# The Importance of Stalls on Bob Traps



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm not necessarily talking about stall traps where the bird drops in and you can easily get the countermark off during the race.
I'm talking about stalls in general. Like I have on my young bird loft.








Not only do they help prevent one bird from dominating the entrance and not letting anyone through...or preventing them from turning around after deciding they may not want to go in.....BUT they also prevent unwanted critters in your loft. Ours are just wide enough for one pigeon to fit through at a time. Yesterday I came home to find a full grown Red Tail in my OB loft. She had killed two birds and scared the crap out of the rest. She was in the aviary trying very hard to get out. I had flown the birds earlier and had a few stubborn ones that didn't want to go in right away, so I left the traps uncovered. Our OB traps are wide with no stalls, so the hawk (and anything else) could easily get in if they figured out how. Normally I have the solid flaps covering the bobs so nothing can get in, except of course when my birds are out. I feel like if I had stalls to make smaller entrance spaces, it could have prevented Mrs. Red tail from squeezing in. She was huge. Her tail wasn't red yet, but we're figuring she was as big as she was going to get. Her wingspan is almost as long as mine  She filled up the aviary when she stood!
Here's what my OB traps look like. Hoping to fix the problem ASAP. We also plan on replacing the old, heavier bobs with new, lighter ones.















You can see the wooden covers swung up in that picture.


So in my opinion, if you have bob traps, you should put some stalls on them. And of course with ANY traps, you need to lock them up when you aren't using them, so that nothing can get in/out.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

I have the same thing as you do for my old birds,but,I have a window that I lower after I take my bob window out,and leave only a few inches for a pigeon to drop in,and not a hawk....My bob trap is removeable..I made it myselp out of 2 by 2's...I use it mostly for training tosses,and races,when I am there at the loft....Alamo


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## luckyloft (Oct 21, 2006)

Had the same thing happen to me 3 weeks ago but it was a cooper.Got one of my whites.It was my fault like you I usually cover up the opening with wood.But it had been so cold I wanted to give the birds alittle sun.I have run a string of wire in front of them now.To late of course. Jeff


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## Thunderbird Racing (Jul 24, 2010)

the bobs in the top pic look great. 
do you have any pictures from the outside of the loft?


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

http://picasaweb.google.com/MaryOfExeter/LoftPictures
There's some in there that I took before it was completely done. But it was mostly together then 

We added wire walls from the top of the aviary, to the roof. And then closed that section (where the traps are, between top of aviary to roof) with two wire doors on the front. With those wire doors up, it is a settling cage. With them down, it is a landing board 










The loft is on top of a little hill, so those long sticks are for me to close the doors with. And a string to open them.


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## Thunderbird Racing (Jul 24, 2010)

that sounds like a great idea. I am in the middle of a small loft for the wife's whites, so I am looking at stall/aviary pics...


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Great idea on the stall side. Hopefully you made the width entrance small enough to prevent coopers hawk as well. I am hoping it is around 4-4.5 inches wide.


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## Happy (Dec 19, 2004)

Mary, 
Excellent post. That is the reason I have always used stalls on my traps, even now that I wouldn't have to with Electronic Timer, but know that this is a "DETERRENT" to Predators.. I know I've lost a few 1st places by having stall/separations as birds don't trap quite as fast & every second can keep us out of 1st place. Just know that what you wrote & what I do does DETER B.O.P etc. from going on inside our Lofts & losing so much more than a race... I also use Sturdy 1/2"X1" Heavy Gauge Welded Wire Landing Board supported well as I know that Hawks Long Talons don't like Wire as much as a nice wood, or solid Landing Board as their Talons can hook on to it making it uncomfortable for them... Anything as a Deterrent from easy entry to our Lofts....
Sure you know that Red Tails (or any Hawk/Falcon) don't molt their 1st year as our Pigeons do, so Red Tails don't have there Red Tail till after the molt in there yearling yr., then they molt yearly as other birds getting more colors etc.. 
Thanks for sharing, Happy


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

my drop traps have 4" on center dowels, wonder if hawks can get through these?


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