Shed to loft

[Peckedhen]

I've now got a new B&Q shed erected in my garden ready for conversion to my first loft. Now I need some advice:

 

It was only a cheap shed and there are a few gaps in the wall panels and the floor, should I fill these with something or will they help the ventilation?  It is a 6'x4' pent shed. How much ventilation should I put in? I know that it is necessary but, equally, I don't want the birds to be cold in winter.

 

Is it a good idea to cover the floor in vinyl, so it is easier to clean, or is there a reason not to do this?

 

 

I only have two pigeons so far but I'm hoping that they will breed soon. They will all have to live in the one shed to start with, can anyone suggest what I need to put in for nesting and perching?

 

 

Will it be ok to have the windows in the shed until I get myself sorted with a sputnik trap?

 

I'd appreciate any suggestions and advice.

Thanks

[samantha]

Hi peckedhen Im interested in seeing the advice you are given, as I too started with 2 bird a few months ago and I put them in an old lean too shed attached to an outbuilding, it has mesh down one side against a hedge and a mesh window at the front, on the mesh I cut a hole and put 4 of those wire trap things on and put a landing platform on the otherside, I used that white coated chipboard to make a rectangular box (with a little help) for the nest box, I was advised that they are really tough birds and they dont mind the draft but I keep thinking I should cover the mesh up at night in the winter?

[Guest Doostalker]

Pecked hen. Re the spaces, I would fill them in as draughts are not the same as controlled ventilation. Birds sitting being exposed to draughts could end up with illness. (By the way if it has a lot of spaces in it I would take it back to B&Q and ask them for one without spaces.... but that is only me.) :)

 

Don't cover the floor in vinyl or any other easy clean material. They all have the tendancy of keeping the droppings wet and you really don't want wet droppings on the floor all the time. If you need to cover it with anything, get a thin piece if plywood and cover it. This will make the floor easier to scrape. Use floor white (aka Bianco) if you want. Lots of show racer men use it and it keeps the floor looking cleaner. Also helps to dry up the droppings. I use it and am quite happy with it, but don't use a lot as the dust is a nuisance. Use sparingly and brush in.

 

I would suggest you get a sputnik as it will allow the birds to see outside and it helps them trap easier. You shoul look to getting rid of the window asap as the glass will cause the shed to heat up in any sunlight.

 

Try box perches for the shed. If your budget won't stretch to them, just make up perches from 2x2 about 6in long and secure them end on to the wall. They will suffice in the short term. Always have more perches than pigeons. And don't have them directly over one another as you will end up with some sad looking birds whose plumage is covered in you know what. Stagger them so that they miss dumping on each other.

 

Ventilation is crucial. You need to ensure that the air in the shed changes regularly. You should have air being drawn in at a low level and taken out at a higher level. Remember hot air rises. You could cut /drill 1in holes in the bottom at the front and similar holes at the top at the rear. As to the number of holes, try about 1 dozen in each location and if you need nore just cut them. Always cover them in 0.5in weld mesh to keep vermin out. Don't worry about the birds being cold in winter. Lots of fanciers have open lofts which are exposed to the wind and cold and the birds do fine. As long as they are dry there is no problem.

 

I have seen fanciers use crisp boxes as nest boxes. are easy to come by and most have a round hole already cut in them. They make solid nest boxes and you can just throw them away after each round or as often as you want. You can put Dandinests inside. They Otherwise you can knock something together with ply that would do you in the short term.

 

Don's advice is sound also. You can pick up a lot of ideas from other fanciers. Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

[Peckedhen]

Thanks Don.  

You're right about the worrying - so, it's not just a female thing! ;D

 

Doostalker,

Yes, a great help - thanks very much for spending the time to help a novice.  The shed was a bargain - it only cost me £30 so I can't take it back,! ;D  The walls are like laplarch fencing so I'll put some sealant in the gaps and then drill some more holes (well, I'll get 'someone' to do that bit for me) : )

So, it's OK to keep the parents and all their offspring in the one shed?

 

 

 

 

[Guest Doostalker]

Yes, Peckedhen there would be no problem keeping the youngsters in the same shed as their parents, but be careful as the hen may get a bit nippy with the YB's if she is on a second nest. There is a chance of them interbreeding when the YB's become mature, but some fanciers do this on a regular basis to improve their stock. Not something you should really worry about, but it is better if you can separate them. Again, first hand advice from a fancier willing to spend the time with you would be invaluable. Keep up the good work.

