. I will add a drop down front and I'll get the metal roof added soon too. I don't know that any of these extra's that I'm trying are gonna make any real difference but I hope my birds will be happy and healthy and want to come home.


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## c.hert

I love how you angled off the top of the landing board so that pigeons would not perch on it especially the wild ones. When I did my fly pen I made a mistake on having the top of the hard wire "flat" and wild pigeons want to land on it and now the only way I correct this open area (not having a roof covering only hard wire) is to drape a cloth over the top of it that sun can still come through..I use white carpet liner for floors and this seems to work. It has some holes in the material and wild pigeons if they unload it goes on this material..Your doing just a wonderful job and I wish that you lived right down the block for I would sure engage your services...lol Thanks for sharing..


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## heeler

I got most of the landing enclosure completed today, but no hardware cloth as you can see. The facia and the drop down portion of the landing board. That black pan you see is a hot water heater overflow pan and it makes a great bathtub for the birds. That pan is the reason for the dimensions of the whole thing, open the side door and slip it in and fill it up and when they're done there is a plug that I open so I can catch the water and dump it elsewhere. Don't want to kill my grass with that salty water. It worked really well in the other loft. Getting closer.......


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## heeler

I got one of the rain blocks completed today also. It's just propped for a view but I can store it at any angle. All the way up if the weather is good or all the way down to stop blowing rain or at an angle for air movement in a light shower. I'm gonna use the landing board brace for a way to adjust the angle of the rain block. Should be just dandy when she's done. I'll probably get the other's done tomorrow.


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## heeler

Well I got my rain blocks built and hung, young birds will be safe and dry now and I will finish the other stuff soon. If you look closely you can see the pegs sticking out of the braces, I'm gonna drill more holes (maybe) so I can make diff adjustments.


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## heeler

I still have to install the clear panel on the far right one but no worries. I drilled holes in the braces of the landing and will use pegs to set the angle of each block as needed. It's probably not necessary but just adds a little something to the finished product.


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## heeler

Just a head on view of the same.


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## c.hert

That's a nice looking loft and you are moving out on this project...wow...good job..


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## heeler

All wire installed and a late bird door or a racer recovery door not sure the proper name.


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## heeler




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## heeler

Plain and simple but it works.......


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## c.hert

Just so wonderful...Good for you...Wonderful builder with wonderful work...Thanks for sharing...


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## ace in the hole

*Looking great Tim*. When are you going to be ready for a few young?


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## heeler

A couple of the solid black Black Aces, that could work. Do you need 2016 bands? I can make a trip south.....


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## ace in the hole

Would you believe I have TCPC bands. In this first round I have only 2 blacks. If they are 11 flights I might have to keep them here. I'll let you know but at this point I am good on bands.


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## heeler

Well she's done, my first yb's are in there along with my Satinettes. I'm sure more up dates and modifications in the future are a must. I will add electric before race season starts too.


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## heeler

First round, bath time and our first flight.


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## Pigeon person

Nice loft love it


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## heeler

Great thanks, I have raced two seasons out of it now and I can say the birds seem to like it too. I probably wouldn't change much if I were to rebuild one like this maybe add a few feet of width and length but not much. 
It's taken two hurricanes so far and here we are in hurricane season again so we'll see how it goes this year.


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