This is the first breeding loft that I built. My wife and
I designed it while we were on our way back from Massachusetts
in 1998. We had been to visit Frank McLaughlin, Jr. and the
style of his coops helped us come up with this idea. The part
on the north right behind where I am standing, began as a chicken
coop. Our girls raised chickens for a few years when they were
younger. We were no longer using it, but the structure was
good. I built the south section of the coop, then remodeled
the north section adding a storage room on the front which
gave me the ability to have double doors into the coop to protect
my pigeons from accidentally getting out of the coop.
The center
aviary is made from expanded metal. It is very sturdy and
durable. It is open to the elements along the bottom on
the east and west, but the snow and rain do not enter in
far enough
to get
any
of
the coop areas wet. The roof and top of the aviary are
protected with corrugated siding. The birds can't get into
the roof area,
but they do get the benefit
of
having
all
of
that
air
space
in the loft.
This design has proved to be very good for my
breeders. They are healthy and have great feather coverage
all year long. When it is not breeding season, I am able to
seperate the cocks and hens into the two seperate sides of
the loft.
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