Building my pigeon loft, an addition on my chicken coop!

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Hello everyone!
I had thought I should make a thread about building my pigeon loft so here I am. My loft is being built into the ceiling of my chicken coop (after being suggested that on here) to make use of the space and to help keep them warm in winter as I only have a few. I’ll be posting about building the interior of the loft and also when we get to building their aviary.

Here’s what I have so far! I’m just copying what I had originally posted in the Pigeon Talk thread and just adding a few things here and there

Pigeon loft building day everyone!! We just picked up the materials needed and the weather isn’t the best but thankfully it’s all inside the chicken coop for now

First some photos of the started loft w/ the base floor up (to be filled with bedding) and a started pop door so we could plan things out better. It’s been up for a while so it’s really dusty atm, I’m hoping to get their pop door fully cut out to get better airflow up there to stop all the dust from settling once the front is secured.

Measurements are: 78” x 40” and at the peak we have 30” and the bottom corners are about 5” so not right to the floor of their loft. The 2x4 is on the smaller side to hold the bedding inside.
This is just going to be their indoor area, they will have outdoor access to the aviary once we get the dog kennel attached to the pop door. I’ll have to find the sketched idea my father had to make them a connected smaller enclosed aviary so their pop door could be open 24/7, it would be tightly sealed and predator proof. Also would be a few feet off the ground.

Here’s the door plans quickly sketched up by my father who helps with all building projects (I’m not confident with saws anymore).

With measurements, everything is in inches.

We got the doors measured out and built tonight, some mid build shots included as a little bonus!

They didn’t turn out perfectly square but that’s okay because the whole shed is slanted and not square to begin with. The one door also didn’t end up going in straight once we screwed in the final hinge but oh well Ended up having to notch the two top points even more than what I got photos of as they kept butting each other when you tried to open them.

The small triangles on the sides will be filled in with hardware cloth to keep airflow.

I didn’t realize the giant roll my father had, I’m going to do some really good predator proofing of the adjacent runs/aviary when they are in the works as we have the material.

That’s all I have for tonight! Hoping we can get more done tomorrow when he’s done work. As we can build stuff inside and doing the installation with the chickens in the coop wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. They only made a little bit of noise when we first set up and the first time we had to start notching. After that they just watched us work quietly.

If you’re still here even after all of that above, thank you for reading all my ramblings I appreciate it. If you wouldn’t mind, I’m looking for ideas on how to set up the interior. Suggest waste free feeders (I know a few), waterers (summer and winter), lighting the area up as it’s pretty dimly lit, bedding suggestions, etc.
If the pop door is able to stay open 24/7, it has to be safe from any predators for me to do so, that should be enough ventilation as there’s plenty in the shed itself for the chickens. In the summer they will have windows open below the loft as well as the chicken pop door as they free range...that is enough ventilation right?

 

[Trimurtisan]

I don't know much about building and I know even less about pigeons. It looks great so far though. Thanks for sharing it, and good luck with the rest of it.

 

[cavemanrich]

This was my outside aviary. Note that I had a close-able door on the entrance between aviary, and loft. I needed to keep squirrels out since they could get thru the cage wire openings. As well as thru the Sputnik trap.

In warm weather, I provided water in a bowl. Pigeons drank from it as well as took baths.
Below is a pix of inside portion of loft. Small portion/section where you can see the water container. Where you see the banties, is where I would place pigeons' feed.
I don't have pigeons currently, and loft is used as winter housing for my chickens.
Water container is a Mini Crock Pot. During winter cold, it is connected to electricity VIA a dimmer switch. The dimmer switch I have set to provide a LOW DOSE of electricity, to keep the water just slightly warm (about home room temperature, when I place finger inside) to prevent freezing. White Ceramic liner of Crock Pot is removable for EZ cleaning.

For your roost in your loft, since you only have 2 pigeons, make it out of a natural branch. 1 to 2 inch diameter. Make it 6 inches off the loft floor, and free-standing on 2 end stilts. This way you can place where it fits best, and easily move around when you are cleaning things out.

