THE LOFT Before
you buy any pigeons, first build your loft! The loft will
be the pigeons' home for the rest of their lives and it
must be build correctly from the start. This is virtually
your first step onto the success ladder and probably the
most important.
The general rule for the sport of pigeon racing is based
on five principles:
To have good pigeons; Appropriate installations; Much
hygiene; always clean and fresh water; well balance food.
No, no! Sorry, I did not say luxurious installations. I
said appropriate.
The loft need not be a palace and could be constructed
from basic materials. It can be wooden as of masonry. The
ideal is of masonry with wooden floor. Always avoid the
cement soil because he is conducting of humidity. In the
lofts with cement soil the form appears later.
But if not possible to construct in masonry, you can do
it in wood since it is an excellent insulator and freely
available. A structure of wooden bars (or punched
angle-irons) lined inside with " Platex " and
outsides with zinc or aluminium plates and between the
two, " lsotex " or " Styrofoam " of
40m/m as a good insulator and waterproof. The reason for
insulation is in order to avoid major temperature changes
in the loft, which will prevent ailments.
I propose to construct a small
loft together.
Do we have a deal? Excellent!
The following consideration would be the size of the loft
as well as the height, width and length.
The size question is an easy one since the size should
obviously correlate with the number of pigeons you want
to keep - The proposal is two pigeons per cubic metre. A
loft that gives for twenty to thirty pigeons as is not
necessary more. Based on this I would propose a narrow
loft in order to allow maximum sunlight into the loft and
in order to promote ventilation. The proposal is
approximately 2.5 meters of size for 1.8 meters wide it
arrives perfectly. Three rows of five nests with 0.50
wide by 0.35 deep, its the ideal for who fly
natural . Even for a masonry construction, I advise
wooden nests because is less cold; it is important that
the walls are smooth, without saliencies or
scissorings, easy to clean and to avoid any shelter
to the many and varied flies who attack the pigeons
feathers.
Since we are speaking about lofts construction, I
must advise for the interest in legalizing such
constructions at the City Council, as is vulgar, the
neighbours presenting several complaints to the
Federation. This approval as it is evident, does not give
you the right to have the pigeons in complete freedom,
eating the borecoles in your neighbours yard, or
dirtying the clothes of another one, or free the pigeons
in a Sunday when other fanciers are waiting for their
fliers returning from a race. Nor inhibits the landlord
or another one injured to ask for its demolition or
request money for damages caused for lacks of hygiene or,
for its bad behaviour. That is very important!
What to use as a roof?
I do not hesitate to cover it with roofing tiles or
asbestos-cement plates but never with aluminium plates.
Why? Because when it rains with certain abundance at
night, the noise provoked by the water falling over these
kind of materials, disturbs the quietness of the pigeons.
However, any of these materials does not complete the
roof of the loft and is advisable to have a
double roof from the inside made of pressed
card or wood. Applying this second roof the lofts
environment will be more pleasant and the pigeons are
more defended from the low temperatures. Furthermore this
environment is useful for adequate ventilation without
airflow. If we open small holes in the roof of about
25m/m where the wavy channels of the asbestos-cement
plates are placed we obtains almost perfect ventilation.
Knowing that hot air goes up, the used air
will run away trough the holes in the roof we will have
perfect ventilation without great expenses and
engineerings.
As you remember, we are theoretically constructing a
loft of 2.5 mts size by 1.8 of large for thirty pigeons.
And at this moment, we have it already on four brick
pillars with 1.9 mts of height. Furthermore the benefit
of an elevated floor is that unexpected visits from
vermin and snakes would be restricted. The sidewalls, the
rear and the roof are fixed and its only missing
the frontage and the nests.
The
front depends on the system that you intend to fly. If
the system is the widowhood
you do not need to choose; an ample window will
facilitate the pigeons to fly direct to its nests. If you
fly
natural any trapping system is acceptable. I find
that the American trap system suits my needs best.
Nevertheless, we have to be careful with this trapping
system. Some fanciers in the anxiety to clock the pigeon
in as fast as possible, sometimes he injured the pigeons
and we know the privileged memory of our athletes,
resulting future refusals to enter.
The exit the birds should use for loft training should be
on the floor so that the birds can walk from the loft -
An exit that allows the bird to fly from the loft can
easily result in flight damage or even injuries. Of
course, you must not forget for a door for yourself, but
please avoid to use it as an exit for the pigeons
otherwise you'll see birds flying wildly over your head
as soon as the door is opened.
Inside the loft you should construct perches - any
perch type is acceptable - as long as there is enough
perches for all the birds. Perches are normally attached
to the rear wall of the loft. Perches must however not be
to close together since the birds would certainly fight
if they can reach each other. If you do fly natural
(mixed sexes) you can construct nest boxes on the front
wall at the top of the loft. Since the birds have to fly
to these boxes, I would advise that the entrances are
large in order to avoid flight damage.
The necessary furniture?
If you fly
natural and you used to feed the pigeons in the
nests, you can simple use a wooden chesses as perches,
use glass drinkers or a similar container since there
would be no build up of chemicals.
It must guarantee a cool and clean drink.
Avoid plastic containers. A zinc tray for food with
measures according to the quantity of pigeons you possess
and you can say that is all.
For those who prefer the landing board
instead of window, do not forget that when it is covered
with an iron plate the burning hot Sun on it, gives
temperatures that the pigeons cannot support. I lived
this experience and remembered to say: " What a hell
has the pigeons today, that they do not enter? It seems
that they are crazy? ". They could not support the
heat of the landing board.
Design
it with a swinging door hinged at the top that can be
closed to keep birds and cats out. Ideal to break in
youngsters and let birds land under control.
Height is important at 1200 mm from the ground.
Do remember that once you have entered
the loft you are a visitor in your pigeons' home. Respect
them and they will certainly return some favours.
END
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