[Peckedhen]

Thanks again Doostalker.

[samantha]

doorstalker Im struggleing to understand the draft thing! you said

 

Pecked hen. Re the spaces, I would fill them in as draughts are not the same as controlled ventilation. Birds sitting being exposed to draughts could end up with illness.

 

I had 3 wild fantails roost everynight for 18months on the horizontal part of my fallpipe on the back of my house, in snow storms they refused to move into the trees only a few meters away, how could a draft make the bird ill, when you say sitting do you mean sitting on eggs? cause the front of my loft is wire mesh, and when the wind is blowing in that direction it gets breezy in there, but not as bad as the back of my house,

 

again please excuse my ignorance, its all still new to me, thanks Terry

[Peckedhen]

Hi Samantha, ;D

 

Did you have to train your birds to go through the bob hole you made, or did they just find it out themselves? It soundsa good idea for a start. I've looked at the sputnik traps and they are quite pricey! :o

[Guest]

hello peckedhen

 

if you can't afford perches i suggest make v perches or buy them there very affordable and yes like one of the other forum members said try your hardest to get a sputnik trap if you cannot afford one of these at the moment save up its worth the investment and also keep an eye out for local fanciers that may be giving the sport up or are getting a new loft they usually would give you a sputnik if they were not selling them

 

 

 

 

[samantha]

Belive it or not I took the wires out of a skip that someone had thrown away!! (the skip belonged to a pigeon racer and he said it was ok) but I since found they are available in pigeon supplies quite cheap anyway, I cut a hole in my wire mesh and threaded 4 of the trap wires onto a longer wire then tied the long wire to the mesh, with the 4 wires hanging down just longer on the inside than the square hole, so they can get in easily but not out.  

 

Ive got a few spare I could send you, send me your address in a p message, they are a bit tatty though, you also have to space each one out with a tiny ring spacer so they swing freely, I was really proud of it!

 

I trained them by just standing them in the landing board( that is hindged to go down when they arnt out, so cats dont go in) gently holding them and pushed the heads through, once they could see no wires they are happly to fly through,then I always shook the food tin and fed them every time they went through, so they would associate going through with food, the yb picked it up really fast but my older bird, I put her on really hungry  then put her food just inside, she was walking back and forth but darent go through, so I lifted up 3 of the 4 wires then next time 2 then 1 until she got used to it. I have photos of some of these traps but i dont know how to add a pic to my post!

[Peckedhen]

Thanks for your offer Samantha. I've just today received a petron lofts catalogue. I rang earlier to ask what their cheapest loft costs! LOL £1000ish!! However there are bob wires in the cat and they are only 25p so I'll order those along with a few of the perches. There is a fancier on local allotments, he has old sputnik traps lying around - I'll call on him and see if he would like to sell one. ;D ;D

 

I'm not sure that I could train my birds as you did. I'm not very good at catching them - after one or two unsuccessful attempts they are very wary of me now! : :  I'll give it a go though - I see from one of your threads that I'll have to keep them hungry so they return and trap.

[Guest Doostalker]

Samantha, I will send you some info from the Pigeon Health book that will explain the draught matter better than I can. Hope this is ok??

[mealybar]

Petron lofts are pricey, but probably the best you could buy (the queens got one!) if money were no object! Your shed will do fine, dont tell the birds about the petron lofts though

[Guest]

this is a v-perch (for anyone i suspect few who dont know what one is)

[Guest]

May I say what a lot of really good advice is to be had here.  ;D

None of this B&R etc perches and Petron etc lofts. Just a basic cat & rodent-proof shed or brick outhouse with basic fittings - and the birds will love it just the same.

And the skip is first class - you've a good chance of finding good recycleable stuff in there, more than good enough for pigeons and a loft.

And if you made it yourself, you'll get even more pleasure when you see your birds' reactions to it. Everything you put in they'll show appreciation as if it were gold or a castle.

One question pecked hen - before you splash out on a sputnic - you mentioned windows. Can you describe their size, are they on the front or side(s), how do they open (half centre swivel, up, down, sideways, slide etc) and where is your door?

