Electric-man
242 posts
Apr 18, 2007
1:06 PM
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I almost have my 2nd loft finished now and too late to change my design. I use red river sand and which just packs enough that it won't blow, but it soaks up moisture well. I use a sand drag once a month and rake the top off of it and throw a couple of 5 gal. buckets back on top just to keep the level up.
All the other lofts I see on here have wood floors,what kind of risks am I taking using dirt floors if there pretty clean?
Last Edited by on Apr 18, 2007 1:27 PM
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
1129 posts
Apr 18, 2007
1:23 PM
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The main thing would be to keep rodents and critters from digging under and into your loft I would think.David
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wishiwon2
8 posts
Apr 18, 2007
1:33 PM
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I will tell you from my experience that dirt floors are magnets for disease. It is extremely difficult, maybe impossible to clean well enough to remove contamination that harbors microbes which affect your birds health. Some microorganisms may lay dormant in the soil for years until conditions are right for them to grow and infect the birds. Soil also attracts moisture. It is typically cooler than than the atmoshpere and humidity condenses there, pourous soils are more able to retain that moisture.
I had dirt floors for years. I cleaned faithfully and even applied some disinfectants annualy. I had little or no health issues other than an occasional canker or weak squab in the nest, ... until last season. I lost all of my produce from last breeding season (43) most of my holdovers and about half of my breeding stock. It would have been definately worth a couple $100 worth of flooring to prevent.
A couple advantages of a wood floor system; 1) you can clean it more easily and do a better job 2) you can efficiently disinfect it, wash it etc, 3) paint it from time to time, when you paint it you effectively seal away any latent mircrobes that may have survived 4) unlike soil a wood floor with air space beneath doesnt attract moisture. Allow ventilation beneath but exclude vermin and pest, just like the crawl space in a house.
Im not saying if you have a dirt floor you are sure gonna end up with sick birds, but why gamble with you birds health. Instead do all you can to protect them and make a healthy environment. When you see years of time and investment dying, it hurts and hurts bad. I have since built a wood floor.
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Electric-man
245 posts
Apr 18, 2007
6:51 PM
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Guess I will try to pour it with concrete next spring after some other projects get taken care of. I feel the risk is slight, but your right, don't want to go back to square 1!
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JMUrbon
241 posts
Apr 18, 2007
8:41 PM
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Hey Val, To me the risks far outweigh the gains. Dirt floors will eventually bring bad news to you. To me thay are a capital no no. If I were you I would do whatevev possible to get at leats some wood down for now even if it is just on top of pallets. Joe
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J.M.Urbon Lofts
A Proven Family of Spinners
http://www.freewebs.com/jmurbonlofts/
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Santandercol
1005 posts
Apr 18, 2007
9:39 PM
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Val,
Waiting till next spring is long enough for a mink or rat or some critter to burrow in there and wipe out your flock in one night.The cheapest way to go is 2x4s ontheir edges with 5/8 T&G ply on that and raise it off the ground 6" with bricks to keep things dry.
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Kelly
Last Edited by on Apr 18, 2007 9:40 PM
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George Ruiz
242 posts
Apr 19, 2007
5:38 PM
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home depot sell s 12x12 concrete bricks for 75 cents each
and you can cut them with a skill saw fitted with a cement cutting blade.
george
Last Edited by on Apr 19, 2007 5:38 PM
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fhtfire
905 posts
Apr 19, 2007
5:41 PM
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Dirt floors will bring disease..let the little vermine in your loft...not worth it....make your floors wire (mouse proof) with trays that slide underneath...or use ply wood...but for sure..do not use just plain old dirt..
rock and ROLL
paul
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Electric-man
247 posts
Apr 19, 2007
7:10 PM
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Alright, alright, alright, jeeeesh! Ya'll are as bad as my wife! Hee Hee
Going to Lowes in the morning!
I'm thinking that I'm gonna sprinkle 7 dust on the ground, put the 12 x 12 x 1 bricks about 3 or 4 inches apart and the lay ply wood on top of that. I will cut the plywood in 2 ft strips so if it gets wet it won't ruin the whole sheet! BAM!
That ought to get me for a while won't it?
Still open for more suggestions! I'm still not 100% sure, but I will do something!
By the way, thanks for the suggeations so far!
Last Edited by on Apr 19, 2007 8:24 PM
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Santandercol
1009 posts
Apr 19, 2007
9:09 PM
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I don't know,,,sounds mickey mouse to me.Shoulda built your floor first there el carpintero.LOL.You certainly have me laughing Val.Sorry,I Wish I could come and help ya out but I think you live at least 1/2 a continent away!!Good luck.
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Kelly
Last Edited by on Apr 19, 2007 9:14 PM
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Bill C
35 posts
Apr 19, 2007
9:57 PM
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You want to be careful if you have plywood down and space underneath for mice and rats to crawl and nest under, they would be a disease waiting to happen. If you have pigeons , you will have mice and rats. We all do. Even the guys who think my cages are clean and I have not rats. They just have not seen them, thats all. If you are not killing them you have them.
I would think with dirt floors that rain or water baths would keep the ground wet and that would lead to moisture problems which will increase disease problems.
If you put down plywood instead of wire mesh depending on the amount of space you have to work with since your loft is already built. I would make the floor solid with cement or bricks but not leave space inbetween them. I would use some coffee grounds on the floor. You can get them in large quantities at any Starbucks coffee shop. They give them away to us garden guys all the time. I now use them under my cages to absorb the moisture sicne this year I am feeding pellets and they stay wet longer and smell when wet. The coffee grounds from Starbucks are ground really fine and repel water so the waste doesnt soak in ,it rolls up in a ball and drys quicker. I dont post very often, but I read here all the time. Just thought someone might want to try out the coffe grounds. Bill
Last Edited by on Apr 19, 2007 10:01 PM
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Electric-man
248 posts
Apr 20, 2007
8:14 AM
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Kelly, Electric-man = electrcian, no carpentiero! LOL
Yeah, I'm starting to see the error of my ways. I have around $500 invested in each of my two lofts! I could of built one nice one for that.It is what it is for now though! Built them both before I became a member here, and saw how the big boys do it! The one I'm working on now is just a conversion of a goat shed. Their nice though, they match the house design, just realizing I'm possibly looking at disaster. I never quit though, I'll keep coverting till I make it right.
Thats why I decided to come here for help. I knew I would get a bunch of ideas and sooner or later I will hear one that will work for me!Paul's loft has really sparked some ideas!
Thanks Bill, I see where open space could be a problem!Looks like wall to wall brick floor at this point!
You guys that have rat problems, try moth balls. Works great for skunks and snakes too.
Val
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