If you seriously decide to engage in breeding pigeons, then you will certainly need a dovecote. You can attract craftsmen to build this room, or you can build it yourself. But a number of requirements are put forward for the dovecote that must be taken into account during construction. Consider what requirements a room for breeding and keeping pigeons must meet and how to build it yourself.
Do-it-yourself dovecote
Dovecote requirements
To understand which house for pigeons will be the best, you should remember where this bird lives in nature. Pigeons are looking for places under the rocks, but the bird will not build nests in those places where the sun's rays do not penetrate. Accordingly, the dovecote should be fairly light, like a cave.
Before starting the construction of the dovecote, you should draw a diagram of the premises. It should be equipped with a bird hole, nests in which they can hatch eggs, prisads, and windows. All elements must be displayed on the diagram. When creating the scheme, you need to observe the ratio between all elements of the dovecote and the equipment with which it will be equipped. On the diagram, it will not be superfluous to display the location of the feeders and drinkers. Thus, it will be possible to correct all errors at the design stage of the structure, which will simplify the construction process.
Types of structures
Depending on the availability of free space and the breed of pigeons, you can build structures of the following types:
- mounted;
- tower;
- attic;
- typical.
Consider the features of each type of design.
Mounted Dovecote
The hinged structure is the simplest. It will take no more than a few hours to build it, but such a structure can only be installed on a private house, and there is no reason to talk about compliance with sanitary standards. It is a hinged structure, the most common box that is attached to the wall of the house. This box has a hole through which birds can go outside and return to the house.
The main disadvantage of this design is the insecurity of birds from bad weather. Since the structure should be lightweight, it is usually made from nets that are nailed to a wooden frame. Accordingly, the birds will have nowhere to hide from the wind, rain, or snow. Such a dovecote takes place if there is a main stationary room.
Tower structure
This type of construction has many advantages. The dovecote tower is built in the form of a quadrangle, hexagon, octagon or sphere. Typically, the structure has 2 floors. The first is reserved for the storage of feed and equipment used for cleaning the premises. The nests are located on the second floor. The shape of the design allows you to freely approach each nest. The bird enters the nest from the outside of the dovecote. Accordingly, opposite each nest there is a hole.
The only drawback of this design is its cost. You will have to spend a lot of money on the construction, but as a result you can get a dovecote that will decorate the garden.
Attic dovecote
There is practically no need to spend money on the construction of this type of structure, but this option is possible only if you have your own house. The dovecote is being built right in the attic. Of building materials, you only need mesh or plywood, with which you can separate the desired part of the attic.
Typical design
In each city, the authorities have developed standard structures for keeping pigeons. They do not contain anything superfluous. The room has squats, one window and a door. The floors are made of wood. All dimensions of the structure are indicated in the standard design.
You can build a dovecote on an individual project. We will consider this option in more detail. An individual project allows you to build a house for pigeons, based on your own preferences, and not the norms prescribed by the authorities.
Construction dimensions
To determine the size of the dovecote, you need to know how many birds will be contained in it, but this is not the only and, perhaps, not a decisive factor. Many have to build on the availability of free space. If there is enough free space to fulfill any fantasies, then the problem is solved. If space is limited, then it is worth considering the design in all the details. If desired, a good dovecote will turn out on the balcony.
According to existing norms, one pair of pigeons needs a cubic meter of space for a comfortable existence. A few pigeon breeders maintain this rate. To provide such space for each pair, it will be necessary to build a large enough room even for a small flock of birds. It is important that the number of perches corresponds to the number of pigeons and the distance between them corresponds to the size of the birds. In this case, the volume of the room should not be significantly less than the norm.
It is worth taking into account the height of the person who will care for the birds. Pigeons need to be fed daily and the water in the drinkers changed. Accordingly, someone will have to do it. In addition, so that the pigeons do not hurt, they must be kept clean, systematic disinsection is carried out. The size of the room and its design must be such that cleaning does not cause problems. There should not be a single corner in the dovecote that you do not have access to.
