LOFT BASICS

~ OUTFITTING YOUR LOFT ~

Now that you have your building, you need to add you "accessories". Nestboxes, traps, perches, landing boards, flypens, etc.... Most, if not all of the following can be purchased through Siegels, Foys Pigeon Supplies, or Global Pigeon. But if your really handy, you can even construct your own. When it comes to outfitting your loft there are inumberable options. But as this page is designed to help mostly new fliers, I will just be covering the basics.

Perches - T perches, V Perches, Block perches, Round perches, there are many types. When choosing and placing your perches remember the following...Keep them away from possible drafts. Don't place them too far up, out of comfortable reach for you. (You do have to catch these things you know) Nor too close to the floor, at least 2ft up is recommended. Most importantly, make sure you have more perches than birds. Your birds will fight constantly over them anyway, so give them extras. We don't want them having to end up resting on the floor.

I hesitate to recommend a specific perch, everyone has a preference. I have tried the T perches and ended up not being happy with them. I now have two full walls of each section lined with perches. They are simple 1x4 boards attatched to the studs, running the length of the wall. Plenty of room for everyone, easier for squeekers to land on, and most important, easier for me to keep clean. ;0)

Nestboxes - Nestboxes, like perches, should be situated away from damp and drafts. Two boxes per mated pair is the ideal since most birds will lay a second nest before the first one is fully fledged. Yes, you will get the odd pair that makes you crazy and nest on the floor, but we always want to plan for the ideal.

Your boxes should be at least 12 inches square. This gives enough room for both parents to be in the box while leaving room for the nest. I personally do not use nestfronts, but with certian flying methods they are a must. You also want to avoid placing a perch on the box to help them enter. Other birds will land on them, and that can cause no end of trouble for the nesting pair.

Flypens - These are a must. Some fliers have smallish aviarys while others full fledged flypens. It all depends on your preference. Flypens allow your birds to get "outside" when not flying and it allows your squeekers to get their first glimpses of their outside world. Size depends on you, and how many birds you have.

I have only a few things to keep in mind; Don't make it too big or inaccessable, you may need to get a bird out of it sometime. The mesh should have no more than 1inch square openings. It lets the droppings fall through, but still allows the birds to stand comfortably upon it. Prisoner pens should be larger, as this is their ONLY outside access.

Traps - Just like perches, there are many varieties. Bob traps, stall traps, drop traps, Sputniks, etc. Once again, preferance prevails. When choosing just consider how big you will need and how it will be used. For example, bob traps are fine for any use, but can cost you time in having to catch you birds during a race. For hobbyists or people who just have occasion birds, they work just fine.

Stall traps and the others are designed more for the "racing" aspect of our hobby. By "catching" the bird inside the trap, you won't have to handle them and can get the countermark into the clock more quickly. Hence cutting down your clocking times.

Landing Boards - Size will vary depending on your team size. Though it does need to be large enough so that many of your birds (if not all of the team) can settle on it. If they can't land on the board, they will hit the roof, which extends your trapping times. The board also needs to be steady and secure. If they do not feel safe in thier landings, they will become skittish and wary of thier board.

Well, those are pretty much the basics of any loft. Over time you will change things, find new things you want to try and get rid of things that didn't work for you. But with these basic hints, you should be up and flying in no time.