We have been building around here lately, livestock buildings that is. After last September's Great Barn Demolition we then had a Barn Raising but we have been slow in getting our livestock operation back up and running.
My husband has been keeping pigeons for over 10 years now. We have homing pigeons that he uses in bird dog training (his side business). As his business is growing, so is the need for a renewable resource, hence the pigeons. Our current pigeon coop is a fraction of the size of what we needed to allow for a healthy breeding and reproduction of these homing pigeons, so we decided to build a pigeon mansion for the birds. We upgraded them from a 4x4 building that was overcrowded and falling apart to an 8x10 building that will also have room to raise quail.
I have to admire my husband's skills, ones he has kept from me for so many years, as he is not a carpenter or farmer, he is actually a nurse by trade. What he did is, in my mind, pretty magnificent, considering he really didn't have any plans. What is really cool too is that these projects are completely financed by the really neat old distressed barn wood we sold from the demolition of our old barn.
We decided on a spot that we will construct 3 of these livestock buildings. The buildings are all going to be 8 x 10 buildings with one housing the flying foul (pigeons and eventually quail), one housing the chickens (repopulating our flock next month), and one for our daughter's rabbit business, or if that doesn't fair well, possibly as an outdoor canning kitchen for me! (though hoping the bunny biz goes well- as I sit here typing we are expecting kits any moment!)
Hubby and I priced out the lumber and he drafted a rough sketch with a supply list, off we went. First the floor, then sides and a roof that our 10 year old helped nail down.
My husband has been keeping pigeons for over 10 years now. We have homing pigeons that he uses in bird dog training (his side business). As his business is growing, so is the need for a renewable resource, hence the pigeons. Our current pigeon coop is a fraction of the size of what we needed to allow for a healthy breeding and reproduction of these homing pigeons, so we decided to build a pigeon mansion for the birds. We upgraded them from a 4x4 building that was overcrowded and falling apart to an 8x10 building that will also have room to raise quail.
I have to admire my husband's skills, ones he has kept from me for so many years, as he is not a carpenter or farmer, he is actually a nurse by trade. What he did is, in my mind, pretty magnificent, considering he really didn't have any plans. What is really cool too is that these projects are completely financed by the really neat old distressed barn wood we sold from the demolition of our old barn.
We decided on a spot that we will construct 3 of these livestock buildings. The buildings are all going to be 8 x 10 buildings with one housing the flying foul (pigeons and eventually quail), one housing the chickens (repopulating our flock next month), and one for our daughter's rabbit business, or if that doesn't fair well, possibly as an outdoor canning kitchen for me! (though hoping the bunny biz goes well- as I sit here typing we are expecting kits any moment!)
Hubby and I priced out the lumber and he drafted a rough sketch with a supply list, off we went. First the floor, then sides and a roof that our 10 year old helped nail down.
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When we stopped for a lunch break I snapped this one from the backdoor, you can see the old pigeon coop in the foreground, quite an upgrade, right?
next the finishing touches, the roosts and moving day!
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The pigeons seem pretty happy. It will take these young birds time to "rehome" their internal GPS to the new coop (even though it is only about 10 foot from the old one). Once they do my husband is able to take them and release them miles away and they will fly home. This enables him to train the upland game bird dogs he trains using a blank pistol but not harming the renewable resource in the process. Should one get lost, or accidentally find that it is not fast enough for a hunting dog, the re-population rate should be high enough to cover the loss. These will also allow for sale to the public if our breeding birds produce in abundance.
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The pigeons have a small "sunroom" which will help them as they are "rehoming" to their new location.
If you keep pigeons, or are fascinated by this idea, check out my many pigeon and livestock boards on pinterest,
If you keep pigeons, or are fascinated by this idea, check out my many pigeon and livestock boards on pinterest,
