steve49
288 posts
Oct 02, 2009
6:53 PM
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i wanted to ask Ken Easley about his wire floor ideas in a breeding loft(appeared recently on a repost here), but his website email link doesn't work. does anyone know if he's on this site, or have his email? i basically wanted to know about using a heavy wire floor for new breeding loft, but wasn't sure exactly what he's got under the floor. if its just earth, how do you clean it, rake it out, lift the floor or access it from outside the loft? it sounds like a great idea, mainly because it will keep me and the birds healthy since there won't be any dust. does anyone use this type in their loft?
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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steve49
289 posts
Oct 02, 2009
7:16 PM
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thanx, tou!
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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Kou
46 posts
Oct 02, 2009
7:18 PM
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Steve,
Where are you from?
Are you flying Ken Easlsey birds.
I aslo have his family of birds and i talk to him almost every other weeks.
Home Of The Trance Rollers Lofts
ThunderBirds
Kou
Last Edited by on Oct 02, 2009 7:19 PM
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steve49
290 posts
Oct 02, 2009
7:24 PM
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i'm on long island, ny, i don't have any of his birds, but read an article reposted on this site, and one topic was his use of welded wire flooring to keep the dust out of the loft. since i'm building a new loft, i wanted to check this out
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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tou_vang
573 posts
Oct 02, 2009
7:26 PM
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no problem steve. yea, ken has some good articles.
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TheGame
637 posts
Oct 02, 2009
9:34 PM
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Steve make 2-3 small pull out drawers with handles. So when it comes to cleaning time all you gotta do it pull out the drawers scrape em out and then push them back in.
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steve49
291 posts
Oct 03, 2009
11:30 AM
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hey Game, well, small pull out drawers probably won't work that well, as the loft will have two breeding sections, each one about 7' wide, 6-8' deep. i've got to post the part Ken describes about the health benefits of the wire floor, which can hold a persons weight.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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katyroller
576 posts
Oct 03, 2009
5:29 PM
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steve49,
The wire floors are great for keeping down the dust, ventilation and keeping the birds out of their droppings. The thinking behind the drawers is rodent control. One problem with wire floors without the trays is that no matter what you do, the birds will spill feed under the loft. Spilled feed will quickly attract rodents which will cause issues with the birds and around your home. You can make two drawers 42" wide x 6-8' deep.
Tracey
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Electric-man
2459 posts
Oct 03, 2009
8:38 PM
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My friend, Mark Wilson, keeps a few bantam chickens under his wire floor loft.They clean up any feed that drops through and they are hell on any mice that try to get under there. They go after them like ducks after june bugs. Just an idea!
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Val
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maxspin
368 posts
Oct 04, 2009
5:22 AM
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Steve.
Look into expanded metal for your floor instead of welded wire. It will stand up to being walked on much better.
Keith Maxwell
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steve49
292 posts
Oct 04, 2009
6:59 AM
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hey Keith, yeah, expanded metal, that's what Ken was talking about, not welded wire. i think its the really strong stuff, usually in a 'diamond' pattern. i will have to consider the drawer idea, as everyone makes good points. rodent control is a number one priority. if the wife ever saw or heard my birds were attracting rodents i'd be in deep doo doo. i want the loft to be healthy, as well as well designed. how many actually go to the trouble of using expanded metal or some type of wire floor? it makes the loft more expensive to build, as wood floors with some type of litter is a lot easier.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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katyroller
577 posts
Oct 04, 2009
6:37 PM
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A buddy of mine who races uses the expanded metal floors and it is pretty nice stuff. I looked at the expanded metal and came across some stuff that had sharp edges inside the diamonds, so be careful what you get. I used to get 4'x8' panels of very heavy gauge plastic coated 1"x1" square welded wire mesh that could be walked on without supports under it. The panels were $20.00 a panel.
Tracey
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turkey buzzard
139 posts
Oct 05, 2009
6:15 AM
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Call me some time if I didn't give you my phone number, Mike has it. Or e-mail me at cwbraker@yahoo.com
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TheGame
640 posts
Oct 05, 2009
10:19 AM
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Steve I think what JDA meant was tht if you use a coffee can or pvc elbow joint as a trap you could leave it open over night or the rest of the day. This way if you have to leave or go somewhere the bird can return and quickly/safley get back into the kitbox asap.
