Pigeon enclosure: types of houses and how to make a dovecote with your own hands

The construction and type of poultry house (aviary, dovecote) for pigeons depends on the breed of birds. Domestic pigeons are sports (postal), flying, decorative and meat breeds. Each pigeon variety needs its own type of room. Flying birds are equipped with a dovecote on a hill. For meat breeds that cannot fly, they build a poultry house on the ground.

Basic building requirements

When arranging a dovecote, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

• pigeon house must have walls, a roof that does not let in moisture;
• the room should be spacious, dry and light;
• for pigeons you need to arrange perches on a hill from the floor;
• nests for females should preferably be installed in darkened areas of the house;
• fresh air should regularly penetrate inside the dovecote;
• there should be no drafts in the room;
• a large house or a small cage should always be kept clean;
• in the dovecote, the optimum air temperature should be maintained all year round (from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius);
• it is undesirable to keep birds under an iron roof that heats up in the heat (overheating is possible);
• it is not recommended to equip heated dovecotes (in pampered pigeons immunity decreases);
• In front of the birdhouse for flying birds, a frame is made of wooden planks that do not heat up in the heat so that the birds can land comfortably.

Types of poultry houses

For each breed of pigeons, its own type of dovecote has been developed. The area of the poultry house depends on the number and size of birds, but should not be less than one square meter.

Hinged dovecote

Such a poultry house looks like a wooden box, which is attached to the outer wall of the building (shed, outbuilding). On the front of the dovecote there should be a window for entry and a wooden platform for landing birds. An aviary built from a metal frame and fine mesh can be attached to the wall.

The hinged poultry house is built from simple materials (boards, metal mesh) 0.5x1 meter in size. Inside such a dovecote it is cold in winter. The poultry house is designed for 1-2 pairs of birds.

Tower

This is a tower-shaped poultry house, which is located on a high (3-4 meters) iron pole. Such a dovecote is built by pigeon breeders who have about 4 pairs of flying pigeons. Each family makes a separate window for entry. Near the windows, wooden platforms are arranged for landing pigeons. The size of the dovecote is calculated depending on the number of birds. One pair needs an area of 0.5-1 square meters. meter.

Usually they make a turret 1-1.5 meters high and 1.5-2 meters in diameter, which is divided into two floors. Pigeons are always fed outside the house on a platform specially attached to the wall. You can make a pole dovecote in the form of a rectangle on four pillars (high pipes) for 10-15 pairs of birds.

This pigeon house has a number of advantages: the cheapness of building materials, the poultry house takes up little space, it can be located on any territory. The tower dovecote is designed for flying birds of hardy breeds. In winter, it is very cold inside such a room. The disadvantages should also include some inconvenience for a person (it is difficult to keep clean in the house, each time you have to climb the stairs to the height of food and water).

In the attic

Flying breeds of pigeons love to rest on the roof. It is for this reason that it is better to equip a dovecote in the attic of a building, for example, a barn, a stable, an outbuilding. The poultry house should have windows for the entry of birds with platforms for landing and a small door for entry. A person should be able to enter the dovecote and clean it up. The floor in the house is best made from boards that fit snugly together.

A too large attic can be divided into several compartments measuring 2x3 or 3x4 meters. In one section you need to keep young pigeons, in the other - old ones.

Aviaries

For decorative pigeons and meat breeds, you can build a house right on the ground. The size of a pigeon house is usually 2x3 or 3x4 meters. The height of the dovecote is 2-3 meters. The booth is installed on a concrete or wooden base. Boards, so as not to rot, are placed on bricks or decks. The poultry house may have several windows for the entry of pigeons and a small door for the entry of a person.

The area near the booth is fenced with a net to make a walking area. A canopy can be installed in the aviary. The poultry house, located on the ground, is suitable for non-flying meat breeds.Flying pigeons are reluctant to land on low buildings, especially if there are tall buildings or trees nearby.

