bantieman
2 posts
Mar 22, 2005
2:23 PM
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What is a good size loft to house 8-10 pair? I want to have nesting boxes large enough that I can pair the birds up in them as well. Tell me how you would build it. Thanks, Luke
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BULLFROG
67 posts
Mar 23, 2005
6:02 AM
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hello luke if you plan on running the pairs together i have used a 4x8 pen for 10 pr and it seems to work well. i keep as many pairs as i can in individual breeding coops to mantain the purity of the young they are 4ft long 16in tall and 2 ft deep with two nest bowls one on either side and and a single perch in the center i have these stacked 3 high and they line one of my lofts walls. it is a 12 ft x 16 ft loft that is divided into three sections so i can turn the birds out if i choose or when i split the pairs the cocks and hens have their own sections. during the breeding season i have used the open pens to run the young when weaned untill i was ready to train them as group. that was when i was breeding homers. now that the young will be weaned into a kit box i am not sure what i will do with them :) most lofts are based on your needs, space, avalible investment and building skill. you cant error going to big in my opinion but over crowding can be devistating to your birds. good luck chris
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rollerpigeon
Site Moderator
238 posts
Mar 23, 2005
9:00 PM
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Bantieman, I have tried both open loft and compartment breeding. There are pros and cons to both. I like the compartment style as it assures parentage and eliminates fighting.
I also noticed that for me, eggs are laid sooner than with open loft as the limited movement forced them to breeding action sooner and more often.
There is more time spent on cleanup and feeding, not alot but a bit. Here is a picture link to the compartments I use:
Nest Compartments
Right now I use 2 of these compartments and they are working great for me. The page includes measurements.
FLY ON! Tony
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jeo2314
15 posts
Mar 26, 2005
2:41 PM
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Hi Bantieman, Just thought I would pass on an idea I saw driving down the road. A guy had made a couple of sheds using truck toppers for roofs. The walls were probably 4' plus the height of the topper. I'm not exactly sure what he did for a door but a person could take out the back window and build the back end and put a door in it. However I thought I'd pass that on to you.
Jeff
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bantieman
4 posts
Mar 27, 2005
7:32 PM
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I've got a pretty good picture in my head of what I want...I guess when I put the hammer and nails down I'll see if I'm satisfied with my product.
Thanks to all who have contributed,
Luke
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