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

I don't know much about building and I know even less about pigeons. It looks great so far though. Thanks for sharing it, and good luck with the rest of it.

I don’t know a lot about building but I generally know what will work for my set up and I have a father that is usually willing to help me out when he has the time (it helps if I bribe him with a nice supper after working ). I have the wonderful people on here (like cavemanrich below) who can help me with suggestions on what my birds need!
Thank you for reading along! I love reading all the build posts people have on here for inspiration. I thought I should join in on the fun! It’s also good to have this for future reference if I ever need to build a pigeon loft again as I’m still what some might call a “youngin’”

This was my outside aviary. Note that I had a close-able door on the entrance between aviary, and loft. I needed to keep squirrels out since they could get thru the cage wire openings. As well as thru the Sputnik trap.
View attachment 2012265
In warm weather, I provided water in a bowl. Pigeons drank from it as well as took baths.
Below is a pix of inside portion of loft. Small portion/section where you can see the water container. Where you see the banties, is where I would place pigeons' feed.
I don't have pigeons currently, and loft is used as winter housing for my chickens.
Water container is a Mini Crock Pot.
During winter cold, it is connected to electricity VIA a dimmer switch. The dimmer switch I have set to provide a LOW DOSE of electricity, to keep the water just slightly warm (about home room temperature, when I place finger inside) to prevent freezing. White Ceramic liner of Crock Pot is removable for EZ cleaning.
View attachment 2012266

For your roost in your loft, since you only have 2 pigeons, make it out of a natural branch. 1 to 2 inch diameter. Make it 6 inches off the loft floor, and free-standing on 2 end stilts. This way you can place where it fits best, and easily move around when you are cleaning things out.

a close-able door on the entrance between aviary, and loft.
I found some old drawings my father did when we were brainstorming their passageway to the aviary from the loft. He had the idea I was free flying the two pigeons, as you can see by the little aviary design he had planned. I quickly told him that won’t be happening unfortunately. Not unless I somehow acquire a whole flock to fly and I don’t think my two hens will give me that

I do enjoy his design as a base for planning, the internal doors are a smashed together idea between our two very different ideas and it turned out pretty great IMO. Maybe I just modify his design and “suggest” a few things to him from a functional perspective

The idea is that their aviary will be half of a 10’x10’x6’ chainlink dog kennel that will be made predator proof so that they have roughly a 10’x5’x6’ roofless aviary that they can see the world in. They would have a section that’s roofed where the dog kennel connects to the pop door as it’s higher up than 6’ so they would have a dry flying area is needed in poor weather.
I’ll attach a bunch of photos I took this morning of the outdoor area so I could sketch out some ideas for how the aviary will go. That way I can get that all planned out before we finish the loft so then we can jump right over to working on the aviary once the loft is completed. It’s subject to change I had some big ideas bouncing around my head so I’ll be posting those when I get them sketched out!

Water container is a Mini Crock Pot.
I had the thought to use a heated outdoor dog bowl. A heavy duty plastic one that way I can just unplug it during the summer and hide the cord in a baggy underneath or something. It’s easy for filling, to clean up, and for removal I’d imagine.. I can still have a small waterer they can drink out of as well so I don’t have them taking baths in their drinking water. Although I am out there at least 2x daily to dump out the chicken waterers of any feathers/bedding they may have kicked up into it.

I love the stick perch idea for the pigeons! That’s what my original plan for the chicken perch was but we used some old long 2x4s for them that aren’t the straightest boards. I have a bunch of small branches from cutting down old trees this summer, I’ve read somewhere to peel the bark off to help keep mites from living in it? Have you heard of this? Also do you recommend ledges like I have in the crate? For them to sleep on as well? I know they do enjoy sleeping on the ledge they have provided but they also use the 2x1 to perch on sometimes, I don't see them sleeping on it though like I do the ledge.

Thank you for your suggestions and ideas! The crock pot is interesting to see, I’d have never thought about that. Brilliant!!