Important nuances
Many in the presence of free space initially do not think about what sizes of the premises for keeping pigeons will be the most optimal, and build excessively large pigeons. But when building a dovecote, you need to understand that there will be situations when the bird will have to be caught. If the ceilings in the dovecote are too high, you will have to chase the birds with a ladder or stool, which is very inconvenient. If the ceiling is lower than the growth of the owner, then you will have to bend over the dovecot, bending over, and this is extremely inconvenient.
Experienced pigeon breeders note that the optimal height of the pigeon house should be 15-20 cm higher than the growth of the pigeon breeder.
The requirements for the width of the dovecote are no less stringent: in order to comfortably catch birds, the maximum width of the dovecote should not exceed the span of the pigeon’s hands by 50-60 cm in each direction. As for the minimum size, the width should not be less than 60 cm, otherwise the bird will not be able to move comfortably in the air.
DOVE WITH OWN HANDS a simple option
How to make a dovecote (pigeon nursery) with your own hands, part 1
Construction of a new dovecote and some flights
Seat selection
Before you make a dovecote, you need to decide on its location. There are no special requirements for the location of the bird house, but some points should be taken into account.
They build a house for birds in an open area so that the birds can freely leave the house and return back. There should be no buildings nearby, the height of which exceeds the height of the barn itself, nor trees, which also hinder the pigeons during the summer. Also, there should be no power lines, telephone and other cables near the bird house.
Do not forget that pigeons are unstable to various kinds of diseases, so do not place the dovecote near the cesspool or utility yard.
It is important to try to arrange the house for the pigeons in such a way that there is as much light in the room as possible, and the wind bypasses it.
It is undesirable to have a residential building nearby, especially an apartment building, whose inhabitants can intentionally or accidentally harm birds, because not everyone can like this neighborhood.
Preparation for construction
There is no need to acquire special equipment in order to build and equip a dovecote. In addition to the standard set, which includes a hammer, drill, hacksaw, grinder, wrenches, screwdrivers and a jigsaw, nothing is needed. The drill and grinder can be replaced with a hammer drill with the appropriate attachments. A screwdriver will help to simplify some of the work, but you can do without it. The same goes for the jigsaw. It will not be superfluous to have a centimeter or a long ruler on hand. They will be needed in the manufacture of nests and additives.
As for the materials, it all depends on the financial capabilities. The pigeons in the pigeon made of natural material will feel most comfortable. It can be wood or brick. Pigeons are also built from metal, but such structures look less aesthetically pleasing than wooden or brick. The floor of the dovecote, regardless of what material it is made of, is desirable to be made of wood. The device of the dovecote suggests the presence of a roof, so in addition you need to prepare a roofing material or slate. Preference should be given to slate, since it has a longer operational period. You should also prepare thermal insulation material.
It is important, among other things, to prepare a timber from which the frame will be made, mesh and wood for the manufacture of additives, glass for windows. A dovecote project is applied to all prepared tools and building materials.
Building a house for pigeons
The construction of a dovecote for pigeons begins with a work plan. In order to rationally distribute the time, you need to look at the drawings, imagine in your head the design structure in detail. The work procedure is similar to the work procedure for the construction of any relatively light structure. First of all, the foundation is installed, then the frame, walls and roof are erected. Work is being completed after the construction of equipment that the dovecote should be equipped with.
Let's consider each stage of construction separately.
Foundation
Since the house for pigeons is not a heavy construction, it is not practical to lay a powerful foundation. To build the most stable building, it is better to fill the strip foundation. First, on the selected site, the location of the poultry house is outlined. If there is a shrub or trees on the site, they need to be uprooted. Since the strip foundation involves the pouring of concrete over the entire site under construction, there is no point in removing the topsoil over the entire site, it is enough to dig trenches that will pass along the perimeter of the building and in the center. The depth and width of the trenches should be 40 and 30 cm, respectively.
The trenches are filled with gravel of small and medium fractions or with pre-ground brick. To strengthen the structure, along with gravel, pieces of reinforcement or metal rods are laid in a trench. Pour gravel and reinforcement with concrete solution, give time to dry.
Before the foundation is set, it is necessary to install a bar or corner made of metal on which the frame will be mounted. You can install a metal corner later, but at this stage it is easier to do, and the mount will be more powerful.
