debonair

Good point, Terry. The only thing I'm afraid of, is snow, some snow storms might disturb the pigeons in such a loft. The roof and some other protecting areas should be very well developed. I also think about having a wooden area going round the middle of loft's walls, just as tall as fitting 2-3 nestboxes in a column. While the top and bottom of the loft remain wire mesh, plus the floor grill, the ventilation is the same.

Now which is worse? Being a smoker or having PFL? Mick, the same thing happens to me, I have symptoms during winter when I am not with the pigeons very often. During summer, I get some cough in the morning when I wake up but that's all.

Bruno, here's an article: http://www.pigeon-lung.co.uk/articlefiles/art_tonygrinsill.html It says: "In fact the most fancier friendly loft I have seen is that of John Harwood, BHW writer at his home in Milton of Campsie near Glasgow. Not a loft really more an aviary. His aviary is 10ft x 8ft, with a Norplex roof and a 2ft wide strip of Norplex around the sides, to hide the birds on their perches, from birds of prey. The lower part being wire mesh on all four walls with wire grills keeping the pigeons above the floor. All his young birds are housed in this loft from January until the end of the season, with the widowhood hens and stock hens moved in until pairing in December. This giving it all round use, even in the severest of winters and what is more the birds prefer it, staying in excellent condition. Nature designed the pigeon to live in the open air, yet man in his wisdom thinks he knows best. The wins John has obtained using this method are exceptional proving that pigeons kept this way can and do win races." By the way, who is Jimmy?

Hello. I was reading the excellent articles posted on this site and I found a really cool idea from "OLD HAND". Here's what he says in the article about ventilation: "If I lived in a ‘council house’ and was therefore at the mercy of dictatorial bureaucrats I would not erect a loft at all! Instead, I would construct an aviary with four walls of wire mesh. Then I would drape some transparent polythene sheeting over it. Incidentally, I’m not quite sure about modern council regulations governing the erection of ancillary buildings but I know that up to recent times the council had no Jurisdiction over property that is transparent. In other words, I hold the opinion that anyone could build an aviary with a transparent roof without needing permission from the local authority but please don’t act on this advice without getting good legal opinion, or an opinion from the RPRA, which probably knows the ins-and-outs of modem local by-laws. I would then insert a wire-mesh floor some 12in above ground level so that birds could not reach the ground below the wire-mesh floor. One could stick a wooden rod or two through both wails of the mesh to provide perches. Nestboxes could be put in the aviary in the proper season and I maintain that birds living in this structure would be healthier and fitter than any birds kept in a loft or structure with wooden or solid walls. It would be almost impossible for birds living in this way to contract respiratory disease, or anything like it." OK, now I am really interested in this! Since I have some "pigeon lung" disease, you know, allergy to the loft dust, I think this loft with 4 wire mesh walls and wire mesh floor would be perfect for me. And why not, for pigeons. Of course my question is: what about rain and snow? I know that pigeons are ok with low temperatures as long as they don't change too quickly (in fact my pigeons are doing great in a loft with a wire mesh wall and the temperature in winter is exactly like outside). What do you think? Did you see such loft models? Thanks a lot for any oppinion.