If you were to leave your bob traps open over night then you could have birds getting out or have some sort of carnivore gets in.
If I lose a bird I leave my traps open. This way the bird can go right back in without wasting time. A single bird just sitting ontop of a loft or kitbox would be a easy meal for a BOP or a cat.
Last Edited by on Oct 05, 2009 10:20 AM
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Rob408
100 posts
Oct 06, 2009
1:26 PM
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I actually use expanded metal floor in my breeding loft. I used to race homers and it was something that I learned from that. I put drawers under the floor and pull it out to vacuum. I don't have any ventilation and/or dust problems in my loft. No rodents either since everything is sealed from the bottom. I would highly suggest this type of flooring for the birds' good health but also the easy maintenance. You can clean the loft without stepping foot inside it.
Good luck.
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steve49
297 posts
Oct 09, 2009
12:24 PM
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thanx for the feedback everyone. i thought of another scenario that might make this difficult. if my loft is 16' wide, exactly how would i access under the metal floor? i'm thinking of all the floor joists, and if the grates are on top of those, drawers will be tough to put underneath. i can see accessing under the floor from outside the loft, which is probably the only way, but how do you deal with joists etc?
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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katyroller
582 posts
Oct 09, 2009
2:15 PM
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Steve,
If I were using expanded metal, I would space my floor joists at 16" or 24" intervals. If you are using 2"x4"'s for joists, make the end joist and the joist at 4' 2"x10"'s. If you are using 2"x6"'s, then make them 2"x12".
Tracey
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steve49
300 posts
Oct 10, 2009
7:11 PM
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Tracey, could you say that again, in plain english?
Rob, i like the idea of the rodent control by using drawers. in my double kit box, i use 1x2 wire mesh, which has worked very nicely. there is another strong metal wire that they use in zoos, its woven, and very strong. i'm sure everyone has seen it, but where to get it, i don't know.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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katyroller
584 posts
Oct 10, 2009
8:02 PM
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Steve,
What I am trying to say is, if you are going to use the trays you are going to have to build a shelf for them to sit on. If you look at the framimg for the floor, make the end studs 2x10 or 2x12. If you make the trays 4' wide, then the stud at 4' should be either a 2x10 or 2x12. You can nail a 2x3 to the inside of the 2x10 or 2x12 and that will give you a shelf for the trays to sit on.
Tracey
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steve49
301 posts
Oct 11, 2009
7:01 AM
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Tracey, ok i think i understand what you mean. kind of like a 'cleat' to hold the tray on each side of the stud. and of course this tray would have to have access on the side where the studs terminate, rather than where the sides are on the outside. i did the same thing in my double kit box. i didn't actually make trays, but simply used 1/2" plywood bottoms which slide out, and then i scrape the droppings off into a tub. how much room under these pans should i leave for ventilation? the kitbox is off the ground a few feet, but the breeding loft will not be. i want to find out about that industrial wire, used in zoos and sometimes for industrial type gates. its basically heavy gauge wire (1/8" approx in diameter) that is woven and will within stand a lot of force, such as walking on it. it can be easily painted i would think.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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katyroller
586 posts
Oct 11, 2009
9:14 AM
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Steve,
Exactly, yes a cleat. I'd plan to have about 12" between the bottom of the trays and the ground. You still want to keep rodents from getting into the feed trays. That wire you are talking about sounds pretty expensive. See if there are any building supply reclaimation stores in your area. I have a Habitat for Humanity resale store down the road from me and I find excellent deals, plus the money goes to a great organization.
Tracey
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steve49
303 posts
Oct 11, 2009
9:19 AM
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Tracey, thanx for all the help. now i have a good idea of what i'm dealing with regarding the floor. is this what you have in your loft? is it advisable to use some type of litter in the drawers? i'm wondering if it will be easier to just scrape it out so i can use if for the garden.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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katyroller
588 posts
Oct 11, 2009
9:39 AM
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Steve,
I wish I had asked questions before I built my loft. I have a plywood floor in my loft but my next loft will be wire with trays. A buddy of mine races and he swears by the wire expanded floors. Since the floor won't stay wet he built a more open loft for ventilation. If a little rain blows in, no harm no foul. His birds are tough as nails. As long as the trays stay dry, I don't think I would put anything in them.
Tracey
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