# clean loft



## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

hey guys i know this is a weird question but yea.... can your birds get sick for have a clean loft... i clean my loft everyday twice a day... and 2 of my bird got sick so was a question that i wanted to ask.... i clean once in the morning and once at night... i just hate having a dirty loft walking in to and stepping over poop...


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

Clean loft will not make your birds sick. What are you cleaning your loft with? Some substances/chemicals are harmful to pigeons.
Also air drafts can make your pigeons sick.


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## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

Dima said:


> Clean loft will not make your birds sick. What are you cleaning your loft with? Some substances/chemicals are harmful to pigeons.
> Also air drafts can make your pigeons sick.


nope nothing at the moment.. just straight scrape n clean well even the perches are clean even the nest box but still idk.... birds have lots of air flow too....


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

There are a few guys that think a loft can be too clean. I know a few that do not clean their lofts during breeding so the birds build immunity. I do not clean that often because I am too busy/lazy. As long as the loft stays dry. I am a firm believer in dry lofts with a lot of air. I would be more concerned with sparrows or small birds and mice getting into your loft than droppings. Also if you brought a new bird in recently, was it sick. There are many other ways your birds can get sick.


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

how often you exchange drinkers for a clean one and do they have left over feed on the floor


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

hillfamilyloft said:


> There are a few guys that think a loft can be too clean. I know a few that do not clean their lofts during breeding so* the birds build immunity*. I do not clean that often because I am too busy/lazy. As long as the loft stays dry. I am a firm believer in dry lofts with a lot of air. I would be more concerned with sparrows or small birds and mice getting into your loft than droppings. Also if you brought a new bird in recently, was it sick. There are many other ways your birds can get sick.


I agree with this!
I use to clean, clean , clean, and still had sick birds. I started using the 'deep litter' (bird/reptile chipped hardwood), and cleaned less. My birds are MUCH healthier. I keep their water out in the flight cages, so the loft is completely dry all the time. They have access to the flight cages year round (24-7), and in the winter when the flight cages are covered with plastic.....I cut out windows in the plastic to open them up everyday for fresh air. I de-worm 3-4 times a year. Since doing this, I have very few problems with roughly 200 birds!
My main problem is mice and rats still try to tunnel inside the flight cages. They can't get inside because I completely wrapped the flight cages with hardware mesh (ground also), but I have to regularly fill their tunnels with sand and concrete.........but no sick birds!


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## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

Hey thanks everyone... I have my drinker in my flying pen too my loft is always dry. Also there's no way that little birds n mice can go in... As I know I haven't bought any birds at all.... I was just thinking bout leaving the dropping on there to built up their immunity. System.... But thanks everyone for the help. I also medicate the birds with the 4 in 1 in the drink atm...


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

I would try and find out what they have. You might treat only for what they have. I would look at the droppings and do a bit of research. Is it viral or bacterial? I would isolate the sick birds also. Stress will bring out sickness that you did not know was there. good luck.


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## Zippy (Nov 20, 2011)

I tend to think the only bad thing about keeping a clean loft is the stress caused by the daily disruptions. If your cleaning the nests every day, turning things over and generally disturbing them they may fall ill. I clean everyday but its just in the morning when I'm changing out the water and feeding. A quick scrape of the floor and favorite perches the im outta there. I only clean the nests after they are done raising the babies and before the next round of eggs.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

I change the water everyday.I do not clean the nest everyday.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

xaivang said:


> Hey thanks everyone... I have my drinker in my flying pen too my loft is always dry. Also there's no way that little birds n mice can go in... As I know I haven't bought any birds at all.... I was just thinking bout leaving the dropping on there to built up their immunity. System.... But thanks everyone for the help. I also medicate the birds with the 4 in 1 in the drink atm...



All the 4 in 1's are good for is to build immunity to the drugs. They don't cure anything if a bird is ill. Not enough of any one med in them to do anything.
How are they acting sick? How many birds do you have and in how large a space?


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## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

I change my water everyday with fresh grits n fresh feed everyday... I usually don't clean the nest box to cause I want to built up the baby's system up... But when I look at rye dropping they are the nice round one.. but also the suck bird I remove them. Also I'm thinking now that if I should extend cleaning the loft now maybe 1 or 2 time a week now


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## GrizzleMan (Jan 17, 2013)

I keep my loft clean all the time. There is no way I'm having a foot a pigeon poop on the floor. Also when I'm in there I like it clean for me and also when I show people my birds. Once you get lazy about cleaning and you get use to it and get lazy. I also dont wear a mask and feel the air in my loft is pretty good.

I only have 16 birds right now once I get another 30 I might do the mask thing but I hat masks........


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## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

GrizzleMan said:


> I keep my loft clean all the time. There is no way I'm having a foot a pigeon poop on the floor. Also when I'm in there I like it clean for me and also when I show people my birds. Once you get lazy about cleaning and you get use to it and get lazy. I also dont wear a mask and feel the air in my loft is pretty good.
> 
> I only have 16 birds right now once I get another 30 I might do the mask thing but I hat masks........




Yes this is how I feel too u like to keep it clean cause once u walk in I hate when it gets on my shoe and walk into the house... That's y I clean a lot also I wear a face mask. When I'm in my loft it has the clean fresh air instead of the bad smell... My loft it measure 7 wide by 8 long by 7 tall and I only have 24 birds


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## GrizzleMan (Jan 17, 2013)

Do you wear a mask when you go in to check on them or only if your cleaning. I do both without a mask..


