# starter loft



## lukem (Mar 31, 2009)

hi all im starting out on pidgons and would like a small loft for 2 homing pidgons i am 13 and i am in scotland i hae had pigons before but they were wood pidons i rescud and i have rescued a lot of wild birds and have relesd hem all back


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

something like this might be fun, were in scotloand are you?


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## lukem (Mar 31, 2009)

im near edinburgh


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## lukem (Mar 31, 2009)

that one is a bit big for were i live


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## lostflight (Aug 18, 2008)

Try something like this, it was the design for my very first coop. I couldn't find the original page but I found this picture of it. If you need me to redraw the blue print I could probably do that. It has been about 4 1/2 years though, and my mind is aging fast. LOL. It's small so you could probably squeeze in 2 pairs of homers max.

http://www.lcsupply.com/images/shop/product_images/1660/regular_plp.jpg


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

Mine is just a 4x8x4 ft. box, devided into 3 sections (3 doors) with 3 shelves, one in each section.
It's up on supports, hip high.
I think that it's the easiest to build. You don't waste much wood, and (for me) 6 pigeons have more than enough room.
We're not too fancy around here, 
Plenty of time to get fancy later on.


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## lukem (Mar 31, 2009)

i like that wee one its nice


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

That little one doesn't have any sections in it, your birds might fight too much, and if they do, How are you going to seperate them?
Be carefull, allways have enough room for your pigeons!


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## lostflight (Aug 18, 2008)

That is true, it is very tiny but for a broke little kid with big dreams it did well for me. If you can afford a bigger one I would recommend that, don't be cheap (I'm not saying you are, just advice) because you will have a lot of problems. Also if you have a bigger one you won't need to "upgrade" your loft when you decide to keep more.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

You want to have plenty of space for your birds. They multiply very quickly if you're not watching their numbers! If don't plan on breeding the 2 pigeons then the a small loft like the one lostflight posted would do just fine. If you plan on breeding then you would have to go bigger specially if you go with racing homers. IMHO


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## lukem (Mar 31, 2009)

i only want 2


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## ezemaxima (Jan 12, 2008)

lukem said:


> i only want 2


2 can turn into 10 in no time if you're not carefull!


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

That is what I told myself in the beginning. I told my brother's friend that I only want 2. Then I ended up with 8 as a gift, then I breed them and I ended up even more. And when I got sick I ended up with oops babies. You will end up thinking of population control so you end up asking about dummy/fake eggs and so forth. My problem obviously is that when I see a good bird I want some descendant from that bird so I ended up breeding more and because I don't cull/kill a not so good ones, I am stuck with them.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

Lukem can keep only 2 pigeons, with the correct effort.
2 Females, or 2 males, or one pair, male and female.
You still have to supply proper nutrition, Plenty of room,(More room the Better) and use dummy eggs, once in a while.
Before I get Clobbered about that subject, I hope that a Pigeon Tech, Bird Doctor? (Orintholigist?) not a Breeder, will stop in and explain the P's+Q's.(Why?- It would probly be Too one sided)
It is possable to keep a certain (limited) number of Pigeons.
It's up to you, personally, how you do it. (No, I Don't Mean Humans!)  
I only keep 6 Pigeons. Very manageable for me.


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## Tennman1 (Mar 31, 2009)

Hey ya'll, one idea for us poor folks, uh, I mean limited funds individuals, is to look for things to turn into lofts. Here is what I did. 18 years ago, I built my daughter a play house. A couple of weeks ago, it became my new loft. I plan on keeping 6 birds myself. The doll /play house was made 4'X7" by 6'6" tall. When I built it, I used scrap wood I had left over from a building project. When I modified it into a loft a couple weeks ago, I did a little cutting here and there, then used some more scrap wood left over, actually I tore down my sons tree house that was slowly falling down after years of non use. Anyhow, for very little money, I have a new loft that is about 28 square feet. I had to buy one piece of OSB 4x8 sheet and some nails and some paint and some wire. I think by using leftovers and re-using available play house, I may have $40 in this thing. Lukem may be able to come up with a plan like I did and use leftovers. Just a thought.


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## Bobcat (Feb 26, 2009)

*Kit box would make good starter loft.*

this Kit box would make a good starter coop for a few birds. It is only about 8x3x3 with a divider in the center you could split cocks and hens or young and old. Built out of the right material it is easy to move (transport) and clean. This coop was built and used to house 32 rollers, and it works well. 12 box perches on back wall and 4 more on each end wall. 


http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/album.php?albumid=551&pictureid=6928


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Bobcat,

That looks like a double kit box. I like it, but I will raise the loft if it was mine. I have roving cats and opossum here.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would raise it no matter where you are. There are always animals and predators around.
And as far as size, most people that started with the thought that they only wanted a couple of birds, now have more. Oops babies do happen, or the offer of a bird that you want to except. Pigeons are like potato chips. You can't just have two. You think you can, but opportunities for others will come up, and it is nice to have the room for them. Even if you were to make it just a little bit bigger than what you think you need. Most people who have built a loft, wish they had more room. Figure out what you think you need, then go just a little bit bigger.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Tennman1 said:


> Hey ya'll, one idea for us poor folks, uh, I mean limited funds individuals, is to look for things to turn into lofts. Here is what I did. 18 years ago, I built my daughter a play house. A couple of weeks ago, it became my new loft. I plan on keeping 6 birds myself. The doll /play house was made 4'X7" by 6'6" tall. When I built it, I used scrap wood I had left over from a building project. When I modified it into a loft a couple weeks ago, I did a little cutting here and there, then used some more scrap wood left over, actually I tore down my sons tree house that was slowly falling down after years of non use. Anyhow, for very little money, I have a new loft that is about 28 square feet. I had to buy one piece of OSB 4x8 sheet and some nails and some paint and some wire. I think by using leftovers and re-using available play house, I may have $40 in this thing. Lukem may be able to come up with a plan like I did and use leftovers. Just a thought.


Tennman1, recycling that way is a great idea. Brings the cost way down, and uses the materials that you already have. In todays economy, we have to do this kind of thing more and more. It makes sense. Also makes you feel good that you are able to reuse things that are no longer in use. Great idea! I'm all for recycling. And it's kinda fun.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Justice543 said:


> do you have the drawing for that


Im sorry , I just now saw your post....no I do not have a plan for that, just saw the picture that someone posted, he bought it already made. not sure where from but I think it was in the UK.


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## velo99 (Apr 8, 2007)

Drawing? Why a drawing when you have a picture? lol
Look to me its 6 feet wide and 10 feet long 8 feet at the ridge with a 6x6 aviary. 
The housing section is 4x6. Pretty easy from the looks of it.

yits 
v99


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## Tennman1 (Mar 31, 2009)

Yeah Jay3 it is kinda fun if you like buildings stuff like I do. Sometimes I get a little impatient and get sloppy I'll have to take a picture of this loft I converted from the playhouse. 
By the way, my daughter and her fiance are going nuts trying to figure out what I'm doing with this old playhouse. They have never seen a loft and so far it been a hoot just smiling at them when they ask what it is.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Tennman1 said:


> Yeah Jay3 it is kinda fun if you like buildings stuff like I do. Sometimes I get a little impatient and get sloppy I'll have to take a picture of this loft I converted from the playhouse.
> By the way, my daughter and her fiance are going nuts trying to figure out what I'm doing with this old playhouse. They have never seen a loft and so far it been a hoot just smiling at them when they ask what it is.


Know what you mean. I like building things too. Kinda plan it as I go along. Makes it interesting.
Will they be surprised when they find out it's a loft! LOL.


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