Pigeon Lofts

[Jake Levi]

I'm wondering if any members have photos of their lofts to share?

I have several pigeon books with suggestions, looking for what people  have. Previously I have used existing chicken houses or partitioned off barn space. Never had a free standing loft.

[Reeves]

Years ago I had a link to a site with pictures/info on Pigeons and lofts etc.

If I come across it again, I'll post it.......

[Jake Levi]

Thanks.

That link for a flight pen that Chris posted to my post on the elevated floor hoop pens could be adapted to a loft very easily, one end for bird exit and the other for nest boxes etc with a roosting area in between.  maybe a 16' long hoop.

[slider]

Loft construction and design mostly depends on the breed that you are building it for. Rollers,Homers, Utility breeds etc. all take lofts to accommodate the particular breed..There are tons of lofts on the web you just have to do alot of searches...Good Luck..

[Jake Levi]

You're right on the breed, I'm vacillating between Lahores and White Homers, have been bookmarking some sites, it hasnt been a priority, I got a number of other projects going at home here, I do know a couple sources on the white homers. I havent found the Lahores yet. We'll see.

The pvc hoop pens seem to present some possibilities,  worth looking at. Still looking at alternatives.

[slider]

I have never had Lahores and do not know much about them. I do have White Homers ( Delbars) super flyers. Plenty of homer loft designs to look at if you take the time..

[Jake Levi]

The Lahores I had I kept in one end of the chicken house, for two pairs they had a large area, 16' by 24' with an outside  raised floor 'sunning area of about 6' by 12', they are a nice quiet breed, very striking with their white bodies and black heads an necks.

I got the pairs at a NYS poultry show at the living history museum I volunteered at. They got their runts from the same guy.

I've got several Homer books with pretty good loft plans, I am thinking now how to modify one to the hoop pen design, shouldn't be too hard.   

I was just wondering what the folks here are doing for theirs.

[slider]

I do not build large flight pens for my Homers they get their excerise by daily releases for about an hour then they trap and eat their evening feeding..for the captives I have a small pen built on the outside of the loft where they can come and go to get their suning time..

[Jake Levi]

That sounds like a good plan, I got my books out this weekend looking at lofts, all with the idea of adapting a hoop house for them.

I'm thinking of nest boxes on one end, and the exit/trap on the other end, about 10-12' long with an enclosed area on the nest box end, and about half the hoop area covered over, and sunning roosts in the open area,  need to think about this some.  I think it is doable.

[slider]

When my breeders are on eggs are with squabs I do not fly them because I do not want to take a chance on loosing one to a hawk..The hawks are real bad here in the winter time and I have had birds trap with there breast split wide open.

[Jake Levi]

Good food for thought.  I am thinking of going with the white homers, and building a loft off the end of the chicken house, a wall between,    we do have hawks here, RTs, Coopers, Kestrels and Coopers.   I had a Cooper take a starling right in the yard one day. Had a Sparrow hawk  walking on the deck another day, just looking around. 

Depending on how the other hoop houses go I might make a hoop add-on off the loft for them to sun themselves when they arnt flying, and put a trap in the end of it.  Maybe about an 8' section raised off the ground.

[slider]

We have one here in the winter (only )that we call a Blue Darter...its probably a coopers...they are deadly..RT no problem there to slow....Kestrels probably not...

[Jake Levi]

The Coopers are FAST.  I've seen them do some amazing things. Fearless little buggers.

I was pricing out the new chicken house/loft, the 10' by 24' is doable so thats what it will be, an 8' by 10' loft on the end, an outside hoop sun room and the trap on the end of it. Should work nice for the white homers.

I've been net searching and ahvent found any Lahores anywhere. But the White Homers are very nice, I'm looking forward to them.

I've seen goshawks come close to the place, never a RT, but have seen them take Pheasants out in fields.

[slider]

Jake try the WANTED section on Poultry Connection...some one will pick you up....

[Jake Levi]

Thganks, its appreciated.