It is advisable to establish support corners located at the corners of the dovecote and along the walls until the foundation completely solidifies, but it is impractical to erect the entire frame. Only the supporting elements of the structure are important.
Frame
Further, in order to build a good dovecote, you have to be patient. The functionally comfortable pigeon house consists of 2 floors. The ground floor contains feed, cleaning and disinfection tools, and detergents. A ladder is made between the first and second floors.
When creating a frame, you need to take into account where the windows, the hole for the birds and the doors will be located. First, the frame can be assembled on the ground and all possible connections made, then the frame is lifted to a vertical position, installed on the foundation and attached to the support pillars. This is perhaps the most time consuming stage of construction.
All fasteners must be secure. If you decide to build your dovecote out of wood, then all the boards are pre-treated with antiseptic and moisture repellents. After processing, allow the boards to dry.
Walling
Before upholstering the structure with wooden boards, you need to prepare them. In accordance with the arrangement of the dovecote, the location of windows and doors, manholes for birds, are marked on the boards. They also measure the required length and make notes on the boards. Then, using a hacksaw, according to the marking, cuts are made. It remains to mount the prepared structural elements.
You can not pre-make cuts on the boards, but cut out windows, doors and manholes after mounting boards to the frame. This option is good because with such a sequence of work it is impossible to make a mistake and cut the door or window in the wrong place, but you will have to operate the equipment “on weight”, which is not very convenient.
It remains to beat the frame from the inside. To create comfortable conditions for the pigeons in the dovecote, heat-insulating material is placed between the outer and inner upholstery. As thermal insulation, you can use mineral wool or sawdust. You can look at specialized stores and more modern materials for insulation, but their price policy will be much higher than the price of mineral wool. When using mineral wool, you will additionally have to install waterproofing, which can be used as a plastic wrap.
Roof erection
There are several roof construction options. If we are building a dovecote in the private sector and want it to become not only a home for birds, but also a decoration of the site, we can make a gable or multi-level roof. A pitched roof looks much simpler, but it is not as difficult and costly to build as a gable roof.
Regardless of which version of the roof structure you chose, the first step is to install the Mauerlat. This element is a wooden beam, which is the connecting element between the roof and walls. Mauerlat must be well fixed at the ends of the walls, on which it is being installed. This structural element redistributes the weight of the roof so that the pressure on all walls is the same. The more powerful the structure, the larger the wooden beam is taken. It is better to connect the Mauerlat elements with each other using the cutting method.
After the installation of the Mauerlat, the rafter system is mounted. Its design depends on the number of ramps. If the roof is single-pitched, the rafter system consists of several beams located at a slight angle. Accordingly, on one of the walls it is necessary to fix the support beams. Their height depends on the angle of inclination of the roof. If the roof is gable, then the rafter system is more complex. Two wooden beams, located at the same angle, are connected at the top with a cover plate. The lower part of the beams rests on the Mauerlat. The mortise connection method, it is the most reliable. Since the size of the dovecote is small, you will need a little rafters (2-3).
When installing a gable roof, you still need to install the ridge.
Roof covering
After the construction of the rafters, they begin to cover the roof. There are many roofing materials on the market. On which one to choose, you decide. Regardless of the material chosen, a waterproofing material should be placed between the rafters and the roofing material.So that there is a gap between the roof and the waterproofing, small wooden slats (with a cross section of no more than 5 cm) are stuffed onto the rafters over the waterproofing material. Then they make a crate, on which the roof is laid.
How exactly to make the crate can only be said after the roofing material has been selected. It can be continuous or consist of boards and bars. The step of fastening the bars also depends on the selected roofing material.
It remains to lay the roofing material itself. Slate is best for a dovecote. This is a relatively inexpensive roof that has a long operating period. At this, the installation of the roof is over. If desired, you can insulate the roof from the inside.
Arrangement of the aviary
Some poultry breeders equip the dovecote with an aviary. It is a small balcony attached to one of the walls of the dovecote. The frame of this balcony consists of wooden bars, which are covered with a net.
