If you decide to breed pigeons, it is very important that the right living conditions are created for them. In order not to spend big money, you can make dovecotes with your own hands.
Choosing a seat
It is important not only what the future dovecote will be, but also where it will be located. Pigeons, like other living creatures, need a lot of free space. In addition, it is important that enough light enters the birds, which means that there should be windows in the building. It is also worth taking care that there are no drafts. For pigeons to develop properly, it is very important that the air is fresh and clean, and that a certain humidity is observed.
The dovecote device is best implemented in the attic, since this is the place that meets almost all requirements. In addition, the birds will have easy and quick access to the roof. If you do not have the opportunity to occupy the attic, then you can choose another place for the dovecote. The main thing is to remember that the room should be located no lower than 25 cm from the ground. The dovecote can be built in several floors with roofs of various shapes.
Which materials to choose?
DIY dovecote, the drawings of which you candevelop it yourself, depending on your desire, it will turn out no worse than the one sold in stores. In order for the room to meet all the requirements, it is very important to choose the right material.
- Tree. If you decide to choose this particular material, you will have to additionally process the walls inside. You can simply plaster them or sheathe them with plywood, but only in this case it is necessary to cover all the seams.
- Brick. In this case, as in the previous version, you will need to process the walls and ceiling from the inside.
- Metal. In the case of using a metal frame, the dovecote will need to be additionally sheathed inside with boards, and outside with plywood.
Useful information
When arranging a dovecote with your own hands, it is important to take into account the insulated version for the winter period. To do this, it is best to immediately build a room with double walls, between which it is necessary to place a heater. In addition, you should pay attention to the roof, if it is made of iron, then it should be sheathed with heat-insulating material. In this case, you can avoid overheating and hypothermia of the dovecote. An iron roof can be covered with 2 or 3 layers of roofing material, and if it is made of wood, then roofing material, slate or iron can be used to cover it.
The shape of the roof doesn't really matter, but it's best if the slope is done in proportion to 1:10 depending on the width of the loft.
If you are going to breeda large number of birds, it is worth considering that they are not crowded. In this case, there are certain norms: a pair of medium-sized pigeons should account for at least 0.5 m3, and for a large size up to 1 m3. It should also be borne in mind that no more than 15 pairs of birds should be in one dovecote, and it is recommended that they be of a similar breed.
Interior decoration
In order for the pigeons to develop and feel much better, it is recommended to build a room with several internal compartments. Thanks to this, you will be able to separate young and adult birds, and there should also be sections for females and males in the dovecote. In addition, it is additionally worth equipping a department for storing feed and other materials that are necessary for caring for birds and keeping the house in order.
If, when building a dovecote with your own hands, you did not manage to make many departments, then the minimum number is 2. In this case, you will first need to separate the young and old birds, and in winter, separate the females from the males.
Floor and shelves
When making a dovecote with your own hands, special attention must be paid to the arrangement of shelves and floors. When making a floor, the boards must be knocked down so that they fit very tightly to each other. Thanks to this, you will eliminate clogging and excess air ingress. The presence of an aviary depends directly on the breed of pigeons, for example, it is not needed for sports birds.
If you are going to breed breeding pigeons, then inside you must definitely dospecial shelves, which will be about 80 cm long and up to 35 cm wide. They will have perches and nests. When arranging the shelves, keep in mind that it should be convenient for pigeons to breed. In addition, you can make boxes of the same size that you need to stack on top of each other.
Important conditions
To finally figure out how to make a dovecote, you need to take into account several important aspects:
- The location of windows is of great importance for maintaining the he alth of birds. If they are placed on the front side, then it is best to choose the southeast or south side. Thanks to this, the pigeons will receive the necessary amount of light.
- Electrical wiring is very important in the dovecote. In this case, you can independently control the length of daylight hours.
- It is best to install double doors indoors. At the same time, the outer door should be made of wood, and the inner door should be made of a metal lattice.
- To completely eliminate the possibility of dampness, it is recommended to install not only natural, but also artificial ventilation. The air inlet must be closed with a special grill and be at a maximum height of 15 cm from the floor. The exhaust outlet should be placed under the ceiling at the maximum height.
