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#Post#: 11135--------------------------------------------------
A Clean Loft
DIR By: oldfart
Date: June 5, 2012, 5:15 am
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A Clean Loft
Across the United States, ordinances are passing that control
the keeping of pigeons. Some cities require
a yearly license, levy fines and deny individuals from keeping
pigeons for small infractions. A
strict code including health inspections with requirements for
cleanliness, housing design and feed
storage, even limitations on the allowable number of birds any
individual may keep or fly are commonplace.
Fanciers fortunate enough to live in the country are relatively
safe but still might fall
within the domain of counties with restrictions. Can we as
individuals prevent such legislation? I do
not know, but we might be able to curtail the severity of such
restrictions. A clean smell free loft
would go a long way toward avoiding unwanted attention and
provide a healthier environment for
our birds and us as keepers. Pigeon Fanciers Lung caused by
pigeon droppings and pigeon bloom is a
constant threat that forces many to give up their birds. Avoid
bloom by wearing a quality mask is my
advice but most fanciers, especially the very young and the old
farts like me simply will not. I try for
a short while, but then regress back into my old familiar ways.
I believe breathing their own dust or
bloom is also bad for our birds and simple cleaning techniques
can minimize this risk. The old guard
will argue that, squeaky-clean will compromise immunities but
this can be overcome if a communal
water vessel is used.
Among the many considerations in the design of a modern day loft
ease of cleaning and proper ventilation
should be primary. Floor dressings, perch styles and the number
of birds housed all contribute
to the difficulty faced when we clean. I do not intend to
explain how to scrape pigeon poop! Besides,
it is when, not how. Simply, the more you scrape the better off
you are and not allowing the task to
become insurmountable is the point. Tools can be expensive but
once obtained will last indefinitely if
properly maintained.
The inclusion of a canister style vacuum will remove the bloom
through suction and keep the dust
from becoming airborne. I use a forty-gallon shop vacuum that
has a foam filter, which protects the
motor, and an insert-able drywall bag that traps any dust. Ask
ten fanciers what they use for a floor
dressing and you will get as many answers. Through trial and
error, I have settled on sterilized play
sand as the most practical. When sand is cleaned regularly, it
traps moister, does not hold odors, or
blow around, sand is cheap and is easily obtained from any major
home improvement center. Cleaning
is a simple process of passing the dirty sand through a large
kitchen sieve and redistributing the
cleaned sand evenly across the floor. Whichever floor dressing
you chose a regular cleaning would
curtail nightly visits from disease carrying vermin who raid
nests and sicken our birds.
Perch styles are many and varied from elaborate to simple. Some
are hard to clean and expensive to
make or purchase. The simplistic two by four perch is quick to
construct and easy to clean. The design
allows eight to ten perches from a single eight foot two by
four. Cut five to seven inches long it
has forty-five degree downward angles on each end and cleaning
requires only a few swipes with a
four-inch putty knife. I mount a walls worth on a plywood board
that fits the area and bird requirements.
Only knurly die-hard pigeon people think of poop smears as
badges of dedication. While the
majority of our visitor’s think of pigeons as flying rats, nasty
and odorous! I would not want to eat
from my loft floor but my grandchildren happily search for
feathers and my daughter only complains
on Easter. Each of us must decide how to manage his or her loft
but I urge everyone to consider, clean.
Take Care my Friends
Thom
#Post#: 11136--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Clean Loft
DIR By: windjammer loft
Date: June 5, 2012, 8:53 am
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I for one think that "Big Brother" is infringing way to much in
OUR personal lives. For God's sake, I am a grown man, (64 yr)
I don't need some intellectual idiot, some snot noise kid, wet
behind the ears or a group of "bleeding hearts" to be telling
ME what is "GOOD" or "NOT" good for me, or what I "should" or
"should not" be doing in my life...... I have made it this far
in life "ALL" by my own "thinking".. and guidance from GOD....
