Nest Box...

What are some important points/things a nestbox must possess? I know ventilation is one, but I want to make sure that the box I'm making right now has everything my pigeon needs.

And also - relatively stupid question - should a nest box be used only for nesting?

Cheers

an inside measurement of 16'' deep, 24'' wide and 12'' high is a good size for nest boxes. you will need to make a front that is removable or hinged so you can open it up for cleaning. i'll see if i can find a pic for you.

have nest boxes on one wall and perches on the wall across from the nest boxes. the cock birds will claim the their boxes while the hens sit on the perches until they pair up. very basic explanation

i lock my pairs in the box till they are sitting on eggs then open the front so they can come and go, once they are close to laying a second round i lock them up again that way you know who mom and dad are. after breeding season i seperate the hens and cocks and put the hens in a different loft, the cock birds stay in the breeding loft and they use the nest box all winter.

there is a fella in alberta that sells pigeon supplies, i have bought nest bowels from him in the past https://www.northstardoves.com/collections/rings/products/wood-breeding-box

also the crpu sells pigeon supplies http://www.crpu.ca/

here is a pick of a single nest box


i made my nest front with wire instead of dowel, i take a pic of mine later for you

Thanks, Morb! That helps a lot!

FlyAwayHome wrote:

Thanks, Morb! That helps a lot!

Fly Away fancy, fancy is good but at your stage etc & I presume you may only have a small type budget there so not really necessary to a degree, may I suggest for your little champs of scrubber types there    .  You could maybe find some 20 litre type containers, tin/plastic as such, that you may have for your horses that could have had molasses in them or the like. My first boxes here were large biscuit tins & they were quite the fashion being cheap, cheap for all the kids on the block at the time.
*****

All they need is a little straw on the floor or as Knackered says, biscuit tin.

FlyAwayHome wrote:

What are some important points/things a nestbox must possess? I know ventilation is one, but I want to make sure that the box I'm making right now has everything my pigeon needs.

And also - relatively stupid question - should a nest box be used only for nesting?

Cheers

Never think for one moment etc Fly Away a question/query may be of a stupid nature here . By asking as such one gains knowledge on average & knowledge is a gift more people should try to achieve I would suggest even if fortunately one is young of nature     like yourself as such.
*****

Knackered wrote:

FlyAwayHome wrote:

Thanks, Morb! That helps a lot!

Fly Away fancy, fancy is good but at your stage etc & I presume you may only have a small type budget there so not really necessary to a degree, may I suggest for your little champs of scrubber types there    .
*****

Aye! Fancy is best! That's my ultimate goal; same with my horses. And you're also right about my budget; nearly all the stuff I'm gonna need I'll have to build myself. I guess that's a good thing though, as long as I can learn all about what I have to do somewhere.

Quote :

You could maybe find some 20 litre type containers, tin/plastic as such, that you may have for your horses that could have had molasses in them or the like.

You're brilliant, you know We have an uncountable amount of 20 litre pails everywhere, used for, as you said, feeding and watering cows and horses.

Quote :

My first boxes here were large biscuit tins & they were quite the fashion being cheap, cheap for all the kids on the block at the time.

Lol, You only need an imagination to do anything, really! Thanks for the suggestions and also for your second post!

halcanada wrote:

All they need is a little straw on the floor or as Knackered says, biscuit tin.

Relieving to know that it doesn't have to be as fancy as some of the lofts you see on the internet. Thanks!

FlyAwayHome wrote:

halcanada wrote:

All they need is a little straw on the floor or as Knackered says, biscuit tin.

Relieving to know that it doesn't have to be as fancy as some of the lofts you see on the internet. Thanks!

