Pigeon Loft Flooring

[OTP Outdoors]

I recently built an elevated loft based on the gun do supply pigeon loft plan. I put 1 inch chicken wire in for the flooring and plan to close off the elevated portion with smaller, stronger wire to keep predators out. My question is whether or not the chicken wire will make sufficient flooring?

I am wondering if I should use OSB as the flooring and cut a slot in one of the walls so I can easily slide the OSB out for cleaning or replacement. My main concern is if the pigeons can safely walk on the chicken wire? I am also hoping to get some breeding pairs and I was wondering if I should have a solid floor so I can leave some nesting material in there for them to use.

I appreciate any feedback as I have never kept or raised birds before.

[cjhills]

If you use a solid floor and keep it dry, you don't need to clean it very often. maybe once a year. There are no health problemm if it is dry. Some racer let it get a foot deep.
Not sure where you are, but my pigeons hatch at -20 or colder so I need a solid floor. I also think pigeons feet would go through 1" chicken wire.......Cj

[lahunter562]

I have been racing pigeons for over 9 years. I have a solid floor and I placed pine needles over the floor. The needles have a resin that bugs do not like but are not harmful to the pigeons ( needles keep the dust down and droppings stick to the needles for easy clean up). Also, I have wooden grates that I made myself in the young bird loft. PM if you need any help with your pigeons. My pigeons have flown from 100 to 500 miles.

[OTP Outdoors]

If you use a solid floor and keep it dry, you don't need to clean it very often. maybe once a year. There are no health problemm if it is dry. Some racer let it get a foot deep.
Not sure where you are, but my pigeons hatch at -20 or colder so I need a solid floor. I also think pigeons feet would go through 1" chicken wire.......Cj

I'm in Central PA, definitely doesn't get that cold here haha. Typically we get a few days around 0 throughout the winter but that's as low as it goes. I think I might slide a solid floor in there.

[OTP Outdoors]

I have been racing pigeons for over 9 years. I have a solid floor and I placed pine needles over the floor. The needles have a resin that bugs do not like but are not harmful to the pigeons ( needles keep the dust down and droppings stick to the needles for easy clean up). Also, I have wooden grates that I made myself in the young bird loft. PM if you need any help with your pigeons. My pigeons have flown from 100 to 500 miles.

Thank you, I may take you up on that when I get the pigeons. I'm not sure where to get them but I saw a loft with some birds flying around at a farm back in trout season so I'm planning to go talk to him soon and see if he can point me towards a pair or two.

[cjhills]

If you can locate A pigeon Racing club nearby you could likely find a breeder who would sell you some young birds. You need to keep them in your loft for a few weeks before releasing them. You will likely lose some when you start releasing them, so get more than you need. Hawks and owls are a huge issue some years. They have nearly wiped me out this year.
Racers are reluctant to sell birds to dog trainers, but most will if you explain that you will not be using them live for retriever training. Homers work the best, but barn pigeons will home if you train nearby. Sometimes you can catch them or buy them cheap. Most people that raise pigeons have more than they want.
Good Luck...........Cj

[BlessedGirl]

I have a dirt floor and have never cleaned it in 1.75 years. It's dry and works great as long as I keep the rat population under control. I have never lost an adult bird since they've lived in their current loft.

If I were you, I'd start with at least the minimum amount of birds I wanted to use in the next year or so. Since I got my birds, they and their progeny have successfully raised three chicks in 1.75 years and have had countless chicks die. I had to hand raise three chicks as well, so now I have 10. In my experience, the birds favorite time of the year to nest is the winter - when the freezing weather kills the chicks. Adults may kill the chicks or smother the chicks, and you'll also have baby birds die for no apparent reason.

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[BlessedGirl]

They are not very good-looking when they're babies, but they are very pretty birds once they grow up! (Not that that's what you're getting them for.)

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[cjhills]

Freezing weather won't kill the baby birds. Cock birds will. We have them well below zero.
You need to have some nest boxes and nesting material. Basically a place they can defend. The babies need to have a place to hide from the old birds when they go on the floor. Leaning some plywood against the wall helps. It shouldn' t be that hard to raise pigeons............Cj

[BlessedGirl]

Freezing weather won't kill the baby birds. Cock birds will. We have them well below zero.
You need to have some nest boxes and nesting material. Basically a place they can defend. The babies need to have a place to hide from the old birds when they go on the floor. Leaning some plywood against the wall helps. It shouldn' t be that hard to raise pigeons............Cj

Thanks for your advice, CJ. I fahioned a nest box, but I guess it wasn't ever good enough for them, and they always end up nesting on the floor instead and using the nestbox for a hideout. So until my carpentry skills improve or they aren't so picky, they will probably continue to do so. I know the bigger birds have killed some of them, but that wasn't the cause of some of the deaths. My birds just finished raising a pair wonderfully (they hadn't succesfully raised any since around late spring/early summer of last year, after which they pretty much quit nesting until December) and another pair is in the nest. Don't know why they have such erratic nesting schedules. I've had some weird deaths. One almost looked like it had some strange mental disease, and it was really crazy how it acted.

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[cjhills]

They really don't care about fancy.
Mine are 2 ft long 1 ft high and 1 ft wide, 1/2 of the front is closed so they can defend the nest. the nest boxes are about 3 to 4 ft up on the wall
Some will always prefer the floor..........Cj

[BlessedGirl]

They really don't care about fancy.
Mine are 2 ft long 1 ft high and 1 ft wide, 1/2 of the front is closed so they can defend the nest. the nest boxes are about 3 to 4 ft up on the wall
Some will always prefer the floor..........Cj

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