Enough is Enough........ I am glad that I am "AMERICAN" and
still have the "RIGHT" to make my own decisions still..... God
Bless ...AMERICA..
Oh yes, by the way, I do clean my loft once a week and throw my
dirty clothes in the laundry basket without being told
to...haha
#Post#: 11137--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Clean Loft
DIR By: slvrollers
Date: June 5, 2012, 1:05 pm
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God Bless I live were their are no rules against keeping
pigeons. I would not be very happy about some city our county
official sticking their nose in were it does not belong. I agree
with keeping your loft clean for your birds and your health. I
clean my loft every morning while birds are flying our in fly
pen. Takes about 20 minutes a day. Poop goes to the garbage
every day in a sealed bag. I do use a mask every time i go in
the lofts even if i am not cleaning. I am lucky I work at home
so its not a big deal to get out their for a couple of hours
every morning to fly, clean and then feed. If you ask me the
commercial farms and are way worst then any pigeon lofts i have
been to. Most fanciers take pride in their lofts. I have a
neighbor who has a dog as big as a bear and all i smell when i
go to my loft is dog crap. Wish he cleaned like i do. We need to
get pigeon lovers in our local and county offices and get some
of the smelly people out of office who come up with these kind
of rules and regulations.
#Post#: 11138--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Clean Loft
DIR By: nephilim
Date: June 5, 2012, 5:40 pm
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Hey all. You would think with all that goes on in each and every
place of officaldom, they would be to busy to take a look inside
the pigeon lofts coops and sheds all over the country! But
someone somewhere has had a pigeon poop on their clean washing,
and decided to take it out on everyone. A few years ago a racing
friend of mine was having trouble with the folks round his place
so much so, they reported him to enviromental health!!! An
official came out to inspect his loft/coop, and after they had
put on the white all in one suit and the white boots, they
entered his loft! We all sat around in the garden enjoying a
cold beer and waited for the outcome. After 10 mins the
inspector came out and asked my friend to follow him away from
the group. He reappeared few seconds later with a Bull*hit
certificate and said in a loud voice my loft is all clear. In
fact what the inspector had told him, was that his loft was
cleaner then those who had complained and was cleaner than 95%
of the places he visited during his working day. I clean my
birds out daily, scrub the floor once a week and clean the food
trough and drinkers every other day. It's hard enough keeping
the vermin out and other problems like raptors and the odd cat.
But the biggest problem is keeping those living around you
happy. I doubt anything will come of it, as already stated who
can tell who how to live their lives. It makes me feel all warm
inside to know you have the same problems as we do over here.
keep them spinning and F*w I say.
#Post#: 11141--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Clean Loft
DIR By: chesley l warren
Date: June 5, 2012, 11:12 pm
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I also agree. Clean lofts. Clean water jugs.Clean feed. Clean
every thing. I do all the above, still had a juvinile get
canker, bet u cant spell like me!! I bought meds to cure the
bird, and cured it. Tweeks after that he started tree sittin,
caught me wrong one morning and then another joined him about
8'' apart, I seperated them further with some bird spacers. its
called culling. Now i got a spray bottle, mix half bleach and
half water, spray water jugs inside and out, rinse and refill
with water and vinegare scrub outside jugs too. I hate messy
water feeders etc.I like the sand floors altho i dont have
it,but i did build a box to hold some sand about 2'x3' with 2''
sides. put play sand in that , feed them on that and cover the
top with 1/4 '' plywood as soon as they finish eating. That can
be cleaned also. Did ya ever buy meds to cure a bird and loose
him to lead posion, not to mention the cost of meds,feed,time,
and the dadblame bird? I cleaned up but I think I'll have a
little more patience next time. These birds were not good
breeds, I wouldn"t do that to my rubys! Oh well some humer!
Every one have a good day,enjoy the moment. chesley
#Post#: 11142--------------------------------------------------
Re: A Clean Loft
DIR By: oldfart
Date: June 7, 2012, 5:13 am
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Thanks to everyone who responded and to those who just read.
Take care my friends
Thom
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