If you want fancy, fancy Fly Away just copy Hals lofts etc Dream world type of scenario I suggest & mine are even better     would you believe . Now the horsey bit Fly away, maybe for your little future champs there. Salt licks & molasses, kill 2 birds with one stone & mum & dad may not even twig who you are actually feeding there .  

don't need to be fancy but should be better than just throwing straw on the floor. they like their privacy and are less likely to leave their eggs if they are in a box  don't even need fronts on the box if you don't want but it does help them defend their box from another pair that want to take it over. something cheap for nest bowls and your set, i get dog food dishes from the dollar store for nest bowls.
i know they are just barn pigeons but if keeping pigeons turns out something that you enjoy later on why do it right, now?

Stock loft has 16 boxes. Front half closed with a wire grill. 12 pairs. 5 pairs prefer the floor. Shavings or straw. Nest bowls are plastic dog bowls or fruit basketts or in one two bricks to corner off a portion. Or two pieces of two x by fours. Otherflying lofts, soon to be demolished, many more boxes than pairs. Yet some still prefer the floor. Do not fly widowhood so does not matter to me wherever they nest.They are happy, I am happy.

morb wrote:

don't need to be fancy but should be better than just throwing straw on the floor. they like their privacy and are less likely to leave their eggs if they are in a box  don't even need fronts on the box if you don't want but it does help them defend their box from another pair that want to take it over. something cheap for nest bowls and your set, i get dog food dishes from the dollar store for nest bowls.
i know they are just barn pigeons but if keeping pigeons turns out something that you enjoy later on why do it right, now?

Do it right what type of budget do you think Fly Away may/would have Morb after looking after her 3 horses there etc . Fancy, fancy may appear the way to go but just how much pocket money does a 12 year old have as such, to do things the right way as you suggest .

wow never thought advice would cause such a problem. let me say it a different way, do the best you can with what you have, put some effort into it.
when my son was eight he wanted to raise rabbits, i helped him out and he worked it off. we used reclaimed lumber but had to buy wire so cost was low, he did the best he could with what he had plus he made a few bucks selling rabbits.
i build everything i can and use lots of reclaimed materials to save money, just gotta look around. my breeding loft cost me less than $200 15 years ago, i got a 10 x 12 foot garden shed for 50$, perches cost nothing cause i knocked pellets that are free apart on used the 1x4 for the perches, my first nest boxes where made from old cupboards that i tore apart, bought wire for the front, made a door out of left over plywood, bought paint at a stupid low price, etc

that's it for my advice. peace

morb wrote:

wow never thought advice would cause such a problem. let me say it a different way, do the best you can with what you have, put some effort into it.
when my son was eight he wanted to raise rabbits, i helped him out and he worked it off. we used reclaimed lumber but had to buy wire so cost was low, he did the best he could with what he had plus he made a few bucks selling rabbits.
i build everything i can and use lots of reclaimed materials to save money, just gotta look around. my breeding loft cost me less than $200 15 years ago, i got a 10 x 12 foot garden shed for 50$, perches cost nothing cause i knocked pellets that are free apart on used the 1x4 for the perches, my first nest boxes where made from old cupboards that i tore apart, bought wire for the front, made a door out of left over plywood, bought paint at a stupid low price, etc

that's it for my advice. peace

Peace to you also Morb from one of the power generation types etc    . Hopefully Fly Away here now will find/get  some good ideas from your thoughts above etc    .
*****

There is an old saying, A dog is for life'

If you cannot reasonably guarantee that the feral pigeons will be looked after on a permanent basis they would be better left alone, because if later left they will have lost their present means of existing.

As for nest boxes etc.

In the days pigeons were bred for food they were kept in brick buildings and they bred in apertures made by removing two internal bricks.

When I was young some 75 years ago we youngsters made everything from orange and apple boxes and anything else we could lay our hands on and I never heard a pigeron complain.

Lattely fanciers have adopted the clinical methods, mainly to impress their friends with all the clinicasl conditions have arrisen many health problems and some lofts smell like chemist shops.

We have hundreds of ferals that breed on anyhing that can hold a nest, bridges, roofs and any other place.

Two of the best pigeons I ever bred were nest mates bred in the deep litter.

There is no hard and fast rule regarding how to keep any animal other than to ensure they receive a better life than if they wre left alone.