(Can't count - that's 4 questions   )

 

[Guest]

yes you need to take all this points into consideration like bruno said

[Peckedhen]

The shed is 6'x4', pent roof sloping, unfortunately,  towards the windows which are on the long side. There are two windows side by side,each is 60cm square. They do not open at all, they are made of perspex. Actually I havent put them in yet, I've just put an old grid I had across because someone said they would make the loft too hot.  The door is on the short side. The windows face roughly South and the door East.  Some new neighbours had a skip outside but I didn't like to ask - didn't want them to think they'd come to live next to the Dingles! ;D ;D

 

 

 

[samantha]

henpecked, my v pearches are a wooden block with plastic V part that slides into the fitting on the wall, so that you can slide them off to clean them I think they cost me £1 each, I think the guy at the loft supplies makes them, if you cant get hold of any at this cheap let me know, cause I think they are perfect for the job.

[Guest]

Hi, peckedhen. You’re probably right about the windows and heat, but the front opening is facing south, so in winter you’re likely to get a lot of rain and snow through there which will cause dampness on the floor. Damp patches are places germs can survive and 'breed' and infect your birds with 'something'. They could also cause the wooden floor / sub-floor to rot over time. £30 is £30. Protect your investment!

 

If the window comes as a framed unit, and you haven’t put it in, as a temporary measure you could use the whole unit on the outside of your loft as additional weather protection. It will also improve your ventilation as it’ll create a ‘draw’ of air either inwards  or outwards  through the now protected grid opening. An ordinary Line Diagram won’t post up so this ‘paint by letters’ is the best I can come up with for now to show you what I mean. And speak to the neighbours and get into that skip!

 

 

DIAGRAM

 

 

                                          WG

                                       W   G

                                    W      G

                                 W         G

                              W            G

                           W               G

                        WSSSSSSSSSSG

             

W = Window (you could use sturdy old hinges to fix it along the top to the loft front).

G =  Grid

S  =  2x2 wooden strap, one either side of the window frame, either nailed or screwed to the window frame and the loft front. If its temporary, screws are best because its an easier job to take down without damaging anything. You’ll probably be best securing the bottom end of the straps to the side frames on the loft front (of your window opening).

 

While this is up, the birds could come in and out your loft door, or you could make the straps longer so that it is forming more of a canopy than a shutter. The danger is that the ‘higher up’ the bottom of the window goes, the wind could catch it and rip the window off. You’ll need to judge for yourself – it’s your garden and you’ll know how strong the wind gets there and where it generally comes from.

 

 

For a fairly lengthy article on ventilation on this website, see: ARTICLES > OLD HAND> What Do We Know About Ventilation? It’ll at least give you an idea of what you are trying to achieve.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

[Peckedhen]

Bruno,

 

That's great and I even think I could manage that myself!  I'm thinking that if I put a shelf up inside the grid the birds can sit there and enjoy the sunshine if they wish. ;D  If I can think how to make the wooden straps adjustable I could vary the angle of the window according to the weather - a bit like my cooker hood! (Don't hold your breath though! ;D)

The prevailing wind comes onto the short back side, opposite the door so I'll need to put a sort wind break there or it will blow under the window and, as you said will probably blow it off!

 

Thanks again for your time.  

 

Samantha,

 

It's worth getting some pigeon suppliers catalogues just to look at the pictures!  It gives you an idea of what people are talking about! Just do a google search for them and request one on line.  The Petron perches are 80p but then you've got £4.95 postage unless you live nearby and could collect. I like the grills for the boxes - if ever I get that far! ;D  I'm thinking that if they stand on those and I have a sheet of newspaper underneath I could change it everyday and keep their feet clean.  What do you think?

[samantha]

Pecked hen so far I only have one box and they only use it when nesting, the rest of the time they are on the pearches, they do like the ones I have put at the front along the mesh, from my kitchen window I can see all three of my birds looking out onto the garden, and in the box I have saw dust down which keeps the mess dry and it is easy to just dustpan and bruch it all up and put fresh down, but you will have to do what suits you, I plan to have a bigger loft next year and I may change my set up then, but the birds are happy so I cant complain.