chickadee

Help we are in trouble then, with a loft full of gay youngsters. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

If they are in with your pigeons I would worry about any diseases they would bring into the barn.

Just ringed another six young birds today, and another two have hatched.(aw bless) :) :) :) :)

What if its not a curve up(smile) or a curve down(frown) but a straight line?

We know how you feel as we lost a couple of our young birds to the sparrowhawk last thursday, so we have kept them in since then and we see the hawk every day in late afternoon, its just as well we have an outside aviary so at least the birds are still getting sunshine and fresh air, but, the hawk eyes them up every day.

Welcome to parenthood. :) :) :)

Maybe have to put nicotine patches on the young birds to wean them out the nest. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

We use tobacco stalks although we have also used hay too but i think the birds prefer the tobacco. ( It must be the addiction, they are now hooked on tobacco). ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

So you do not reccomend giving them a canker treatment every once in a while to keep them clear?

Thanks for these pics. Can i ask why is it that birds are detered from sitting on the roof of the loft?

Would anybody in Fife/Lothian or in the surrounding area mind if we come and have a look at your loft, for ideas only. :) :)

The base will be about 8ft by 16ft or 2.4m by 4.8m, ie, two 8ft by 8ft sections, built on stilts just high enough to let any vermon control underneath, so I will have plenty of room in the loft.

Thanks for sending these pics Lance, I will show them to my better half and see what he thinks. :) :)

Cannot put a concrete base down as this area is a mass of mature tree roots, we will be building it on a hardwood sleeper frame/joists mounted on stilts, may be able to screed the floor. Thanks. :)

Does anyone have plans/drawings or advice for building a loft? My better half could build it no problem, but would like any advice or help; ie. best type of roof, nesting boxes, ventilation, flooring etc. We will post photos of its construction in stages. This will also help others who are just starting out or progressing to a loft. :) :)

Did you make the loft, have it made for you, or bought from a supplier?

Yes its a hen.

What time is it on till?

We had an open door policy too, and the young birds just watched the older birds going out and coming in and they just followed on. That is untill we had a hawk attack yesterday and lost a few birds young and old so we have kept them in today, just letting them into the outside aviary and not into the garden as usual. :'( :'(

When you say all is welcome, does that mean anyone that is not a member of the racing club?

DOES THAT NOT MAKE IT TOO EXPENSIVE! They only deal with the south of England, then we would need someone dealing with the North of England, then we would have to get someone deal with south of Scotland then possibly the north of Scotland?

We don't race pigeons but our young birds go out in their own time, they watch the older birds and learn where they go and they just follow on.

When you talk about transfering birds do you mean when you sell them how do you transfer their numbers on their rings?

Oh my god! that picture of Alf has just put me off my supper. :o :o