How Many Can I Fit

[Guest snowy2011]

How many stock birds could I fit in a 7ft by 7ft section?

With out any problems. What should the loft design be like for stock ie. how much light,air,floor space?

Thank you

[Delboy]

12 pairs

[peter pandy]

6 Pairs

[greenlands]

Will depend on ventilation and access to an aviary.My stock loft is 7x6 there are eight nest boxes but only five are used and I wouldn't like to add another pair.There is no aviary but hopefully will be fitting one in the near future.

[Guest snowy2011]

Ok well I'm going to be making it my self so 7 by 7 would you have the front open just with a bit of wire for maximum air what about the amount of sunlight needed for them. How would you advise me to go about this?

[greenlands]

Only sunlight mine get is through the wire door.

WHAT SUN,it's rained here since 2005. :emoticon-0156-rain: :animatedpigeons: :emoticon-0156-rain:

[Guest snowy2011]

Ha ha spouse that is very true just wanted some ideas would like to get it right.

[mushroom]

You should consider what it will be like when your stock pairs are rearing two youngsters each, ie if you have 12 pairs that means your total could be as high as 48 birds in a 7x7 section, I wouldnt think it would be a very happy place.jmo.

[Guest Scaramanga]

Hi, this is just my view on this:

 

Many years ago it was published by some fanciers (like Colin Osman) that you should allow at least 24 m3 per bird. If you followed this advice then the max capacity would be 7x pair for a loft 7' x 7' x 7'. When I started in the game I followed this advice and it was OK at the time although my loft was well ventilated at the front and in full sunshine which I now know contributed to it being "OK". Today my view is a) Keep as few prisoner stock birds as possible, preferably fly them out Ensure maximum air and sunshine (when it does) possible through the use of an aviary c) If you breed during the winter you will need to extend the daylight hrs through the use of good quality lighting (I personally don't breed early but have good fancier friends that have in the past) d) Have a bath available most of the time (even in winter). My own stock loft for prisoners is 16' x 6' x 7' with an additional 4' mesh covered in windbreak netting running the whole length. I max 8x pairs of stock in this at any given time. Finally the loft must be DRY. Hope this helps.

[Guest Scaramanga]

sorry, posted before proof reading, the 4' mesh covered with windbreak netting is a 4' x 7' x 16' aviary.

[Delboy]

7x7 = 49 divided by 2 =24.5 birds = 12 pairs.Thats how Ive always worked it out to avoid respiratory disease. 8X6 = 24 also, 10x6 =30, 20x6=60 etc etc

[peter pandy]

Derek, Your calculation works out roughly 18ins x 18ins per cubic square per pair of birds.

[geordie1234]

7x7 for me would be 8 boxes 5 pair maybe 6 pair

[Delboy]

My calculations are going on what ive learned over 40 years, without resperatory and of course this is the very maximum amount in this size of loft.

[Delboy]

Derek, Your calculation works out roughly 18ins x 18ins per cubic square per pair of birds.

 

?????Cant follow this, if the shed is 7ft long x 7ft wide x 6ft high the volume of the shed is 294 ft cubed. This divided by the 24 ( 12 pair )pigeons is 12.25 ft cubed per pigeon, so you are way off with your maths .

[kirky]

what u need to think about is the number will double when u have 2 ybs in each nest.

[peter pandy]

?????Cant follow this, if the shed is 7ft long x 7ft wide x 6ft high the volume of the shed is 294 ft cubed. This divided by the 24 ( 12 pair )pigeons is 12.25 ft cubed per pigeon, so you are way off with your maths .

 

Sorry Derek their is nothing wrong with my maths. To reach the cubic yard you do not divide by the number of birds.

The formula is 7 x 7 x 6 = 294 sq feet divided by 27 = 10.88 cubic yards. I was always told a pigeon requires 1 cubic yard especially in a closed stock loft.

[Delboy]

So your saying in a 35 feet x 7 loft , no more than 50 odd birds.I wouldnt disagree but thats not the maximum, which we were disgussing.

[Guest snowy2011]

Thank you for all your help

[peter pandy]

Hi, this is just my view on this:

 

Many years ago it was published by some fanciers (like Colin Osman) that you should allow at least 24 m3 per bird. If you followed this advice then the max capacity would be 7x pair for a loft 7' x 7' x 7'. When I started in the game I followed this advice and it was OK at the time although my loft was well ventilated at the front and in full sunshine which I now know contributed to it being "OK". Today my view is a) Keep as few prisoner stock birds as possible, preferably fly them out Ensure maximum air and sunshine (when it does) possible through the use of an aviary c) If you breed during the winter you will need to extend the daylight hrs through the use of good quality lighting (I personally don't breed early but have good fancier friends that have in the past) d) Have a bath available most of the time (even in winter). My own stock loft for prisoners is 16' x 6' x 7' with an additional 4' mesh covered in windbreak netting running the whole length. I max 8x pairs of stock in this at any given time. Finally the loft must be DRY. Hope this helps.

 

24 m3 is 2 cubic ft = 24 birds as Derek suggested. To come to this mathematical equation 24 is inches as 36 inches = 1 metre therefore 7 x 7 x 7 equates to 84x84x84 = 592,704 inches divided by 2 cubic feet 12x12x12x14 = 24194 = 24.5 birds.

[Guest Scaramanga]

24 m3 is 2 cubic ft = 24 birds as Derek suggested. To come to this mathematical equation 24 is inches as 36 inches = 1 metre therefore 7 x 7 x 7 equates to 84x84x84 = 592,704 inches divided by 2 cubic feet 12x12x12x14 = 24194 = 24.5 birds.

 

My apologies, must be my age and spanning Imperial / Metric changes. The original quote should have read 24 cu ft not 24 m3. That said I understand how difficult it is for somebody starting in the sport that is looking for an exact measurement for such a loft. I am sure that you will agree there are many factors that contribute to how many birds you can keep in a loft. I have found over the years that the birds tell you by their condition if they are comfortable or not although I must admit to ensuring never having exceeded the 24 cu ft and it seems to have worked for me. I find overall that less is best.

[Guest alangee]

stick 10 pair in and you will be fine

[Guest geordiejen]

forget the maths keep only enough birds that will be happy in the loft.make sure each section has plenty of spare space.the more birds you have the more headache you will have when something goes wrong.its natures way of keeping numbers down.

[JohnQuinn]

For years we had 12 pairs in a 6' x 6' and our best birds always seemed to come from that section.

That said, in those days the birds were cleaned out 3 times a day and the water twice per day, if you were gonna keep them in deep litter or are busy and maybe cut the odd corner then i would suggest 8 pairs. jmo.

[tiger]

8 pair max