# Advice on adding loft to aviary



## Daisydoo (Mar 4, 2019)

Good evening from drizzly UK
I am thinking now of doing an add on loft to the aviary (joiner will not be happy) I had built for Mooky and gal pal when find one. . I am looking for any suggestion's. I have attached a few pic's for you guy's to see. There is still space at the side I do want the nest box inside to have the tray you can slide out to clean but thinking of best way to add to it to aviary . .


----------



## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

You could take the door off and extend the loft , then put the door back on the extended part.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The whole left end, past the door can be closed off with wood to give them somewhere to go into to get out of the wind and cold. Put in nest box and perches, as the male would rather be on a perch outside the nest to roost. If no perches inside, then he will probably perch outside in the cold. Even with a couple of boxes, he may just go into the second one for a roost at night. An aviary isn't enough protection from wind and weather. Also they need somewhere to go to feel safe at night. They don't particularly feel safe out in an aviary. They know there are predators around.


----------



## Daisydoo (Mar 4, 2019)

Thanks for that and had no idea to put perch in there as well . . Novice.


----------



## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

The more perches you have the better. Read up on pigeon care and loft husbandry or pigeon loft building, then it gets clearer.


----------



## Daisydoo (Mar 4, 2019)

Thank's . . .most of the lofts are big for a lot of birds. Four at most I will have.You Tube as well as this site have been my life saver.


----------



## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

Daisydoo said:


> Thank's . . .most of the lofts are big for a lot of birds. Four at most I will have.You Tube as well as this site have been my life saver.


Any good loft big or small will have more perches and nest boxes than the number of pigeons. They need a dry loft, that does not have too many drafts. Aviary for sunning. A plan that is easy for the keeper to clean. Those are the basics .


----------



## Nandishc1984 (Nov 8, 2018)

Hi Daisydoo, how do you train your birds to come back to loft. Because I see there are higher walls around the loft. I also have similar loft but my birds tend to sit on neighbors buildings.. And some new birds flew away. Any suggestions will be helpful


----------



## Ladygrey (Dec 10, 2016)

Nandishc1984 said:


> Hi Daisydoo, how do you train your birds to come back to loft. Because I see there are higher walls around the loft. I also have similar loft but my birds tend to sit on neighbors buildings.. And some new birds flew away. Any suggestions will be helpful


You may want to open your own thread for this topic, but I’ll say here that when letting out pigeons the only control a keeper has is coaxing them back with food. 

How you do that is the same as what racing pigeon lofts do. 

New birds have to be kept in for months, while they are getting a feeding regime everyday, a call of some type the same everyday , a call can be shaking the can of feed to you calling them or a whistle , just as long it is the same every time and every day. Do not over feed. This is training to recognize your call with food. After a few months of them getting excited when they hear your call and immediately eating after you put it in the feeder, then you know they understand what that means. Then if let out before feeding , if you go to call them they will or should come back in to eat, But a problem there is do they know how to get back in?... Extra training with the feed call in a settling cage on the outside in front of where they get in usually shows them how to enter without them being loose to the outdoors. 

As far as fancy pigeons go like daisydoos, they are not usually let out at all as they are not as fast and savvy as homing pigeons and other breeds of pigeons that are bred for flock flying. These pigeons are let out as a flock, which is safer then just a few pigeons being let out where a hawk can pick one out easily. 

An exception could be a giant breed that does not fly higher than four feet up like a giant runt, they are big and act more like chickens. They enjoy getting out and bathing in a pan and sunning on the lawn, but with the owner present just in case a hawk sees them.


----------



## Nandishc1984 (Nov 8, 2018)

Hi Ladygrey, thanks for the response. Sure will try to control the birds by feed.


----------