Regards,.

MISTY wrote:

There is an old saying, A dog is for life'

If you cannot reasonably guarantee that the feral pigeons will be looked after on a permanent basis they would be better left alone, because if later left they will have lost their present means of existing.

As for nest boxes etc.

In the days pigeons were bred for food they were kept in brick buildings and they bred in apertures made by removing two internal bricks.

When I was young some 75 years ago we youngsters made everything from orange and apple boxes and anything else we could lay our hands on and I never heard a pigeron complain.

Lattely fanciers have adopted the clinical methods, mainly to impress their friends with all the clinicasl conditions  have arrisen many health problems and some lofts smell like chemist shops.

We have hundreds of ferals that breed on anyhing that can hold a nest, bridges, roofs and any other place.

Two of the best pigeons I ever bred were nest mates bred in the deep litter.

There is no hard and fast rule regarding how to keep any animal other than to ensure they receive a better life than if they wre left alone.

Regards,.

Your thoughts Misty remind me of when the PM virus hit down here etc. "The experts"     told us the world was going to end type of thing if we didn't vaccinate all our birds & the same with the Rota virus issue. Strangely some how the old feral types here are still going strong, some how. Suggest, lacking in computer skills & not big on the reading bit maybe I suggest by the expert types      to fully understand the predicament they are all in, in there daily life as such .

Pallets must hav been a bitch to use. Usually they are hardwood.

not really, the free ones are soft wood. my young bird loft is 100% stripped down pellets and scavaged 2x4's, even the nails are reused from the pellets. it was a lot of work but free is free

morb wrote:

not really, the free ones are soft wood. my young bird loft is 100% stripped down pellets and scavaged 2x4's, even the nails are reused from the pellets. it was a lot of work but free is free

I agree Morb 100 differant types if one is prepared to go scrounging as such I suggest. Tomorrow is my pick up day would you believe in getting pellets here & 90% of it all will go into my fire for winter. & peace to all .

i figure if your gonna keep any animal you owe it that animal to give the best you can, if you can't or won't be bothered to go the distance then don't bother. my stuff may not be as pretty as bought stuff but is usually better made and the critters are happy and healthy. when i got into falconry which is what got me into pigeons i made all my own falconry stuff cause money was tight, i learned leather work to make hoods for the hawks even tack for the horses. turned out leathercraft is kinda my thing, i can knock out some pretty good stuff. being poor has it's advantages lol
i don't use pellets that much anymore but i still grab a few here and there

morb wrote:

i figure if your gonna keep any animal you owe it that animal to give the best you can, if you can't or won't be bothered to go the distance then don't bother. my stuff may not be as pretty as bought stuff but is usually better made and the critters are happy and healthy. when i got into falconry which is what got me into pigeons i made all my own falconry stuff cause money was tight, i learned leather work to make hoods for the hawks even tack for the horses. turned out leathercraft is kinda my thing, i can knock out some pretty good stuff. being poor has it's advantages lol
i don't use pellets that much anymore but i still grab a few here and there

Always handy being handy with the hands Morb I suggest, has it's advantages as you say etc especially when poor . Also have a large area under my house here, 1/2 concrete the other half made of all pellet type wood. Bearers/joists & the floor as such. Been down for at least 30 odd years now & still as good as the day I put it all down. Know absolutely nothing about pigeons I'm but I'm a bit of a connoisseur type when it comes to pallets as such.

FlyAwayHome wrote:

I want to make sure that the box I'm making right now has everything my pigeon needs.

Cheers

how did you make out with your nest box?

I am thinking of making some custom boxes for my stock for next year as I don't really like floating eggs...thinking of a 4 ft x 2 ft x 2ft with 2 small shelfs either end for bowls and no fronts just open a nice easy construction

morb wrote:

FlyAwayHome wrote:

I want to make sure that the box I'm making right now has everything my pigeon needs.

Cheers

how did you make out with your nest box?

I think it'll do nicely, but I haven't had the chance to try it out yet.