Gun Dog Forum

Hello all,

I made a video of the loft I built from scraps laying around. I did it in preparation for my new bird dogs.

I currently have a French Brit that is 14 weeks old, named Sitka (terrible name in hindsight), also I am getting a DD next weekend. My little terrier thinks he is a bird dog as well.

I've raised all manner of fowl - pheasant, quail, turkeys, chickens, doves, and ducks; but never pigeons.

I still need to add a landing board and trap door.

Let me know how I could improve it or if I should just scrap the entire thing and rebuild.

https://youtu.be/MpQv0B0FtuI

Thanks.

Looks pretty good.

Not sure where you live, so these suggestions may not be applicable.

Can't tell from the video, but did you use wire on the bottom? If not, have you considered predators digging under. If you have snakes, you may want to also consider some smaller wire or plastic mesh.

The entire bottom is double layered in wire. It's surely not an impenetrable barrier. I do notice hawks roosting on the top sometimes but the roosts are far enough from the perimeter that they haven't gotten any pigeons.

Have to congradulate you. Most people getting going seem to make a project out of the birds. Your loft will probabky work fine. About the floor, mine are 3/4" plywood. Preditors can dig under but have never come up through. I like the plywood for cleaning, easy to use a flat nose shovel and scrape every thing up. Wire for the floor should be raised up to allow you to clean out under it. But is the loft is right on the ground yoc can dig a trench aroung it and fun wire down a ways to keep them out aand leave the floor inside plain dirt and then easy to clean. On my chicken coop I have wire that comes straight out from the side's about two feet. I'd find maybe 1x1/2" hardware cloth for that. Either way will allow you to clean up the bre floor inside! Your gonna fine in the long run the rule of KISS always works! I suspect youalready know that!