Pigeon Accessories

There are a few necessary items, one of the mostimportant being the water-fountain or trough. A regularsupply of clean water is essential; pigeons can go quite a longtime without food, but not without water.

The water-fountain consists of a round plastic or galvanisedbowl over which a cone with vertical bars is placed; the birdsare able to drink from the bowl between the bars, but the coneshape prevents the water becoming contaminated. Thetrough, as its name implies, is open along the top; andarrangements should be made so that birds cannot sit on thesides of it.

Whether you use a drinking-fountain or a trough dependson the design of your loft. If you have decided on wire nettingfor the loft front or have covered over the dowels, it will not bepossible to use one trough for internal and external drinking,although an arrangement can be made for inside the loft,putting the drinking-trough on a shelf surrounded by a framewith vertical wooden bars, so that birds drink between thesebars. I prefer to have one trough for both inside and outsideuse. On the outside it should be covered with a piece ofthick-gauge clear plastic material hinged to the loft, to giveaccess for filling, allow light through for the birds to see thewater and protect against marauding felines.

Another essential item is a grit-hopper - a regular supplyof fresh grit being very important to pigeons. There are severalon the market, but a handyman can soon make one for himselfvery cheaply. The same ease of construction applies to thefeeding-trough or hopper. Some fanciers feed direct on to theloft floor, but however clean you keep this there is alwaysdanger of the corn being contaminated by excreta. I have always used a food-hopper based on the design of the drink-ing-fountain but oblong in shape, about 60cm (2ft) long byabout 15cm (6in) wide with a tray approximately 9cm (31/2in)deep, and with openings above through which the birds canreach the corn. The depth of the tray stops the birds fromspilling corn over the floor.
Nest-bowls are another requisite. They are usually about20cm (8in) in diameter and 9cm (31/2 in) deep. Those availableon the market are usually earthenware, and these are the mostpopular with fanciers. In recent years, however, a muchcheaper type has become available, made of compressedpaper-pulp and disposable after use. When nest-bowls areplaced in nest-boxes, it is advisable to half fill the bowl withcoarse clean sawdust to cushion the eggs. Lastly, at breedingtime some short cuts of straw or tobacco stalk can be placed ina convenient place in the loft. The birds will enjoy carryingthese to their nest.

This, then, is the outline of the requirements of your loft.Remember, as was said earlier, that the loft should bedesigned to the needs of the birds but also for your comfortand pleasure, making work within the loft as simple aspossible. A well-built pigeon loft, properly maintained, canlast many years.