Building your first pigeon coop.....

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:33 pm

Thought I'd post some pics of my coop in case anyone was considering building one of their own.

I've haven't had pigeons in it very long but one of the females is already sitting on a couple eggs so hopefully I'll have some young ones to home to my coop by next spring/summer. It was a lot of fun and the design was pretty efficient so it wasn't too spendy either......hope you get some ideas from this for one of your own!!!

Gettin' started....two sheets of plywood are enough for all four walls.

Put 2x4s on the bottom to stengthen the legs and support the floor....

Put in a couple 2x4s across the back to support the shelves and put in the floor.....(dauther thought I should turn it into a playhouse!!)

Put in the nesting box divider and rest of the supports for the shelves....

I subcontracted out the tough stuff.....

Cut the doors with the circular saw, added some perches and hinges and then cut them the rest of the way open with a jig saw (much easier that doing hinges on a loose door)....

I painted the inside and out while it was open.....(not that it matters that much :roll: )

I screwed on the top and built the aviary and loaded it with birds.....

I put plywood on both sides and and across the top of the aviary so I only had to use one roll of mesh and doors on both sides of the wire cage for easy access......

From the door on the right side.....large "bullet feeder and grit container.

From the door on the left side.....large galvanized drinker with stand and heater (cord goes out the door in the floor).

One happy camper is already sitting on a clutch so we must have done something right with the nesting bowls and pine needles.....

Pigeon on the right has feathers on her feet. Not sure what kind she is but she's super friendly so I think we'll keep her.......

I'll give ya one guess why there's a brown ring in the grass around the coop...... :roll:

Don't take these as gospel but this is what I came up with after running a quick tape on my coop.....

(I used 5/8ths plywood)

Walls -
Cut from 4x8' sheets (96")

Front - 52"H makes Back - 44"H and 48"W

Sides (cut from same sheet by starting at 52" and cutting at an angle to the 44" mark on the other side)
52"H in front and 44"H in back and 48"W

Roof 56" x 48"W
Floor 48" x 46 3/4"

Nest boxes -
Middle Support for boxes - 14" Deep and 43 1/4" H in front angling down to 41" H in back (cut using side as template for angle)
Box platforms - 23 1/2" W by 14" D (Box heights = 14"H)
I used 1x4s for supports under each box (on sides and middle support), 2x4s supporting box bottoms in back, 1x4s (or 1x3s) along front of the nest boxes

Frame
Legs - 8 foot 2x4s (4 each)
Floor/Ceiling support will take four 2x4s

Aviary overall = 28"Tx33D"x36"W (Mesh roll used = 36" x 10')
Frame is 2x2s
4 - 36" for top/bottom on front and back
8 - 30" front to back
7 - 25" supporting roof/floor

plywood across top of aviary - 37 1/2" W - 12" D
plywood on sides of aviary - 28"H - 16 1/2" D

Doors
Aviary - 20"T x 11"W
Side - 26"T x 17"W
Trap door and door to aviary - 10"T x 12"W
Bottom - 10"T x 10"W

Easy perches = 5" 1x4 screwed to end of 4" 2x4

**Update**
I have several birds laying eggs/hatching chicks so the coop is working well.....

A couple new additions (#5/#6)

I added a "Settling Cage" per OhioGSP's thread (pieced together from some wire fence I had sitting around) to get my birds oriented to the trap door without having to let them out just yet. They're diggin' it big time......

Here's a pic from their first release away from the coop......

natetnc · Post by **natetnc** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:40 pm

is it painted white so the pigeons can see it better?

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:09 pm

natetnc wrote:is it painted white so the pigeons can see it better?

Either that or so my neighbors can tell where all the stray pigeons are coming from.....

briguyz71 · Post by **briguyz71** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:02 pm

Very nice job. You look a little younger than I thought when I saw you with that drill

. I was wondering what you use for grit?
Thanks,
Bri

WiskeyJaR · Post by **WiskeyJaR** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:03 pm

nice looking coop. I see your dogs have inspected your handy work already eh?

AZ Brittany Guy · Post by **AZ Brittany Guy** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:53 pm

Very nice job! Just like mine only more professional. I used hardweare colth for the floor.

Don · Post by **Don** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 5:31 pm

I thought you were over here. Very nice job. Just one question, whats the door in the bottom for? also as I recall, it doesn't look like you have a preditor door for the re-entry. Great job though!!!

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:57 pm

Hi Don,

I thought the pic of your pointer looked familiar! I put the door in the bottom so I could push the scrapings into a 5 gallon bucket when it's time to clean. That's also where I have the cord come out for the heated drinker. So far, it's just as easy to scoop the scrapings from the side so skipping the door in the floor wouldn't be a big deal.

The predator door is on there, it's just not easy to see from the pics. In the last pic, you can see that it's closed; and when it's open, it lays on the platform across the top of the aviary...

