Mick Hoskins / 26 Jan 2011 12:37

The loft is two sections, the door and windows facing is the Kit room, it's
a very small setup designed to reduce space between myself and the birds, I
got this advice from Davey Warrener as a practical way to keep the birds
tame.
The landing frame outlined is what I have set up originally with the
intention of having a flight setup similar to Danny's or Nino's but I'm
considering another way suggested by Rupert and seen in action at Hai's loft
that works fantastically without youngbird losses.
The breeding section is also very small, it's jigged to be either twelve
breeding boxes using an outside flight for pairing under observation and
then use an egg day count chart to keep track of each pair, or I can have
six large pedigree boxes.
I can have between six, nine and twelve breeding box configurations
depending on the breeding pattern or the stage I am up to in that breeding
method that I intend to use.
The options are, twelve pairings - twelve boxes, three pedigree boxes with
six pumper boxes or six pedigree boxes, again depending on the stage I'm at
and as birds are eliminated from the breeding program.
Ideally the target is to have six pairs of the absolute best with the option
of each pair being pumpers for each other, depending again on the promise
their progeny show.
The small box on the outside is the feed trough, it wqs designed so the
birds come to me, not me go to the birds, will send in some shots of it,
it's designed so I can take a holiday at anytime.
The most important feature is that my daughter who does the holiday feeding
has no need to enter the loft and be at risk of pigeon dust disease, the 45
degree desk is for recording flight details, I have always had a pulpit
setup like this using an A4 diary.
Underneath the lid is a storage area for the holiday seed which will be left
in measured amounts in screw top containers, dated and which only have to be
poured in the trough and walk away.
I have a great watering system that uses a bycycle valve as the water inlet
float control valve.
The reason for a small loft is I have a very small backyard and it's like
flying out of a hole but that's not a worry, we'll still get there.
Even the loft height off the ground hasbeen taken into consideration, three
inches max, it's a safe height in case of falls on old bones, design has
been well considered as I get older and can't lift my legs any higher, this
I learnt from Karim's design. LOL.
I will send a few shots of the nestbox design.
Yes Michael, a lot of thought has gone into it but then again I'm looking to
the future, where I'm hoping to become a practicing geriatric, with due
respect to all confirmed geriatrics and have the least labour intensive loft
I can.

Submitted by Mick Hoskins on 1/26/2011 12:55:37 PM