Are there do's and dont's for building a dovecote?

[appps]

My sister is getting a couple of lovely fantail doves and we were thinking of building her a simple dovecote for her garden.

As there is only two can I just build a simple box with a nice roof on a stick or is there more to it than that?

All the designs I've found seem to be quite involved but also seem to be for more than just two birds?

 

[Hokum Coco]

http://www.dovecotes.co.uk/Dovecote range.htm

 

[appps]

Thanks for that link. They are beautiful but if I'm honest probably a bit outside my carpentry skills

I guess what I'm trying to find out is if I were to just build a simple box with a hole for an entrance are there any 'rules' I need to stick to as far as size inside and the hole for them to enter.

Is a box fine or does it need anything else to make it suitable.

Sorry for the dumb questions. I'm afraid I'm a chook person not a dove one but would like to do something for her for Xmas.

 

[Hokum Coco]

You will be able to build something the right size with the dimensions from those cotes. They may be a bit larger than you have anticapated.
Something like this is what I would probably start out with that way the birds will have two nest boxes (they usually have a second clutch of eggs about 30 days after the first clutch hatch).



The first batch of squabs usually do not take flight until about 2 months of age give or take. Dimensions are your main concern the pattern you can make as simple or as complicated as you like. It is of no use if you build it too small.

 

[appps]

Oh I will go look again. I thought they were just selling finished houses. I missed the plans. Thanks.

Its all rather exciting. The black fantails arrive next week. Can't wait to check them out

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Hokum Coco]

I missed the plans.

Not really plans buddy just over all measurements like:



Houses up to three pairs of doves

Height 2'2 in. (0.66m)

Completely pressure treated

Width at widest point 2'5 in. (0.73m)

Depth 20 in. (0.5m)

Those measurements will most likely give you the most value from a sheet of plywood in my estimation.

 

[appps]

Of course. Duh. Sometimes the blindingly obvious is hard to see lol

Thanks!

 

[Hokum Coco]

With those overall measurements you would be wise to make a rough sketch of your project before you begin to get some exact measurements to allow for the thickness of stock. That is my experience anyways.

Good luck Apps!

I built this garage in 2009 so I could do some wood working through the winter months 34 x 40. I never got one thing built. It seems a garage is like a vacuum it can not exist in nature. Relatives have to help you fill it.



This was supposed to be my first winter project of 2010 ( has not happened yet no room to work in my garage!)

 

[appps]

Lol. My husband makes similar complaints when I dump stuff in our garage (or as he calls it "the shed")

Wow how beautiful is that aviary. I'd be giving the relies marching orders from the garage if that's what was at stake! You must be pretty handy to take something like that on!

 

[Hokum Coco]

The most elaborate cuts are the jigsaw pieces in the door (the doors should be raised 6 to 8 inches to allow for a threshold). Outside of that the doors and the walls are straight forward.
The floor is mainly a circle formed by constructing a "t" pattern made up of a long rectangle and two squares bolted together.

One then instead of an arc places a straight joist between the two adjacent corners of the square and the rectangle scribes the angle on joist cuts it and the floor and the walls are done.

Easy peasy.

I do not have a clue about the roof (other than the pitch).


However if I can not figure it out I will ask for HELP.

Oh yes I do have a rough sketch!

I raise White Homing Pigeons (me and my grand daughter).

Here is a recount of a memorable day.



Pipper

My grand daughter's hand-raised, orphaned-homer failed to return on a 20 mile toss. It was one of the few times she did not accompany me on a release. She suffered tears and heartache when I told her of the loss.

Amazingly when I went to close up the loft at dusk what should come flying in but (her pigeon) Piper!

I checked him over and he was tore open from his neck to his tail feathers.

My first instinct was to put him out of his misery. I however brought him into the house for a better look. My wife flushed out the wound with a saline solution and I glued him back together with crazy glue. He was good to go in about 5 days

This is him incubating eggs after his ordeal. .

My grand daughter was On The MOON when I told her of Pipers return. Grand daughter has experienced love, loss, heartache. first aid, joy, responsibility, and kinship with yours truly. She has also developed special bonds with some of our doves who prefer her company over mine when she comes into the loft with me.

It has given her a good subject for presentation at school as well.

We also are starting up a small enterprise with white dove releases (Pipers parents were both solid snow white just for the record).




Pipper's Parents

Grand daughter did her first dove release at a wedding last fall also another release for an anti bulling campaign at her grade school.

With the aid of the Internet she has also become somewhat of an authority on homing pigeons. She definitely knows more than the average 12 year old on the subject and can talk your ear off.

This was relayed to me by her teacher after she was forced to cut off a presentation she made when the question period looked like it was not going to end.

She would rather hang out with Hokum (her name for me since she was one) then any of her friends or parents (for that matter).




Picture of Back Yard

However she will be entering her teens next year (make-up and boys will probably soon shove me aside).

I know however that these birds have made her a better person regardless what comes in the future.

Plus I have another grand daughter who is only turned 3 and calls me Coco (since she was one).