Loft And Bird Details and QUESTIONS

[THE FIFER]

what size of loft do you have and how many compartments, and what system do you race, and methods,

 

also ask questions on the postings,

[Guest strapper]

16x8 youngbirds race loft 2 sections

16x8 oldbirds race loft 2 sections

12x12 stock loft with 4ft depth flight all across the front.

17x12 stock loft

 

i race natural always have.

[THE FIFER]

16x8 youngbirds race loft 2 sections

16x8 oldbirds race loft 2 sections

12x12 stock loft with 4ft depth flight all across the front.

17x12 stock loft

 

i race natural always have.

 

notice 2 section young bird,do you separate cocks and hens, and do you pair young birds

[Guest mick bowler]

I have:

 

2 6x6 sections, with 16 pair racers, on the sliding door roundabout system!

1 10x6 stock section with 16 boxes (not all full!)

1 8x6 for young birds.

 

I also have 2 spare sections 8x8 and 8x6, one fitted with next boxes one fitted with poles. No overcrowding here lol!

 

Edit:wrong size spare section!

Edited January 10, 2011 by mick bowler

[Guest strapper]

notice 2 section young bird,do you separate cocks and hens, and do you pair young birds

 

2 sections are there for race day, both are used through the week into one section,but race day any birds not sent and ease of trapping one section shut off.

dont seperate youngbirds and left to pair by themselves.

[Guest pied 09]

i have a 10x6 , 2 parting race loft . with 8 pair (some spare hens also) to be flown widowhood.

im now starting to build an 8x6 young bird loft with avairy out my back garden and i have a 12 x 6 stock loft up my allotment with around 14-15 pair.

[THE FIFER]

I have:

 

2 6x6 sections, with 16 pair racers, on the sliding door roundabout system!

1 10x6 stock section with 16 boxes (not all full!)

1 8x6 for young birds.

 

I also have 2 spare sections 10x10 and 8x6, one fitted with next boxes one fitted with poles. No overcrowding here lol!

 

good mick, could you give a bit info re. the sliding door roundabout system

[Shortcut Lofts]

Stock 1 - 12 x 6 / 2 compartments with 6 ft avery both sides

Stock 2 - 16 x 6 / 1 compartment with 4 x 3 avery on front

Y/B - 18 x 6 / 1 compartment

O/B - 20 x 6 / 1 compartment but has 1 x 4 foot compartment each end to hold 12 r/bout hens in each.

 

Eamon

[alex young]

L shaped loft 6x6 widow hens, 8x6 widow cocks,then the other section is 10x5 split 6x5 for ybirds and 4x5 where I keep some spare cocks to motivate the ybirds when racing.No stock my race team breed my young birds approx. 24.

[Guest mick bowler]

good mick, could you give a bit info re. the sliding door roundabout system

 

 

Fifer, just 2 sections, side by side seperated by a sliding door, only opened on a friday! Open and duck lol!! Just an old system i used to race, will try it here and see if it works, it has 2 chances.

[geordie1234]

2 12x6 lofts 2 sections in each plan to fly natural first year then maybe on to widowhood then it will be 12x6 widowhood cock to thereselves then the other 12x6 will have a 8x6 for young birds and then 4x6 for the widowhood hens

[THE FIFER]

Fifer, just 2 sections, side by side seperated by a sliding door, only opened on a friday! Open and duck lol!! Just an old system i used to race, will try it here and see if it works, it has 2 chances.

 

sounds like a good one for younger fanciers wanting other than natural, to educate them in other systems,

 

good m8,

[Guest mick bowler]

sounds like a good one for younger fanciers wanting other than natural, to educate them in other systems,

 

good m8,

 

 

I just like to keep things simple. The most complicated system i ever flew was a full natural system, too many pitfalls and bloody hard work. I do like them to be on the natural for the longer races and they will be paired later in the season, but flying them this way cuts a lot of the hard work out, by the time they are the natural they are at peak fitness, you just have to keep tweaking them. I found this was easiest way to convert from unpaired system to paired system mid-season without loosing form. But like any system, you need the right birds, and they have to be fit and healthy from day one.

[greenlands]

12x6 Two sections,always been young bird loft,changed not to roundabouts.

8x8 Two foot corridor was old bird natural,changed to young bird.

8x6 Stock loft.eight nest boxes but only six pair of stock.

Trying roundabout this season,never done it before,I've picked one or two tips up watching your posts but welcome listen to anymore info,even if it's by pm.