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## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

GrizzleMan said:


> Do you wear a mask when you go in to check on them or only if your cleaning. I do both without a mask..


No I don't because my loft is dust free n no bad smell I have not try on a mask because my loft its clean ull try to post up a before and after picture if the floor


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

xaivang said:


> No I don't because my loft is dust free n no bad smell I have not try on a mask because my loft its clean ull try to post up a before and after picture if the floor


 Thats funny, No loft is dust free.


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## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Thats funny, No loft is dust free.



Yea you know how dome loft when u walk in. It's just so dusty n it smell....


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## GaryWCo (Apr 19, 2011)

I'm doing all of things mentioned in these posts with regard to keeping my loft clean, daily scraping, deep litter under the perches, minimal disruptions, waterers in avaiaries, etc. I have also stared using Health-Gard four days a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I add the Health-Gard and Winsmore to their water. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I add apple cider vinegar to the water. Birds are doing very well as of this writing.


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## GrizzleMan (Jan 17, 2013)

I mix vinegar with hot water 5o/5o and it works great. I spray V perches and nes t boxes and some on wood floor. I give it a few minutes and scrape plus it keeps any dust down. Plus lots of fresh air helps and I keep it dry. 

I also was thinking of putting a hole in the wall and have the water in a wood box on the outside and that way I dont have to go in to change the water and its cleaner. Install a light bulb in for winter But I'm not the first one doing this.


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## Pijlover (May 5, 2010)

I think this thread is a little distracted from the forum's subject!


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

What was the original, I think I need some Ice Cream.


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## xaivang (Nov 21, 2011)

hillfamilyloft said:


> What was the original, I think I need some Ice Cream.


the original is on the first page.

can a clean loft make your birds sick..


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## Pijlover (May 5, 2010)

hillfamilyloft said:


> What was the original, I think I need some Ice Cream.


I had to look for some new ideas about the loft construction and I was browsing the forum of 'Loft design', where you can find ways of building perches, nest boxes, averies and all sorts of loft which gives me the idea that this forum is about 'how to design a loft'


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## Roger Siemens (Nov 12, 2011)

pijlover

all over this site in pictures and forums , there is links , every one here will show some thing, some where, a great little loft plan i found and i built one was wildroselofts think i looked up great pigeon loft plans using google. i really liked that plan and still do.

i think ice cream is a good idea.....

what is to harsh of a cleaner to use in my loft? i spray it down with bleach twice a year and i ve no problems , i try to keep the poop down to less than a inch, but in the winter here it freezes to the floor faster than i can get it cleaned up. is there a happy middle ground? i was told dry with air flow = healthy birds?


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## Pijlover (May 5, 2010)

Roger Siemens said:


> pijlover
> 
> all over this site in pictures and forums , there is links , every one here will show some thing, some where, a great little loft plan i found and i built one was wildroselofts think i looked up great pigeon loft plans using google. i really liked that plan and still do.
> 
> ...


Many people keep lofts filled with poops, many don't like that, my loft sometimes has alot of poops which i cant manage to clean but that dont hurt the birds (atleast my birds) but it doesnt mean that you have to keep it this way

As far as 'dry air' thing is concerned you are right


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## Roger Siemens (Nov 12, 2011)

ok thank you pijlover, for answering so fast. 

grizzle man i m going to use the 50/50 vinegar to clean just sounds safer to me. i would like to see more cleaning tips


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

The bird could be sick because you use the 4 in 1 too much, now they don't work and only invite bacteria to take over. you need to build their immunites up with vitamins/mineral suppliments, cleaning can at least keep certain bacteria from producing and being to many in number. to me it is a balance, you can't get rid of all germs or bacteria but keep it at a low count, and make it less possible for the birds to ingest it.


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## aarongreen123 (Jan 26, 2005)

I dont agree about the 4 in 1. Its not the right tool to bring a bird back from the brink but they work great for maintenance. I agree that over use isnt good but 2-3 times of year following stressful times followed with probiotics has given my birds and others that belong to friends a marked uplift, visually and under the microscope


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I NEVER use antibiotics for maintenance.....as a rule. The only exception is if I have a youngster that happens to get canker. I remove the affected bird and treat with metronidazole, and at the same time I will treat the loft with a dose of ronidazole in their water. Other than that, no antibiotics unless it is for a specific problem.
Cleaning- I don't use any chemicals or cleaning agents in the loft. Just scrape, and keep it as dry as possible.
The only routine maintenance procedure I do is....I worm my lofts 3 times a year.


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## ejb3810 (May 21, 2012)

There is a school of thought that maintains allowing deep litter to accumulate causes an environment that results in the birds developing an immunity to many pathogens that can be a problem for the birds. Another school of thought is to keep the loft as clean as possible by removing dropping frequently, as a minimum once a day.
Oxygen is an absolutely essential element for all life forms. To me, it stands to reason that the cleaner the air is the better it is for the birds. Accumulated litter causes a dusty environment. Some people over time develop an allergic response to the dust associated with pigeon droppings (Pigeon Breeders Disease).
I believe that the disadvantages of dust from deep litter outweigh any advantage related to theoretical immunity stimulation for the birds.
To stimulate the immune system of your pigeons there is an easy and simple way to accomplish it. Crush raw garlic and add it to water. Allow the mixture time to combine. 24 hours or more and then put it in the drinkers.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

That sounds like a good choice.Nothing like fresh clean air/clean loft or aviary for your birds.


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## GrizzleMan (Jan 17, 2013)

Just cleaned my loft after one week could not take it anymore. Plus I gave them a bath.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

Birds like to take a bath.


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