# best designs for cleaning



## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

I am wondering about the best way to design for easy cleaning. Please share your ideas.


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## gogo10131 (Aug 17, 2010)

I'm not sure this is the easiest but i used plywood for the flooring inside my lofts and then i used bedding pellets they use for house, which i put over the plywood.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

You can't get any easier than this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfv1A8xKjSk


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## billyr70 (Jun 11, 2009)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> You can't get any easier than this.
> 
> http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f38/shadybug-breeding-loft-video-51210.html


LOL.........


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## jcorbpc (Aug 5, 2011)

That is one great loft!!


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> You can't get any easier than this.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfv1A8xKjSk


11 months to build and two week to clean. It is a nice loft but it way to much for me. 

Easy of cleaning cement floor, wood perchs and no lip on the nesting boxs. We clean everyday start to finnish 10 min. simple


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## billyr70 (Jun 11, 2009)

GEMcC5150 said:


> 11 months to build and two week to clean. It is a nice loft but it way to much for me.
> 
> Easy of cleaning cement floor, wood perchs and no lip on the nesting boxs. We clean everyday start to finnish 10 min. simple


lollol. I agree, to many gadgets in a little space. (But nicely built)


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I haven't cleaned the perches yet and there clean. I think they don't like to poop where they lay. It only takes 15 min to clean the hole thing. You see the pic of my birds they never have poop on there feet because there none there, and i rarely get poop on my feet. Also with the pullout boards you don't have to worry about breathing the dust because your cleaning outside the loft in the air. The loft may be small but everything I designed works just like it was intended to do, and everything has a purpose. The only thing i haven't used yet is the step stool, and thats because I haven't used the upper nest boxes yet. Really 2 weeks to clean, I can clean that loft while most people are thinking and dreading cleaning there's. Oh ya I only cleaned mine 3 times since that video was made, none of that every day stuff.


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## billyr70 (Jun 11, 2009)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I haven't cleaned the perches yet and there clean. I think they don't like to poop where they lay. It only takes 15 min to clean the hole thing. You see the pic of my birds they never have poop on there feet because there none there, and i rarely get poop on my feet. Also with the pullout boards you don't have to worry about breathing the dust because your cleaning outside the loft in the air. The loft may be small but everything I designed works just like it was intended to do, and everything has a purpose. The only thing i haven't used yet is the step stool, and thats because I haven't used the upper nest boxes yet. Really 2 weeks to clean, I can clean that loft while most people are thinking and dreading cleaning there's. Oh ya I only cleaned mine 3 times since that video was made, none of that every week stuff.


Great loft, how many birds you got now?


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I only have 13 now.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

That 10 min I was talking is cleaning changing the water and feeding. You would have a hard time getting all of you underboards out side in 10 min. My current breeding loft has 6 pair and squabs and still can do it in 10 min or less. I have a small flight loft 14 birds with a wood floor and it is a little slower but I can be out of the lofts in 30 on any day I don't have time it linger. I like my daily cleaning that way I can see any change in the bird from one day to the next.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Superflyer ask for ideas, I give mine.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

I think you ideas are wonderful. I just like how simple my loft work for me. Simple no frills


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I like your lofts to, I think your climates a little dryer than most for using concrete, am I right? Your open front loft wouldn't work well here where it snows. But works well in your area.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

That true I some time forget weather We have two season warm and hot. I just dont think about have to have them closed in. Thank for setting me to thinking.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Shadybug--this is really cool!


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## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks for the ideas, I wonder if aspergillous grows on wet plywood???? I want to have the drinking and bathing areas on concrete, plastic or ground. Shady Bug sure is nice! I can see that a lot of love, work and thought went into that breeding loft, in the end of the video the birds are standing on the center strips maybe the floor is not too comfy to stand on. I think grids spaced to far apart can mess up the birds feet.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

No, The birds walk all over the aviary floor with no problems. In fact I rarely see them walking on the boards. Once birds get use to any floor there usually no problems.


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## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

I disagree walking on spread out wires is a highly un-natural condition. The foot is made for flat solid surfaces. I'm glad you have some really nice flat solid perches.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I guess we will agree it disagree, but it doesn't bother the birds, they walk on it just like its a flat surface. If its so unnatural and uncomfortable on there feet why are they always walking around on the floor, if its so bad they would stay clear of it. The floor is plastic coated and larger diameter than any wire and more comfortable to walk on, and cooler than bare metal in the hot sun.


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## billyr70 (Jun 11, 2009)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I guess we will agree it disagree, but it doesn't bother the birds, they walk on it just like its a flat surface. If its so unnatural and uncomfortable on there feet why are they always walking around on the floor, if its so bad they would stay clear of it. The floor is plastic coated and larger diameter than any wire and more comfortable to walk on, and cooler than bare metal in the hot sun.


