# Poop catcher



## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Hi 

I recently posted a thread asking people's opinions on what type of perches I should install. (for outside).

This is kinda a continuation of my perch planning.

So, one of my dogs has a strange affinity to pigeon poop -_-

She eats it..................

Since the roof is a shared family space (dog space + mum's laundry + my pigeon playground ) [NOT at the same time though!!] I want to try keep it as poop free as possible.

I'm prepared to scrape and sweep up at the end of each day.

But I was thinking also of installing a 'poop catcher' underneath the perches to minimize the amount of dropping hitting the floor (as the water also goes directly to our well (not drinking water).

Has anyone ever done something similar?


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## Rod Hultquist (Aug 23, 2009)

You can build a box and cover it with wire.Her is an example from CBS.

http://www.cbspigeon.com/VTCBS/d386.html

the box would not have to be as deep as the one in the photo.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Oh cool! Thanks


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## Doig (May 18, 2013)

That is a nice idea! 

Some people, actually floor their entire loft with just metal wire and underneath that is the box or board that the poop falls in and it is pulled out to get dumped and ready to use again. 

*Example: Found this on Google, not my picture; just an example for you. This picture belongs to a member on this site called kalapati.
*


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## RockPigeon<3er (Aug 2, 2012)

Not sure if it'd work for pigeons, but you can use sand as bedding (in the pullout thing, that is) so at the end of the day you scoop out the pieces and poop and can reuse the sand several times, making cleaning easier


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Thanks guys. Really cool suggestions. Especially with the draws to make mucking out even easier


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## Doig (May 18, 2013)

No problem. 

Goodluck with your plans!


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

When i mentioned the floor boxes with maybe sand or grit in them for easy cleaning, my Mum got a brilliant (and cheap ) idea of using cat litter boxes!!

Which means I can put them out when I let the birds out.

And then at the end of the day, clean them and stack them out of the way and out of the rain! 

Thanks for all the great tips guys! 

I'll post a pic of my finished set up when I'm done!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Looking forward to the pictures.


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## Crazybird (Jul 13, 2013)

Seems like a bit of over thinking on those big drawers. Droppings are going accumulate everywhere the wire runs over a 2x4. The smaller box in the first picture is a much better idea if you're going to do something like that.


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## jafacanyan (Jul 17, 2013)

Not sure if the floor would work for pigeons, but i might be wrong. good luck!


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

I suppose it depends on how many pigeons you have. I thought the draws were a really cool idea. And it makes sure the pigeons are never walking on their droppings since it is so huge.

I'll let you know if it works out well for me with the cat litter boxes on the floor.

I'm also putting spacers behind the perches so they can't dirty the wall either.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

If your pij is in rehab inside the house what I do, when I have rehabbing pigeons is just put down lots of towels to catch the poops and then at the end of the day, after they are drier, I scrape the poops off with an old butter knife. 2 or 3 times a week, new (old) towels are put down and the old ones taken and washed. for the floor, I use an old sheet laid out, or a plastic drop sheet (used in painting a room). I have an extra bedroom that does not get used for anything but storage and that is my bird room. There isn't much in that room except some plastic stoage bins so they are also easy to wipe off for any stay poops (do this everyday). This method requires the extra room, of course. I also use this method: I have bought plastic garden mesh and I wrap this around the 4 legs of either an old coffee table or a regular old table (gives more space than a coffee table, and clip it shut with clothes pins and put newspaper down on the floor. Walla! A large instant dovecote. Easy to clean, just take up the newpaper and replace 2ce a day or more, if the bird is a prolific pooper or is ill and pooping allot. You can also cut a door in the mesh that opens and closes with clothes pegs. Just a suggestion. lol


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

I'm not looking for an indoor solution. Atm I let him out inside to strengthen his wings a bit, get used to me and give him a chance to regrow his flight feathers as he came to me with them clipped.

I have a dovecot on the roof over a stone floor. Easy enough to scrape droppings off right? But the run off rain water drains from the roof directly to the well, so I don't want pigeon droppings going down into the well water.

Plus one of my dogs has a penchant for eating pigeon droppings which I d not want either. 

so I am devising a way to catch their droppings from their outside perches, so I can easily dispose of them at the end of each day.

Towels won't work outside as they#d blow away and move to easily in the wind, and the dog would still eat the droppings off them.

Also my parents let me have the pigeons as a favor from the generosity of their heart (they ave absolutely no interest in having them) so if i can avoid adding to my mum's laundry chores with dirty towels it is another bonus for me.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you run a simple shelf under the perches, yet high enough for the dog not to reach it, then you can just scrape it off at the end of the day into a can or something with a cover. The can can just be left there with a scraper to make it convenient. They like higher perches anyway, so running a shelf under them would be easy.


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

Oh, I see, they are outside! Yep, my method is out, but good on you, caring and putting in the time required! I am sure many on here will be giving you excellent advice and just what you will need to come to a sound solution to avoid contamination of the well water. Do you have a roof drainpipe that you could let the run-off pour into by placing a barrel there? I am sure you have already considered that, but I will put it out there anyhow. All the best and we are all behind you, as your pigeon friends, love.


