This is the flying loft at Breakaway Loft. It began as one small pigoen loft that we brought down to West Point from Smithfield. This was the original pigeon loft that Craig and his two brothers built as boys. Even back then, they were always remodeling the loft to make it better. The original loft is the part on the far right end of the coop. This section is where we house the old bird hens and the breeder hens when we are not breeding. If you look at the pickets on the top you can see the three divisions in the loft.

Over the years, Craig has added many things to this loft to make it better for the pigeons. The aviary on the far right is an example of this. The pigeons like to spend time out in the aviary sitting in the sun. They get lots of fresh air while they are out there, which is good for their health. He added the aviaries under the platform so he could water the pigeons from the outside of the loft instead of hauling water containers in and out of the loft. This also keeps the floors of the loft dry. Another added benefit is that with the design of the watering area, the water stays cleaner because the birds can't mess in the trays. The covered landing boards give the pigeons another location to sit in the sun. Craig shingled the platforms which protects them from the weather.

Eventually, Craig needed a breeding loft, so he built a loft that connected the other two lofts together and included a section for storage. This made it much nicer in the garage, because we didn't have to store all the pigeon feed and crated in there. It made it easier to care for the pigeons. Prior to this, Craig had stored some feed in a garbage can in the loft where he could have easy access to it. This took up valuable space that the pigeons needed. Adding a storage area was a wonderful addition. As time has passed and Craig has build the breeding lofts, he no longer uses this center section of the loft in the same way. He now allows the young birds to use the entire west side of the loft during the young bird season. During the old bird season, he can have all of the cocks on the west side of the loft and all of the hens on the east side of the loft. This gives them plenty of space and keeps the birds healthy.

Last year, Craig added the cement in the front of the coop underneath the platforms. This has made it much easier to keep clean and it looks much nicer as well. He also added the lattice along the bottom of the loft. His next project will be the pickets on the top of the loft. He is tired of them always needing a paint job. He has been looking for some type of plastic fencing to replace the pickets with. Then he won't need to paint as often. He will probably give the loft another good coat of paint while he is replacing the pickets.