# sputniks traps



## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

I was looking at these and they seem pretty much like a drop trap to me, but I was curious if you had one of these would you have to use a settling cage? I ask because wouldn't them sunning inside the trap and then entering the loft not be much difference then them dropping through from outside the loft?

Would anyone recommend me purchasing one for use over traditional bobs?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Grim said:


> I was looking at these and they seem pretty much like a drop trap to me, but I was curious if you had one of these would you have to use a settling cage? I ask because wouldn't them sunning inside the trap and then entering the loft not be much difference then them dropping through from outside the loft?
> 
> Would anyone recommend me purchasing one for use over traditional bobs?


I'm not sure what they look like? I looked at Foys and the have the Belgium Sputnik, but they are $300????????? Then I tried Globals and their web site is all messed up. So, then I tried Seigles and they say that they can be used as an aviary, landing board, etc........but there's no picture. 
What are you using now?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Here's a sputnik trap in this video. You don't see it until the end. I personally think that they are perfect for trapping........no bobs.........but I wouldn't let my birds sit in one all day as an aviary. That's a hawk trap waiting........ 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIY4UbYa8K8


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## Guest (Mar 22, 2008)

if you look at most belgium lofts thats all they use on the outside of their flying lofts so would imagine they are used as their settling cages and where they can orient themselves to the loft itself .. if I had the money to spare and the room for another loft , I would definiately go with a sputnik as the birds take to them so easily and yes its basically a drop trap on the outside of your loft


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

LokotaLoft said:


> if you look at most belgium lofts thats all they use on the outside of their flying lofts so would imagine they are used as their settling cages and where they can orient themselves to the loft itself .. if I had the money to spare and the room for another loft , I would definiately go with a sputnik as the birds take to them so easily and yes its basically a drop trap on the outside of your loft


I'm wondering it the sputnik would fit under my settling cage. Probably not. I'm leaning more and more towards trying to talk my husband into putting drop traps in our loft. Seems like it would be much much easier to get them to trap. I've got one little bird in my second round that has absolutley refused to go through the bobs for the last two days. She wouldn't come through them yesterday morning, so she didn't get to eat. I figured by the afternoon she would be hungry enough. Nope. Wouldn't come through the traps then either. So, I thought, ok, tomorrow morning she'll trap for sure. Nope again. She's NOT overfed. I've got 32 birds and they get 16 ounces in the morning and 16 in the afternoon. I finally just let her in the window this morning and gave her just a bit of food. I'm beginning to HATE the bobs.  
I know I probably shouldn't have fed her, but I just can not stand to think that they are REAL hungry. A little hungry I can live with, but she hadn't had anything to eat since Thursday afternoon at 4:00.


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## Guest (Mar 22, 2008)

Hi Renee, I use the drop traps in my loft an its wonderful my birds never had a problem using it . I also have bobs on another side of my flight pen and some like to use that instead but most preferr the drop trap straight into the loft ..Im pretty sure it would be an easy conversion for you since its basically on the inside of the loft just fits around the entrance hole into your loft from the outside and with your husbands wood skills would take him 20 minutes at most  heres a loft for comparison with a drop trap in it ,most are built to fold down so you can still let them out into the settling cage thru that hole and fold back up when they are done learning how to trap train the birds catch on so fast you will be amazed  http://www.reunionracinglofts.us/Loft Photos.htm


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## Guest (Mar 22, 2008)

here is another site to give you an idea of how to build one hope its helpful good luck  http://www.racingbirds.com/acces5.html
http://www.pigeonsuppliesplus.com/images/4-hole_drop_trap_500x377.jpg


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

How do drop traps work?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

zimmzimm3 said:


> How do drop traps work?


Did you look at the links that Lakota posted? Drop traps are just that. There's a hole and the birds just drop inside the loft. No bobs to push.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Lovebirds said:


> I'm not sure what they look like? I looked at Foys and the have the Belgium Sputnik, but they are $300????????? Then I tried Globals and their web site is all messed up. So, then I tried Seigles and they say that they can be used as an aviary, landing board, etc........but there's no picture.
> What are you using now?


 I just had a Sputnik from Global's delivered this week. Have been using them since 2003. The new one is the upgraded model, with the "plexiglass" sides and top. The workmanship is not great, but it is less then half of the model sold through Foy's, which I have never seen in person. My loft manager has several which were custom made....they would sell for several times the Foy's price...but he always does go overboard in such matters.