Lindsay.

PS. How many would you race roundabout in two 6x6 sections.

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Got three lofts at the minute with a 12x6 on the way soon for some darkies.

 

got a 28x8,an 18 x 14 and an 8x6 all the birds are on natural.

 

Have messed around with widowhood in the past but the lofts I've got at the moment aren't really ideally suited to it and will soon have to be moved for a house to be built. Once the house is built will get a more kinna permamnent set up and hope to have a dozen or so widowhood cocks as well as the natural birds

[Guest strapper]

i race natural as ive stated i find it simple and im laid back as the next person. natural means natural , but one method i truly belive in,get the birds used to you!..not you used to the birds!

 

my birds will sit around me and even climb onto me ,each time im with them.

having a relationship with your birds is paramount if you want to achieve anything.

[Guest IB]

I have a small back garden, there’s not enough room for even a small loft in it. What I have is a garage with a ‘tandem garage’ (car port) built on to the end of it by the pervious owners, which extends from the back of the garden to the back of my house (then becomes driveway). Don’t have a car so I adapted these buildings over the years into an 18’x15’ loft and 18’x 8’ aviary.

 

Garage is divided into 5 small sections each roughly 5’ x 5’ running ‘u- shape’ around a central corridor 5’ x 4’. 3 sections contain 20 nest boxes, (20 natural pairs) other 2 sections contain perches enough for 30 YBs, split in first instance, 1st & 2nd round, but as YBs pair up, they are moved over to vacant nest boxes in OB sections, and the loft and aviary go ‘open plan’, with all birds having access to all areas.

 

I prefer Natural system, but my loft layout forces it on me anyways, as all my internal walls are mesh (for sight, light & ventilation) and all the birds are always in view of each other, and they all trap through a single set of open doors into the aviary, then go through a single floor-mounted 2-hole ETS trap which gives access to corridor and all sections in the garage..

[Tony C]

W/hood loft 24x6 split into three sections, two 9x6 which house 12 boxes in each and a 6x6 that has slope back perches which I call my muck about section. Y/bird loft 16x6 which has two internal doors so I can split into three sections, two sections have nest boxes in and the other has slope back perches. Natural loft 8x6 with nine nest boxes. Stock loft 8x5 with aviary.

[ALF]

42ft by 6ft old bird loft(it was originally a 24x6 and 12x6 but i joined them together) i have 6 sections 5 at 6ft (1 of which is used as a store) and the last 12x6 is used for stock but they will be coming out of there this year as i have got rid of a few of them lately so they will be going into a 6x6 section instead.Ialso have and 18x6 y/b loft with 3 sections 68 perches but never had more than 50 y/b's in it

[neneland]

I have a simple 16 x 6 loft - It is two 8x6' garden sheds end on end - 3 sections 8x6 for old birds(Natural) - 2 sections of 4x6' one for the youngsters - other for separated hens.

 

Can't believe some of the loft sizes mentioned.... makes the mind boggle 8)

 

I keep 12 pair of old birds, no stock, and breed no more than 30 youngsters and even that is an over estimate!

[geordie1234]

I have a simple 16 x 6 loft - It is two 8x6' garden sheds end on end - 3 sections 8x6 for old birds(Natural) - 2 sections of 4x6' one for the youngsters - other for separated hens.

 

Can't believe some of the loft sizes mentioned.... makes the mind boggle 8)

 

I keep 12 pair of old birds, no stock, and breed no more than 30 youngsters and even that is an over estimate!

ow would you say your results are as i will be flying to a similar setup

[Guest mick bowler]

I have a simple 16 x 6 loft - It is two 8x6' garden sheds end on end - 3 sections 8x6 for old birds(Natural) - 2 sections of 4x6' one for the youngsters - other for separated hens.

 

Can't believe some of the loft sizes mentioned.... makes the mind boggle 8)

 

I keep 12 pair of old birds, no stock, and breed no more than 30 youngsters and even that is an over estimate!

 

 

Mike, how do you get that many sections and sizes from a 16 foot shed?

[geordie1234]

Mike, how do you get that many sections and sizes from a 16 foot shed?

one sect 8ft then 4ft for hens 4 ft for yb equals 16 ft

[lvlasked]

i got a 10ft garden shed 6 pairs of stock and no sections

[geordie1234]

i got a 10ft garden shed 6 pairs of stock and no sections

are you going to get yourself a yb loft