{"id":2652,"date":"2022-11-30T12:01:49","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T12:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racingpigeonsport.com\/?p=2652"},"modified":"2022-12-22T12:22:22","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T12:22:22","slug":"loft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racingpigeonsport.com\/loft\/","title":{"rendered":"Pigeon loft design considerations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Below are a few things to keep in mind when planning, building or making changes to an existing pigeon loft. Applicable to pigeon lofts in general, not just in racing lofts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not having enough fresh air circulating the loft is a critical mistake often made by newer fanciers. You never want the loft to feel stuffy, stale or dusty. That said, pigeons don’t like drafts so the key is good ventilation with slow moving fresh air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As cool air is heavier than warm air, which rises, the loft ideally needs some sort of ventilation in the bottom to allow fresh air to enter as well as ventilation in the roof for the warmer, stale air and ammonia to escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The subject of whether to go with a mechanical or natural ventilation system is one that divides fanciers. Top pigeon fanciers seem to prefer natural ventilation where possible though may equip the loft with some mechanical ventilation to use as and when necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Loft louvers are an effective way of providing ventilation and allowing air to flow into and out of the loft. Additionally, you may also consider installing an extractor fan which can be switched on when the pigeons are out of the loft to help with stale air or dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key points on oxygen and air flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You never want the loft to be sweltering with heat, likewise it should never be freezing cold. The ideal temperature many fanciers swear by is around 20 degrees celsius or 65-70 degrees fahrenheit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps more important than achieving an exact optimum temperature though is ensuring the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much, i.e. it\u2019s not 5 degrees in the morning and 30 degrees by the afternoon. As long as the temperature is constant, whether cooler (as it is in winter) or slightly warmer, the pigeons can come into form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humidity takes oxygen out of the air and as such is another important factor to consider, especially in warmer more tropical climates. Ideally, humidity levels should be kept between 60% to 70%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A hygrometer is a useful tool to keep an eye on the humidity in the loft, additionally the droppings can also be an indicator. Nutty brown droppings generally tend to indicate a lower humidity while green watery droppings a higher humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overcrowding the pigeon loft can increase fighting, make the birds restless, limit the amount of oxygen intake each bird has access to and increase stress levels which can have negative health consequences in and of itself.It’s very important to plan how many birds you want to keep in each section and ensure that there are enough perches, boxes, feeding trays etc., for each bird. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With young birds, it’s better to have more than enough facilities as going without their own box\/perch can negatively impact the pigeons from a psychological standpoint.When it comes to air capacity, there\u2019s an old Belgian rule stating that it\u2019s best to allow 1 cubic meter of air per 2 birds, in other words, 18 cubic feet of air per bird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Never underestimate the importance of oxygen, and while we have already mentioned it above it\u2019s worth doing so again when considering young birds. A lack of oxygen can severely affect the development of a pigeon. It\u2019s quite common in young bird racing to think that if you start with 100 or so youngsters and lose half, the half that were lost must have been the less intelligent and weaker pigeons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And while we may be quick to blame genetics for this, in actual fact, it\u2019s quite possible that those lost pigeons simply did not have the chance to develop to their fullest potential due to a lack of oxygen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That being the case we have wasted both time and good blood because the loft had insufficient space, and therefore insufficient air capacity per bird to handle the number of pigeons being housed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your loft needs to be clearly visible from the sky with as few surrounding trees or little other coverage as possible.Try to avoid building your loft near electrical or telephone wires as these are common causes of broken legs and wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, you want to place the loft in an open space with a good view on all sides but also take into consideration weather conditions. Ensure you have a good amount of natural light to keep the loft warm and dry as much as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In winter you should be facing away from harsh cold winds.The placement of the loft in relation to how the birds return to the loft is also important. Obstacles that force the birds to circle numerous times to find a clear path, or surfaces that tempt them to land on can be a problem when every second counts in a race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With that in mind, the loft should be as far from other buildings as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Temperature and humidity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Capacity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Location and direction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Elevated off the ground<\/h3>\n\n\n\n