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## LeeLu (Sep 23, 2012)

spiritflys said:


> If your pij is in rehab inside the house what I do, when I have rehabbing pigeons is just put down lots of towels to catch the poops and then at the end of the day, after they are drier, I scrape the poops off with an old butter knife. 2 or 3 times a week, new (old) towels are put down and the old ones taken and washed. for the floor, I use an old sheet laid out, or a plastic drop sheet (used in painting a room). I have an extra bedroom that does not get used for anything but storage and that is my bird room. There isn't much in that room except some plastic stoage bins so they are also easy to wipe off for any stay poops (do this everyday). This method requires the extra room, of course. I also use this method: I have bought plastic garden mesh and I wrap this around the 4 legs of either an old coffee table or a regular old table (gives more space than a coffee table, and clip it shut with clothes pins and put newspaper down on the floor. Walla! A large instant dovecote. Easy to clean, just take up the newpaper and replace 2ce a day or more, if the bird is a prolific pooper or is ill and pooping allot. You can also cut a door in the mesh that opens and closes with clothes pegs. Just a suggestion. lol


i believe i have the perfect solution for inside homing doves....i use wide brim straw hats...what i do is use a big box, on top of other empty boxes to make it high for the "perch" which is the straw hat. i fill the box with junk, papers, etc to about 6" from the top leaving the flaps of the box open and taped at the seams for security. i fill to box to the top with plastic bags for catchings and stuff the straw hat with plastic bags and "plant" it in the plastic bags. This makes a great perch, and there is literally no mess to clean up because the droppings stick to, usually stay within the 6" brim of the straw hat, and by morning they are fairly hard and roll off the hat. And the straw hat can simply be wiped down with a wet cloth and any residue from the droppings comes right off. 

i don't have to scrape or touch the droppings; i use a wire brush with a scraper on the end of it (a kitchen wire brush) and sweep off the brim; the droppings roll into the commode and i flush them away...it takes less than a minute to clean these straw hat perches, and the doves love them for the top of the hat is like a nest, they lay down into the top of the hat. i get the straw hats at the $ store, i use two hats together for sturdiness,. i have 5 doves, and 2 more in the oven!


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

LeeLu said:


> i believe i have the perfect solution for inside homing doves....i use wide brim straw hats...what i do is use a big box, on top of other empty boxes to make it high for the "perch" which is the straw hat. i fill the box with junk, papers, etc to about 6" from the top leaving the flaps of the box open and taped at the seams for security. i fill to box to the top with plastic bags for catchings and stuff the straw hat with plastic bags and "plant" it in the plastic bags. This makes a great perch, and there is literally no mess to clean up because the droppings stick to, usually stay within the 6" brim of the straw hat, and by morning they are fairly hard and roll off the hat. And the straw hat can simply be wiped down with a wet cloth and any residue from the droppings comes right off.
> 
> i don't have to scrape or touch the droppings; i use a wire brush with a scraper on the end of it (a kitchen wire brush) and sweep off the brim; the droppings roll into the commode and i flush them away...it takes less than a minute to clean these straw hat perches, and the doves love them for the top of the hat is like a nest, they lay down into the top of the hat. i get the straw hats at the $ store, i use two hats together for sturdiness,. i have 5 doves, and 2 more in the oven!


LOL sounds ingenious! Would love to see a photo of that.

Not suitable for me though since they're outside


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Jay3 said:


> If you run a simple shelf under the perches, yet high enough for the dog not to reach it, then you can just scrape it off at the end of the day into a can or something with a cover. The can can just be left there with a scraper to make it convenient. They like higher perches anyway, so running a shelf under them would be easy.


Yeah, that's what I originally was going to go with, putting an ice cream container or plant tray underneath each perch.

But then I realized that I'd have to haul out our big ladder at the end of each day to reach the trays and clean them out. It also means a lot more work drilling holes for all the brackets and stuff.


So I'm going with perches high up, varying heights, and cat litter boxes along the wall underneath


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Here's my current set up - lacking any perches/ poop catchers.

Everything will be put to the right of the dove cot, to minimize the spread of poop catchers I need 

Thought it might clarify things a bit for people since my situation is pretty different from most US lofts


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## spiritflys (Aug 6, 2012)

lovin that! A good start, keep going, mate!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

LisaNewTumbler said:


> Yeah, that's what I originally was going to go with, putting an ice cream container or plant tray underneath each perch.
> 
> But then I realized that I'd have to haul out our big ladder at the end of each day to reach the trays and clean them out. It also means a lot more work drilling holes for all the brackets and stuff.
> 
> ...



I just meant one long shelf that runs the length of the wall. Not so high that you would need to get on a ladder. Just maybe 4 feet up. It would still catch the droppings from any perches high up on the wall. And easy to scrape.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

but wouldn't they perch on that shelf then as well?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

LisaNewTumbler said:


> but wouldn't they perch on that shelf then as well?


Yes they would, but the poop should land on the shelf even if they do. Although, you are right in that they could stand on it in a way so that the droppings could go on the floor. Oh well, back to the drawing board.............................


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