There are many advantages to the Sputnik design....a settling cage can be adopted around the outside of the Sputnik. 

The Global's picture's (when the site is back up) will not be much help. Depends if you want the latest and greatest, or if your main consideration is price. When I was a kid, I made my own bobs out of coat hangers. So a traditional bob trap will cost the least. I won and lost races last year by two seconds....the Sputnik has been the fastest way to "trap" birds in my experience, but that's me.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

I just found this on the web, it has better pictures.

http://www.everythingforpets.com/category/use.dept.182/


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> I just had a Sputnik from Global's delivered this week. Have been using them since 2003. The new one is the upgraded model, with the "plexiglass" sides and top. The workmanship is not great, but it is less then half of the model sold through Foy's, which I have never seen in person. My loft manager has several which were custom made....they would sell for several times the Foy's price...but he always does go overboard in such matters.
> 
> There are many advantages to the Sputnik design....a settling cage can be adopted around the outside of the Sputnik.
> 
> The Global's picture's (when the site is back up) will not be much help. Depends if you want the latest and greatest, or if your main consideration is price. When I was a kid, I made my own bobs out of coat hangers. So a traditional bob trap will cost the least. I won and lost races last year by two seconds....the Sputnik has been the fastest way to "trap" birds in my experience, but that's me.



Well, getting the birds clocked isn't the problem. As soon as they step on the pad they are clocked, whether they actually go in the loft or not. My problem is getting them to PUSH the bobs........you'd think they weigh 10 lbs..... Sticking their heads in and out, in and out........


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> Did you look at the links that Lakota posted? Drop traps are just that. There's a hole and the birds just drop inside the loft. No bobs to push.


Yes I looked at them. Do you need a landing board for them? Would they go in a Californian style aviary just like a bob trap? Where would the timer pad go? How do you train the birds to use it? Sorry about all of the questions


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

zimmzimm3 said:


> Yes I looked at them. Do you need a landing board for them? Would they go in a Californian style aviary just like a bob trap? Where would the timer pad go? How do you train the birds to use it? Sorry about all of the questions


yes

yes

I don't know. 

The same as the bobs. Only all they have to do is walk through a hole as opposed to pushing a bob.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> yes
> 
> yes
> 
> ...


Could the pad be put in the aviary (californian style) in front of the trap?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

zimmzimm3 said:


> Could the pad be put in the aviary (californian style) in front of the trap?


Here's the AU's reg on the pad. I see it's been changed since I last looked at it. You used to have to have at least half the pad inside the loft, but I guess you don't anymore. 
http://www.pigeon.org/ebss.htm


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

I am using just bobs now. The cheapest trap, I was looking at globals aluminum sputnik.


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## zimmzimm3 (Aug 17, 2007)

Grim said:


> I am using just bobs now. The cheapest trap, I was looking at globals aluminum sputnik.


Not me I think i am going to go with a drop trap.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Lovebirds said:


> Well, getting the birds clocked isn't the problem. As soon as they step on the pad they are clocked, whether they actually go in the loft or not. My problem is getting them to PUSH the bobs........you'd think they weigh 10 lbs..... Sticking their heads in and out, in and out........


LoveBirds,

From your video I see you have those traditional drop boxes. If you were ever inclined to modify your set up, you would not need to emply the whole sputnik system, but simply have the bars that they drop down through. The advantage would be your birds will "trap" in faster, since many birds such as that red cock yearling, resist pushing through the bobs. The downside is that they are less secure then your current box system. By that I mean a Cooper or such other critter, will also "trap" much easier. And then to make it worse, the Cooper can then exit. Only had it happen once, but you must make that part of your consideration. 

If you were forced to pull off a countermark from inside the loft, then the "trapping" would be more critical.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Isn't a sputnik pretty much a drop trap just that they don't drop directly to the inside?


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Cheap homemade drop trap


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

I would patent that design !!!  

It needs some kind of sexy name, and a good marketing program and you are in business !!!


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## bloodlines_365 (Jan 15, 2008)

hey, thats our 5 inch pipe funnel on our roof.... very interesting..... i hope i can take a picture on my drop trap... its on the roof on my in closure loof with doors to closed and open it , the birds must drop them self five ft.. before they hit the ground to enter the in closure then fly to a trap door to enter their respected loof...


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

I found that on a website and they were selling the plans for the drop trap.

I wonder if that plans say anything about going to lowes and buying a roof vent.


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