Pigeons...

Tap, tap, tap... is this thing on?

Okay, so, as I mentioned about a couple of weeks ago, I decided to build a pigeon loft, and post photos of the progress. Also as I mentioned, I had a butt load of pigeons when I was a kid, and over the years have thought many times that I would like to have some again. Maybe not a butt load this time, but maybe a dozen or two.

So, beginning two weeks ago today I purchased a small shed and laid plans for building a loft.

This is the shed kit that I purchased from Lowe's for $270. It is 10' x 8'.



Once I had determined the shed I wanted I sat about the task of designing the modifications I would want to make in order to make it a proper pigeon loft. I used the above advertising photo and AutoCAD to do the relatively simple design work.

Modifications included:
1. Take the left end wall and use it to divide the shed in half.
2. Use metal wall studs and chicken wire to screen in the left half of the shed to create a flyway.
3. Replace the left sliding door with a chicken wire screened door.
All of the above gave separate entry in to either the shed or the flyway.
4. Modify the kits left hand solid door and install it as a swinging door in the partition wall for access internally between the shed and flyway.

The following is the drawing of the mods using AutoCAD.



Construction started Thursday evening, two weeks ago today, with leveling and squaring the foundation. Notice that the shed kit does not include a floor. A floor frame is available that you can deck with a material of your own choosing, but I chose not to. Instead a laid a layer of chicken wire to keep varmints from digging in, and laid 8x16x4" thick blocks to set the shed frame on. As this is a low shed this gave me an extra 4" of head room inside.



Day two was spent assembling all of the framing pieces. If I have one complaint about the shed it is that every piece of framing comes in two pieces so that framing, wall panels, and all fits in a single 5'-6" long shipping box, and has to be bolted together. That effort in itself took half a day just to get all the framing ready to go up.

Unfortunately the dimensions given in the brochure were vague and after bolting together all the framing pieces I had to resize the foundation which set me back several hours as I figured out the actual dimensions, relocated, resquared, and releveled the blocks. And then it was on with anchoring the base frame to the concrete blocks. Squaring and leveling of the foundation and base frame is an absolute must as there are no less than about 500 screws with predrilled holes, and pop rivets (for the mods) in this thing.

Day three began with framing in and raising the walls. Here you can see the anchored base frame, and metal studs (pop riveted) I used to frame the flyway.





By the end of day three the kit walls were up. Where the back wall ends in the photo is where I would be modifying the left end wall to use as a partition between the shed and flyway.



Day four, finished framing out the flyway, assembled the rafters, and started up with the roof.




Day five, roof is complete, shed door is assembled and hung, flyway is screened in (tied up with plastic tie-wraps), and I had started the partition wall.




Day six build and hang the flyway door. Took me and both of my sons a full day, and two trips to Lowe's to build that dang door from scratch, and hang it. Wrapping it in chicken wire took all six hands to do it. Keeping in mind that I'm old but... I'm slow too.




View with both doors partially open.



Day seven partition wall, and door opening is framed in and sheeted.

Shed side:



To be continued...

 

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