Some pigeon breeders build a dovecote in the form of a tall rectangular aviary. Such a building has the appearance of a frame, sheathed with chain-link mesh on all sides. Inside the aviary in the upper part there are bird cages.

Tools and materials

For the construction of a dovecote you will need (optional):

• floor boards, drywall for roof finishing;
• chain-link mesh for aviary;
• steel pipe for tower, diameter 15-30cm;
• profile metal pipes for the frame;
• bricks, foam blocks or edged boards for walls;
• slate, roof tiles;
• cement mortar;
• expanded polystyrene for wall insulation;
• small plastic windows and doors;
• wood beam;
• boards for making shelves inside the dovecote;
• wood planks for perch;
• nails, self-tapping screws, hammer, screwdriver, hacksaw, tape measure, perforator.

How to make a dovecote with your own hands

You can build a poultry house yourself from improvised materials. For flying pigeons, they make a dovecote on a hill or equip an attic under it. For meat breeds, a room is being built on the ground.

Choosing a seat

The dovecote for flying pigeons is built on a hill. It is advisable to choose an open area not shaded by trees and tall buildings. If there are skyscrapers near the poultry house, then the pigeons will learn to land and rest on them. The dovecote is recommended to be located at a height of 2-3 meters from the ground.Windows for the departure and entry of birds should be facing southeast, as pigeons wake up with the first rays of the sun.

Meat Breeding House can be built on the territory intended for outbuildings. The main thing is that there are no electrical wires, cesspools, roads, crowded places of animals or people nearby. Pigeons are shy, loud noise can stress the birds.

Calculation of sizes

When building a pigeon house, the following size recommendations are followed:

• dovecote area depends on the number of birds (one pair needs 0.5-1 sq. meter);
• poultry height - 1-3 meters;
• window size for departure - at least 25x18 cm;
• with a large number of livestock, several branches are made (for old, young birds, young animals);
• for a person to enter the room and separate sections install doors 1.3 meters high;
• average area of one branch is 2x3 or 3x4 meters.

Stages of construction

The main stages of the construction of the dovecote:

1. The construction of the strip foundation, the manufacture of the frame.
2. Building walls or sheathing the sides of a frame structure with wood.
3. Construction of the roof (gable, single slope), waterproofing the top with roofing materials.
4. Production of the floor.
5. Wall insulation.
6. Installation of windows and doors, ventilation.
7. Construction of an aviary from a frame and a metal mesh.

Interior design

You need to make perches inside the house. They are made from planks 2-4 cm wide. Perches for flying birds are equipped with a ladder near the ceiling. For meat breeds, platforms are built at a height of 30 cm from the floor. You can attach wide wooden shelves to the wall, divided into sections, on which the birds will spend the night.

Be sure to build nests in the poultry house. They are made from boxes or wicker baskets. Nests are placed on wide boards, shelves or hung from a wall, near which there are no perches. The boxes are arranged in such a way that the stool from the upper nests does not stain the lower ones.

The floor, especially in winter, it is desirable to cover with straw. The litter should be removed as it gets dirty. Feeders and drinkers are installed on a walking area or on a platform near the entrance to the dovecote.

Operating Rules

It is desirable to make the dovecote as spacious as possible. Pigeons often fight with each other for perches and nests. There should be several entrance windows in the poultry house so that there are no fights between the birds. It is better to arrange perches in the form of a wooden rack, divided every 30-50 cm by a partition.

Regularly, the dovecote needs to be put in order. Straw can be laid on the floor so that the excrement of pigeons does not stain the boards. Dirty bedding is cleaned 2-3 times a week. Once a month, it is recommended to disinfect the premises, that is, treat the floor and walls with disinfectants.

Feeders, drinkers are cleaned as they get dirty. In an aviary located on the ground, you can install a bath for bathing pigeons, pour some sand nearby. Birds, especially in summer, love to rest on warm ground, bask in the sun, swim in the water.

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