Take care,
Jeff

GWP-Fritz · Post by **GWP-Fritz** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:22 pm

Thank you for posting this!

I just finished a similar coop. I looked at your design and tried to copy it. It was easy to put together but then I had to find some friends to help me move it into place. I painted it with extra paint we had around and left most of the roof white on top.

I put the birds in and they seem to approve, though the dogs won't leave it alone.

I am going try to post pictures of it.

Thanks again!

AZ Brittany Guy · Post by **AZ Brittany Guy** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:49 pm

[quote="GWP-Fritz"]Thank you for posting this!

I just finished a similar coop. I looked at your design and tried to copy it. It was easy to put together but then I had to find some friends to help me move it into place"

To help move it to different locations, I put handles on either side and it really helps.

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 3:34 am

Nice work! I bet the birds will like that extra large aviary.....

Not sure about you but I attached mine to the coop with screws but think I'm going to secure it with some 1/2" bolts once it gets warmer to esure it doesn't go anywhere once we start getting severe T-storms and the heavy Spring winds....

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:55 am

I think I would put a couple of legs under the front of it to keep the whole thing from tipping forward in a wind.

Ezzy

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:22 pm

I used a post hole digger to set the legs on my coop ~ 2 feet in the ground so unless a storm/tornado rips it apart, it shouldn't be going anywhere.....

GWP-Fritz · Post by **GWP-Fritz** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:31 pm

I planted mine in the ground about 18" as well. I just got a new post hole digger for my tractor and I wanted to use it. We have had some pretty strong winds (gusts up to 50mph last week) and it was fine. I have considered legs for the aviary because if we get a huge snow i was worried about the weight. The way I attached the aviary was with screws and when I put the 2x4 on the front where the door to the aviary is I put a strip of plywood behind them so the aviary actually slid on and the 2x4 hold it in place. I don't know if you can see it from the pictures but I can post a picture of it. I did it that way so I didn't need someone to hold it while I screwed it in.

The birds seem to really like the aviary and I am just waiting on some nesting bowls.

Adam

postoakshorthairs · Post by **postoakshorthairs** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:23 pm

Either of you guys have a materials list or a cost estimate?

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:28 pm

postoakshorthairs wrote:Either of you guys have a materials list or a cost estimate?

I just edited in dimensions to the original post......hope that helps!!

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:40 pm

I built my first one like shown in the previous pics, then decided I wanted one I could walk into, but still not take up a ton of space:

GWP-Fritz · Post by **GWP-Fritz** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:49 pm

I don't remember exactly what I spent or used because it took a few trips to the hardware store but here is a close summary.

4 Sheets of Plywood - 2 for the walls, 1 for roof and misc., 1 for floor and misc (misc being shelves, perches, and aviary) I might have also used some scrap I had.
8-10 2x4's - Legs, framing, shelves
6 2x2's - aviary framing
1 roll of hardware cloth for aviary
5 sets of latches and hinges for doors on coop, aviary, and for door covering bobs
1 set of bobs I bought online
1 can Kilz
1 can extra paint I had laying around or you could buy a screw up can from store

That is all I can think of when I go through what all I bought at the store. Like I said it took me a few trips because I didn't want to over do it and have to take stuff back and there is a big box store down the street.

One word of advise I picked up from the original post was to cut the doors but not all the way and then install the hardware. I read that after I did the first one and you can tell a difference between the doors.

I hope this helps.
Adam

DoubleB20 · Post by **DoubleB20** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:57 am

Very nice, I have a question. How do you catch the birds when it's time for training? My coop now is smaller and it seems like I spend almost as much time trying to catch the birds in the coop as do I do using them for training. One word of experience, my dogs love to stand by the coop and catch the pigeon's when they are free flying. The entry door is about 4 1/2 feet off the ground and the dogs have caught 4 pigeons this week.

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:03 am

DoubleB20 wrote:Very nice, I have a question. How do you catch the birds when it's time for training? My coop now is smaller and it seems like I spend almost as much time trying to catch the birds in the coop as do I do using them for training. One word of experience, my dogs love to stand by the coop and catch the pigeon's when they are free flying. The entry door is about 4 1/2 feet off the ground and the dogs have caught 4 pigeons this week.

You won't have pigeons for long as they are smart enough to find a safe place to go plus you are setting your dogs back rapidly as that is exactly what you should be spending your time training them not to do.

Ezzy

postoakshorthairs · Post by **postoakshorthairs** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:53 am

Guys,
Thanks for the dimensions and list. I just wanted a rough idea of the cost before diving in (aka...knowing if i could sneak it by my wife

) I really like the looks of the one gdog built and the use of the metal studs but where do the dogs return? I prob just couldn't see in the pics.

dlfl · Post by **dlfl** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:57 am

I would think that a butterfly net or pole crab net would work to catch the birds. We used a pole crab net at a pet store I worked at to catch the birds that got loose.