I agree, they walk on that just fine.


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## Greek Boy (Apr 12, 2010)

I to agree with having the screen floors in the avairy, slats over wooden floor for the loft or 3/4" diamond shaped steel. Most of the professional racers have some kind of screen or slats in their nestboxes with a catch board underneath and a walking or strutting board in front of each box. Pigeons can adapt to almost anything within reason of course. Nick..


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## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

Shadybug what kind of wire are you using? It sounds pretty good. I think it's nice to have both some wire and flat solid surface. I have no idea what was on the bottom of the loft in the video I just noticed the bird was staying on the solid strip.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Its Rubbermaid closet shelves. The walk on the boards and the shelves now without any problem. I have been watching them more now that you said that, because i never notice any problems, and they just walk all over it without any problems, they lay in the sun on it to. I think they stayed on the wood in the video because i just put them in there a few mins before i made the video and the wood was a more normal floor to them I love that floor i haven't cleaned it yet, and there's nothing on it other than being discolored from the poop its as clean as the day i opened it. The poop gets knocked of the boards from the birds. I don't have a lot of birds in there only 6 but 6 birds can poop an lot. I have had 2 birds in the upper part of my quarantine pen that has a board on it, that was a mistake, they have been in there 2 weeks and i have cleaned it more times than i have cleaned my loft since i put birds in it. It always has a thick layer of poop on it, I don't know where it all comes from with 2 birds. Knowing what i know i would never have a loft with only wood floors. I have visited many lofts and out of the ones that i looked at the dirtiest smelliest lofts were lofts with wooden floors. and the nicest loft i saw had slated floors. Thats why i chose to do the floors the way i did and never regretted it.


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## Boo800800 (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks Shadybug for you posts about your loft and aviary. Thats how I was able to make an aviary simaliar to yours and also than You for answering questions along the way. Here is my aviary
































thanks again Shadybug!!!!!!


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks Boo800800, That's a beautiful loft you have there. I see you used my cover ups idea. I have to build them for my new loft before winter. I have 3 questions, What is the white bottle for, and is that a solar cell on the roof? Is that a catch pan under the aviary?


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## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks for posting the pics and tips, I purchased a bunch of closet shelves a few years ago. I plan to use them soon. I am thinking of placing some small boards on top in a few areas. It would be an interesting experiment to place a few small flat pieces of something on your floors and see if they sit on them or if they continue to site on the floor grid.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

That's a good idea you could remove them and clean them, but i think you will find they will lay where ever the sun shines. That's what mine do. and there are two different shelving some have the wires closer than the others. I'm not sure, but i think ones for closets and the other is for pantries. I have the closer ones and Boo800800 has the ones that are farther apart looks like from here.


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## Boo800800 (Nov 21, 2010)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Thanks Boo800800, That's a beautiful loft you have there. I see you used my cover ups idea. I have to build them for my new loft before winter. I have 3 questions, What is the white bottle for, and is that a solar cell on the roof? Is that a catch pan under the aviary?


The white bottle is a filter for a misting system for the gazebo next to the aviary. Not part of the loft. Unless you are referring to the drinker in the aviary, maybe the picture angle only captured part of the drinker. Yes, there are 2 solar panels on the aviary roof. I have 2 solar lights in the aviary and 2 in the loft. Yes, I have a catch pan under the aviary. My loft and Aviary are on top of a concrete slab. I added the catch pan so there will be less mess.


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## Boo800800 (Nov 21, 2010)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> That's a good idea you could remove them and clean them, but i think you will find they will lay where ever the sun shines. That's what mine do. and there are two different shelving some have the wires closer than the others. I'm not sure, but i think ones for closets and the other is for pantries. I have the closer ones and Boo800800 has the ones that are farther apart looks like from here.


I started out with the ones that were farther apart, but changed the to the closer spaced ones, they are much better. I made a change after that and added more of the same going across them as a test run. the actually work better in my opinion. I was worried they might get a build up of poop, but they didn't even with the extra shelving so I kept them in. much easier for the birds to walk on and no mess. Great Idea Shadybug. Thanks Again!!!








with extra shelving


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## superflyer (Sep 13, 2008)

Looks pretty good with the units criss crossed. I hear rehabbers of shore and water birds give the birds lawn furniture cushins to stand on since they are mostly in the air or water
and their feet are not made for standing on hard surfaces for long periods. I think birds need as much ergonomic comfort as they can get same as us, but is sure is nice not to be standing in poop though...


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