It makes sense to make such a balcony if there is not enough space inside the house. In other cases, spending time and effort on arranging such an enclosure is inappropriate. In addition, it will make the structure somewhat heavier.
Dovecote floors
The last thing left to do is cover the floors. As a rule, floors are made of wood, but before laying it must be treated with special agents that make the material moisture resistant. It is advisable to lay the boards at a slight incline. With this design, moisture will not accumulate in the same places. There should be no gaps between the boards, otherwise there is a risk of injury to the pigeons.
To simplify the cleaning process and increase the operating period of the floor, it can be covered with linoleum. To fix the house you need is not a whole piece. The fancier must have access to the floor. General cleaning and disinfection of the dovecote involves cleaning not only the floor covering, but also the wooden board with which the floor is covered. If linoleum is covered with narrow stripes, it is much easier to remove it and remove it from the dovecote.
Equipment for pigeon
A dovecote is a bird house where they spend most of their time, so all equipment for a dovecote must be carefully selected.
Installation of communications
Before making cages and feeders for pigeon, you need to conduct all communications. First of all, electric wires are mounted. The dovecote should have an artificial light source. If the house is not equipped with an electric heater, then it will not be amiss to make at least one outlet just in case. Maybe in harsh winter you will have to connect equipment for heating.
You also need to make sure that the dovecote can be aired. Ventilation should be well thought out. When arranging the ventilation openings, it is ensured that subsequently drafts do not form in the house, which adversely affect the state of health of the birds. Alternatively, you can make an automated ventilation system, but certain knowledge is needed to equip it, so at this stage you will have to turn to an electrician for help, who, if not, will tell you how to properly organize the device of an automated ventilation system. If ventilation is not organized properly, the pigeons will constantly get sick. Even disinfection will not save you from epidemics in such a poultry house.
Installation of nests and letki
If communications are finished, then proceed to the installation of additives. Each bird inside the house should have its own place. Accordingly, the number of perches or perches inside the dovecote should correspond to the number of birds. Since the number of birds is variable, it is advisable to add a little more additives. You can arrange perches by the cellular method. To do this, mount a wooden structure, which in its shape resembles a honeycomb. You can simply nail strips or shelves to the wall. The perches should be on a wall without windows. There must be at least one window on the opposite wall.
Nests can be made independently. Maybe they will not be as beautiful as those offered in specialized stores, the main thing is to be functional. The size of the nests depends on the size of the bird. Pigeons of different breeds grow to different sizes.
It is noteworthy that not only doves, but also pigeons sit on the eggs, so the size of the nests should correspond to the size of the males.
Installation of feeders
Each dovecote should be equipped with a feeder. Pigeon feeders have a specific shape. They are a miniature analogue of the trough, but if the trough has no sections, then the pigeon feeder is divided into small compartments, each of which can be filled with different feed. This feeder can also be used as a drinker, but the water compartments must be covered with a waterproof material.
So that the birds do not enter the feeder with legs, they make a crate for it. The bars in the lathing are placed only vertically. The distance between them should be such that the head of an adult bird passes between them. If you build the feeder correctly, then it should be equipped with legs 4-5 cm high. If necessary, replace the old feeder with a new one. If the feeder is inconvenient, it will be extremely difficult to accustom the birds to it.
On this, the arrangement of the dovecote can be considered complete. Making a good dovecote with your own hands is not easy. This, in addition to time, will require considerable material costs. As an option, you can buy an old poultry house, but you need to look at what condition the old dovecote is in and how much its design complies with the standards. Sometimes the restoration of an old dovecote is not cheaper than building a new one.
If you plan to keep a large number of birds, it is advisable to build several houses. If this is not possible, then it is advisable to equip the entrance for the dovecote (at least 2).
Conclusion
It is quite possible to build a dovecote with your own hands. To do this, you do not need to have the skills of a builder or carpenter, it is enough to have a desire to build a house for feathered friends. But before you build a dovecote, you definitely need to make a project. Not everyone can do it on their own, so at this stage it is advisable to seek help from a specialist. After the construction is completed, you should start arranging the bird house. In order for the birds to feel comfortable in the new dovecote, it must be properly equipped.