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:12 am

postoakshorthairs wrote:Guys,
Thanks for the dimensions and list. I just wanted a rough idea of the cost before diving in (aka...knowing if i could sneak it by my wife ) I really like the looks of the one gdog built and the use of the metal studs but where do the dogs return? I prob just couldn't see in the pics.

I need to post up a new pic with the return entry. Looking at the front of the coop, I put the door in the side of the aveary on the lft hand side with a platform. It works great.

Here's a link to more pics of the build: http://arappl.smugmug.com/gallery/33194 ... 4114_DCbRv

postoakshorthairs · Post by **postoakshorthairs** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:47 am

great pictures. I appreciate the insight. Son loves your dog by the way.

gspmo1 · Post by **gspmo1** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:41 am

Very nice looking pigeon coops! Thanks for all the pics and instructions, I'm going to try building one in the near future

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:28 pm

Matching the stain on your coop and fence was a good idea. Nice design and sharp lookin' to boot.....

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:38 pm

Nebraska wrote:Matching the stain on your coop and fence was a good idea. Nice design and sharp lookin' to boot.....

Ha..funny..that was to try and make the wife happy about the coop "blending" in

postoakshorthairs · Post by **postoakshorthairs** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:46 pm

Ha..funny..that was to try and make the wife happy about the coop "blending" in

Amazing isn't it, we try to pull one over on our wives so we can harbor birds considered a pest by most people in order to walk around in the cold with a furry friend and harrass them.

Gotta love america!

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Sun May 10, 2009 10:27 pm

**Updated the original post to show the "Settling Cage" used to get the birds oriented to the trap door without having to let them fly**

bmacinok · Post by **bmacinok** » Thu May 14, 2009 12:11 pm

copied from another link in gun dog.....

Nebraska,

I started a coop last fall, built it and populated it with homers from a friend a couple of hours away. I have one side of it with some breeding pairs and the other side with the homers and a few ferals. I kept the homers in for several weeks, then trained them with a temporary aviary (with them using the bobs). I would feed them in the aviary, with the bobs up (see pic below), and just lower a bob each day over the period of a week. They got real familiar with that real quick. I also followed OhioGSP's information as well as some in our local NAVHDA chapter...very good help and information. I was pretty unsure when I released them but they all came back. When I started flying them from farther away I lost several of my ferals, but I kind of expected that. I am now flying them about a mile away (where my training field is) and have lost only about 5 birds (we have a lot of hawks). My breeders are starting to produce so I am hoping production can keep up with the hawks.

Side view with temp aviary:

My automatic waterers. They are bowls that gravity feed from a 55 gal plastic barrel behind the coop. It is all connected with garden host ending up in the bowl. The valve is brass. It has weathered the freezes we have had so far, however they have not been terrible. I am hoping the hose will not burst but just expand, the bowl will not crack as it is rounded, and the valve will not have any issues as it is brass. Hoping....

showing the water barrel:

Inside out looking at the bobs:

Bruce

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:15 pm

That's a great set-up.....I especially like your drinker.

outhawkn · Post by **outhawkn** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:00 pm

that bird with the featherd legs is probably a tumbler of some sort. It will dilute your flocks homing ability if allowed to breed. In case you done know. Nice job!!!!

Hattrick · Post by **Hattrick** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 3:42 pm

????? can you mix say chukers ,quail an pigeons in the same coop?

DoubleB20 · Post by **DoubleB20** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:34 am

This probably a dumb question, but does the color of the coop matter? Most of the one's I see are white or light colored - didn't know if that was on purpose or just what people had on hand.

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:54 pm

I painted mine white to reflect heat but I see 'em painted lots of different colors so if you shooting to have it blend in with it's surrounds by painting it a certain color, I'm sure you'd be fine.

To the other question, I don't think that's something that you'd want to do but I've never tried it. You'll probably want to post that question in a new thread to get good info.....

MadMax · Post by **MadMax** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:52 pm

I have a question for those of you that have coops. I am about to build my own, but am very concerned about health risks. How do you control mites? I've heard that is one of the major problems with pigeons, the second would be the droppings. Can they cause respiratory problems? How about my dogs, can they contract any illnesses from retrieving these birds? Any info would help.

bmacinok · Post by **bmacinok** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:12 am

My coop is painted a brown color to try and blend in with the trees. The pigeons have no problem coming back to it.

As far as droppings are concerned I just scoop them once in a while and put them in a trash bag. I know there is talk of possibly getting a respiratory issue, so I try to keep my mouth covered up when I am scooping.