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Oh I do plan on bringing in the final pigeon living in the horse shed if she is still inhabiting it. I haven’t seen her flying around but my mother said she heard “them“ cooing ... I’m hoping she’s not on squabs, if she is I wonder if there’s a new male.. Unless she’s just on eggs.. I haven’t wanted to disturb her in fear of having her fly off and be in danger because of that

That would bring me up to 3 pigeons... so long as she doesn’t have babies or a new mate out there ..

 

[cavemanrich]

Best control for pigeon population, are the plastic eggs. Just slip/exchange them when you see eggs.
I also do have 2 of those heated dog water bowls. I use them outdoors plugged in during autumn, and early spring, when chickens are already in their outdoor coop. Winter housing is when temps are low, December thru February. The loft is big and diverse. When I did have pigeons, half was for them, and other half was for my chickies. During non winter period, pigeons had the whole facility. Now with no pigeonschickens get it ALL.
The Mini Crock pots, is my own idea. I have 3 in the loft, and another one on the floor for my feral cat population, that share garage overnight. All are connected to one dimmer switch, that supplies an output of about 30 +- volts. Keeps water from freezing. I like the smaller quantity capacity, (about one quart each) since it is easier to empty and clean. Chickens do not walk into them, and pigeons do not bathe in. (too small) Keeps housing area dry for most part.
I do know electric circuitry, and the Amps, and Watts, and Switch Rating , are ALL IN THE SAFE ZONE.
I did not realize that your aviary was going to be a SUPER SIZED aviary. Dog kennels make great aviaries.
Is this where the Aviary entrance will be? V

I would still consider a close-able option for nighttime.

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Best control for pigeon population, are the plastic eggs. Just slip/exchange them when you see eggs.
I also do have 2 of those heated dog water bowls. I use them outdoors plugged in during autumn, and early spring, when chickens are already in their outdoor coop. Winter housing is when temps are low, December thru February. The loft is big and diverse. When I did have pigeons, half was for them, and other half was for my chickies. During non winter period, pigeons had the whole facility. Now with no pigeonschickens get it ALL.
The Mini Crock pots, is my own idea. I have 3 in the loft, and another one on the floor for my feral cat population, that share garage overnight. All are connected to one dimmer switch, that supplies an output of about 30 +- volts. Keeps water from freezing. I like the smaller quantity capacity, (about one quart each) since it is easier to empty and clean. Chickens do not walk into them, and pigeons do not bathe in. (too small) Keeps housing area dry for most part.
I do know electric circuitry, and the Amps, and Watts, and Switch Rating , are ALL IN THE SAFE ZONE.
I did not realize that your aviary was going to be a SUPER SIZED aviary. Dog kennels make great aviaries.
Is this where the Aviary entrance will be? V
View attachment 2012595
I would still consider a close-able option for nighttime.

That little rectangle is going to be their little pop door sort of thing. I’m not going for a standard pigeon loft so it won’t have the metal bars you see in the pigeon doors of most lofts. Just a hole for them to exit from with a ledge to land on, that’s why I’ve been calling it a pop door like what I have for the chickens
The only issue with closing it up (even just at night) is the fact the chickens kick up a lot of dust and it’s already chosen to settle up there. I was thinking that with that open it would have a good steady airflow to help push the dust and bad air out of the coop in a better manner as that’s the east wall their door is on. All of our wind comes from the west so it should be taking air in the lower vents and having it go out the pigeon pop door.
Are you thinking to keep it closed for predator reasons or draft reasons?

If for predators, the connecting roofed mini aviary will be wrapped entirely in 1/4” hardware cloth. The lower door that enters into the large aviary will be a manual open close everyday. I do it for the chickens, what’s one more pop door to open in the morning

 

[cavemanrich]

Are you thinking to keep it closed for predator reasons or draft reasons?

Just for the predator reasons. You can make that pop door, a framed out screened type. This way you have constant airflow, and those lil white vermin you dealt with could not enter.
I'm just thinking what would be more practical and easier. Securing a larger aviary with lot more HC is more effort than making a secure screened pop door.