What [if any] floor dressing do you use?

[Guest]

I think I've tried them all,currently on easi bed after spending the breeding season on straw [for warmth],previousley on sand till I sived it so much I got repetative strain injury in my elbow,before that shavings till I got sick of everyone telling me I had them in my hair,tried scraping but does'nt work too well on tongue and groove boarding.What do you all use?

[DOVEScot]

Wood shavings on concrete floor stalosan powdered disenfectant.

Going to build new loft in apart of the garden that I cannot use concrete so I would also like to hear all the different ideas on floor coverings

[chickadee]

We use wood shavings as it is quite absorbent and it is warm for the birds to nestle into and also saves a lot of scraping, as you just shovel it up and bin it.

[pigeonpete]

hi chrissy, like you have used most, would never use straw again, had nothing but trouble using that!, easibed good but dusty and messy, currently using a light sand/ground limestone combi, and am very pleased with it

[madmaxlofts]

ive got a grided floor soo no no for any dressing

as for easy bed we use it on the baskets for racing

would never use it ive seen pigeons eat it by the plenty

[velo99]

  

I had a thought the other day. One of those what if thoughts.   Ceramic Tile.

 

Most of us have probably less than 30 sq feet to tile. Easy clean and scrape. Don`t need anything expensive or even matching for that matter. Probably can get it free if you aks the right guy.

Anyway tile and epoxy grout seems to be the way to go.

[DOVEScot]

hi chrissy, like you have used most, would never use straw again, had nothing but trouble using that!, easibed good but dusty and messy, currently using a light sand/ground limestone combi, and am very pleased with it

 

What kind of floor do you have,

[Guest]

I'm going back on the easy bed tomorrow when I wean the last 4 off and get rid of all that straw that looks a mess and seems to get everywhere...but it did the job nice and warm.I am going away next thursday and now I am worried about the easy bed because someone has said they can eat it but I've not had any problems with it before and at least it does stay down on the floor [instead of in your hair] as it's much heavier than wood shavings.

[Guest]

I've deep litter on a concrete floor; originally crushed limestone and stalosan, added week or month about, depending on weather. Have changed stalosan for Harkers Loft Treatment after racing finished last year, and sprinkle this once a week.

 

Light rake job every couple of days, rake up dried droppings , pop them thro a riddle, and bag & bin them... 10 minute job.

 

Dust has been a worry,  airborne dust solved by installing two electronic gizmos which include an ioniser function.

 

 

[DOVEScot]

what materials do you suggest for a covered aviary 16x8 with canstant access to pigeons

[DOVEScot]

Think I'll investigate the tiled floor theory,

tounge and groove floor on top of well supported 8x2 joists, covered with sterling board and then tiled...sounds sound to me

Will post photos when constructing

[Guest]

  

I had a thought the other day. One of those what if thoughts.   Ceramic Tile.

 

Most of us have probably less than 30 sq feet to tile. Easy clean and scrape. Don`t need anything expensive or even matching for that matter. Probably can get it free if you aks the right guy.

Anyway tile and epoxy grout seems to be the way to go.

 

I doubt very much if tiles would be suitable for a loft floor.

 

Principal reason is smooth glazed' surface doesn't give any grip for the pigeon to walk on.

 

Secondary reason is extremes of temperature ... they will crack and cracks are places for hygeine problems to develop.  

[DOVEScot]

What about tongue & groove it will have gaps?

Use floor tiles and as long as they have a sound base and good grout they will not crack.....plus you would put a covering on top of tiles ie wood shavings....tiles only make it easy to clean

Get discontinued or job excess left overs cheap or for the lifting

[Guest TAMMY_1]

plywood floors scraped out every day and brush in colombine loft white , as can be seen on photos of my young birds, keeps away any dampness , tried every single thing available because of pigeon lung and found most give some dust so went back to scraping out which is by far the best for me anyway, plywood is very cheap and easy to put down and great to scrape on

[sapper756]

I simply scrape out every day, and do not use any dressings. Have tried a few, but was not impressed.

[Guest]

tried them all presetly useing floor grids and to be honest not to kean on them either over the years i think the best method was dried droppings all i did was just kept on turning them over untill they dried out naturally used it for years ,pigeons buid up their own immune system as well more so the yopung birds but like every thing else has its dust problems

[Guest Vic]

yb section. deep layer of easybed with 6" strips of hardboard laid under perches, on top of easybed. scraped  daily and turned over. YB perches 15"x15" covered with loose, same  size hardwood squares. scraped daily and turned over.

 

 

W/h Loft  fine ply on floor. easy to scrape and absorbent. In each side of my w/h boxes I lay many  sheets of newspaper, so easy to withdraw twice a day. Best method ever, in my mind. Some may find these small  hints interesting.     Vic.

[Guest REDFOXKRAUTHS]

i use easy bed

[Guest Vic]

Oh, I also use small thermolite roosting blocks in my w/h/ boxes, these are warm and absorbant too. Just basketing my w/h cocks for a whitchurch toss, when a beautiful blue and red parrot landed on the basket. I tried to entice it into the loft, with some peanuts, but it must have only just escaped, cos it was not interested. It stayed around for few minutes and fluttered off. Vic.

[ALF]

i scrape out most days and use a heavy duty gas burner to dry up any damp patches

[ACE LOFTS]

scrap out then burn then floor white come out lovely

[ticeye]

 

have 25mm mdf floor painted on the underside with bitumin paint to seal

very easy to scrape use floor white during racing and easibed during moult winter and breeding Use easyibed for y/bs until all young have left floor and perched

[chickadee]

When we clean up we sprinkle stalosan over the woodshavings and perches.

[Guest]

this is fact,stalosan ,know of a man who cleaned loft daily night and day and used this stuff constantly turned the floor red ,most of his pigeons contacted paratyphoid ,how ,stock birds kept in seperate loft at the least 12 feet away yet they had it ,its not how did they catch but why if stalosan does what its supposed to do

[Beanz]

scrape out all lofts every day, in my opinion by far the best.