Bruce

Coveyrise64 · Post by **Coveyrise64** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 5:28 pm

MadMax wrote:I have a question for those of you that have coops. I am about to build my own, but am very concerned about health risks. How do you control mites? I've heard that is one of the major problems with pigeons, the second would be the droppings. Can they cause respiratory problems? How about my dogs, can they contract any illnesses from retrieving these birds? Any info would help.

For mites a drop of Ivermection under each wing and/or each leg will do the trick. I also put a couple of drops of Ivermectin down the throat for internal parasites. I'm not sure how bmackinok is able to cover his mouth

....so I use a respirator. A dust mask will work but I prefer a little better protection.

Coveyrise64

Jester · Post by **Jester** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:51 pm

i am finshing up a coop for what is the most part the same. how many birds can one keep in this set up as i have been offed 40 at no cost will this be to many?

bmacinok · Post by **bmacinok** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 4:03 pm

Jester,

I don't know what optimum is for pigeons, but in my coop (the brown one in this thread) I have had up to 50 birds. Right now I have about 30 and they are producing and seem to be doing just fine. All of these birds are homer/roller crosses. I keep my killer feral birds in a temporary cage that is an 8' x 4' x '4 frame using 2" x 4"s and 1/2" x 1" wire, with a tarp over the top and have had about 40 in it. Of course they don't stay there for long...

bmacinok

Nebraska · Post by **Nebraska** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:09 am

IMO, 10 to 12 birds would be optimal.

I currently have 5 birds but I've had up to 20 birds in that coop (short-term) without any issues.

imelda11 · Post by **imelda11** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:44 am

Hey There!
Its nice!
I like it!
Are you a Carpentre!?ehe
Keep on posting!
Thanks!...

jkoehler · Post by **jkoehler** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:45 pm

So when I get my coop built and put some pigeons in, how long should I keep them in before I use them for training so that they return? I plan on getting some birds that are about 100 miles away, will that keep them in my loft?
What type of food? regular bird feed? crushed corn?

bmacinok · Post by **bmacinok** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:43 pm

I transitioned adult birds from someone else's coop, and most of the birds hung around. I did keep them in the coop for a couple of months, then only let them out in the evening right before dark so they would only fly for a bit then come back in to roost. Probably did that for a month then started taking them out further and further to get them used to homing. I did lose a few, just not sure if it was to them not homing or the hawks which we have a lot of.

If you start producing young they will definitely home to your coop.

I would use a pigeon mix from your local feed store. A lot of folks use just whatever, but I found I had problems with cracked corn on the young, seems they can't handle the sharp edges in their craw.

Richard *UT* · Post by Richard *UT* » Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:53 pm

jkoehler wrote:So when I get my coop built and put some pigeons in, how long should I keep them in before I use them for training so that they return? I plan on getting some birds that are about 100 miles away, will that keep them in my loft?
What type of food? regular bird feed? crushed corn?

Or you can look for "young Birds". These birds are birds that can eat on thier own but have not been flown yet. That way you only have to wait a few weeks and then start letting them out close to dusk. I also feed a feed called pigeon checkers. Great feed, pigeons love it so that the bird home fast and don't crap on the neighbors cars. Keeps every one happy and more importantly QUIET. If you have time, like now where you aren't using the pigeons alot you can lock them up for a couple months.

sh0rthair · Post by **sh0rthair** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:03 pm

bmacinok wrote: I did keep them in the coop for a couple of months, then only let them out in the evening right before dark so they would only fly for a bit then come back in to roost. Probably did that for a month then started taking them out further and further to get them used to homing. I did lose a few, just not sure if it was to them not homing or the hawks which we have a lot of.

If you start producing young they will definitely home to your coop.

I would use a pigeon mix from your local feed store. A lot of folks use just whatever, but I found I had problems with cracked corn on the young, seems they can't handle the sharp edges in their craw.

This is also how I transition new birds. However, I go 3 to 4 months instead of just a couple.
If they lay eggs I let them out sooner.
If I get young birds, I like it when they still have some (very few) yellow feathers (I'm having a brain fart for the proper term so I will call them Yellow feathers) on them. They are old enough to take care of themselves and they will home back to your coop.

There are many different choices when it comes to pigeon food.
I feed a pigeon food with corn in the cold months and without corn in the warm/hot months.

Munster · Post by **Munster** » Sun May 16, 2010 2:49 pm

I am wondering if you cluld use some kind of a glossy finish board like waynescoat on the inside to aid in easier clean up? Or will the birds not really like that idea?

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun May 16, 2010 5:57 pm

I used tempered hard board and some odd sheets of Merlite like they used to use around the bathtub. Its hard and glossy and needs little cleaning.

Ezzy

jobermiller · Post by **jobermiller** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:53 pm

I really like the coop I wish there was a material list .
Thank you
Johnny O

Keith White · Post by **Keith White** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:16 pm

Well I finally finished my coop!!!! Thanks to those that posted pics of their coops for us to copy. Take a look.