UK pigeon owners

[CCUK]

 

[biophiliac]

That looks good, I'll watch the rest after work. Is he near you?....Nottinghamshire?

 

[CCUK]

That looks good, I'll watch the rest after work. Is he near you?....Nottinghamshire?

Yes. About 7 miles away. He is one of the top men in UK! The video is a couple of years old but he has a very well laid out plan and consistently gets results!

 

[cavemanrich]

I know you are seriously considering upgrading your loft situation. The loft that slipped past you looked good as well. Here are some of my thoughts to consider.
Build your own, and in a simple fashion. A pigeon friend that lives less than a mile. 1 1/2 km from me has a structure with 3 walls and a slanted roof. The complete front is hardware cloth. There is a walkin door in the front as well. No issues of insufficient ventilation.
He keeps somewhere in amount of 150 pigeons. Has been doing this a LOOOOOONG time , so I would say he knows his stuff.
I will take a pix of his setup next time I go to visit with him.
I think a structure like his is simple, easy and probably would not break the bank. Plywood is not terribly expensive.... You may be able to locate some materials on a budget, if you have time to get ready for project.
I'm responding to you here even though we see each other everywhere else. This relates to your project.

 

[CCUK]

I know you are seriously considering upgrading your loft situation. The loft that slipped past you looked good as well. Here are some of my thoughts to consider.
Build your own, and in a simple fashion. A pigeon friend that lives less than a mile. 1 1/2 km from me has a structure with 3 walls and a slanted roof. The complete front is hardware cloth. There is a walkin door in the front as well. No issues of insufficient ventilation.
He keeps somewhere in amount of 150 pigeons. Has been doing this a LOOOOOONG time , so I would say he knows his stuff.
I will take a pix of his setup next time I go to visit with him.
I think a structure like his is simple, easy and probably would not break the bank. Plywood is not terribly expensive.... You may be able to locate some materials on a budget, if you have time to get ready for project.
I'm responding to you here even though we see each other everywhere else. This relates to your project.

Thanks caveman. It was a good loft but I am weighing up my options. I need it to be at least 3 sections. 1 for breeders, 1 for stock and 1 for the 'team'! It's only small scale but with the space it's about all I can afford! I'm not sure how it's going to work out next year but I'd like to had a set up that is more suitable. Definately one I can walk in! With an aviary of sorts. If you could send me some pics of your friend's setup that would be great. For the best part most of the lifts here are a more traditional fully enclosed type with a flight pen and trap. My neighbours loft is quite a large setup. It must be at least 25'x10'. It was professionally built. I have no idea how many birds he has but must be a couple of hundred. That's what happens when you get serious!!

 

[WVduckchick]

This guy has multiple areas - breeding cages, a cage for sun and bathing, group cages, etc. I want to make something similar design to his movable kit box, to allow mine to fly out into my duck run, which is net covered, but bigger than their regular area.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

This guy has multiple areas - breeding cages, a cage for sun and bathing, group cages, etc. I want to make something similar design to his movable kit box, to allow mine to fly out into my duck run, which is net covered, but bigger than their regular area.

Wow.. Im getting some great ideas for my loft!

 

[CCUK]

This guy has multiple areas - breeding cages, a cage for sun and bathing, group cages, etc. I want to make something similar design to his movable kit box, to allow mine to fly out into my duck run, which is net covered, but bigger than their regular area.

I prefer the custom/DIY lofts. They can be easily modified and changed dependant of what you need to do.

 

[backyard pigeons]

I thought id join this thread. Not like it would make it more cunfusing with pigeon talk, pigeon bulleten board, and now this! Lol.

CCUK you could get a shed and divide it yourself. Lock in nesting boxes are a must if you want to race so you can mate up new pairs and be sure of parents.

 

[Casso]

The biggest mistake you can make with pigeons is to underestimate how intelligent they are. I've had a lifelong love of pigeons since aged 11 when I got my first in almost the same circumstances you came across yours. Bluey became so tame I could call him down off the roof onto my shoulder when I came home from school. I looked after him until I was aged 20 and he never showed any interest in pairing up with any other pigeon despite several fanciers living in my locality. He was killed by a cat that pounced on him when he had just finished bathing, I was devastated. Shortly afterwards my job took me abroad for the next ten years but once back permanently in the UK I built a loft and kept racing pigeons until I was forty. Sadly I'm one of the few people to succumb to a disease called Pigeons Fanciers Lung, it made me so ill I had to give them up. I'm 64 now and I often find exhausted ' flown out ' racing pigeons in my garden and help them recover, it's almost as if they know where to come for help as none of my neighbours ever seem to get them in their gardens. The loft is long gone so there is nothing to actually attract them. During the racing years I would often lose a few, especially during bad weather but most would eventually make it back home, some two or even three years later, and they would fly straight to the original nesting box they used to occupy, they have brilliant memories, and I'm also convinced they can recognize their keepers just like dogs and cats can. Good luck with yours, I wish you many happy years keeping pigeons, just make sure you wear a face mask whenever you clean the loft, that was the mistake I made that eventually led to the PFL. It is mostly caused by the white dust that covers pigeons feathers when they are 'in form' and fit and healthy, most people are fine but some like me are susceptible and allergic to it, plus I used to spend hours every day in the loft, which is also not advisable.