Oldfart
156 posts
Sep 21, 2007
2:23 PM
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Hey All, I know it's 90 degrees out, but it won't be that long until its cold. I live in southern Ohio and it gets cold here, sometimes below freezing for days, and sometimes even to zero. With the crazy weather lately, I was courious if most heat their lofts and kitbox's, or if not. I worry more about the kitbox then the loft because it is exposed to a steady wind that cuts to the bone on my hill. Even a mild day seems colder up here.
Thanks, Thom
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markspigeons
55 posts
Sep 21, 2007
2:50 PM
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lol beleive me you never happy with your loft or kitbox i changed mine round like the wind and never happy lol
i keep racing pigeons
rollers
modenas
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pat66
19 posts
Sep 21, 2007
2:56 PM
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All I do is cut plexiglass to cover the side wire to help cut out the draft,but leave the bottom open for ventilation!!!!PAT FROM PA.
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RUDY..ZUPPPPP
249 posts
Sep 21, 2007
3:49 PM
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ZUPPPPPPPPPPP Thom....
no heater or ac on my small loft or kitboxs........
My house is the only central air and heat......lol
RUDY SAY HI TO JIM S FOR ME
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tapp
317 posts
Sep 21, 2007
6:36 PM
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No heater here in southern Mi. It gets down right cold. It can get down to 0 or below for a week or so.You'll have to watch out for snow building up under your kit box and get deep enough for varmits to go up on and reach a pigeon through the wire. I think bluesman had a drift come up under his kit box during the night and a mink got some of his kit birds through the wire. Pigeons are tuff they stay under bridges all winter, wind and all and do fine. Last winter I was breeding from a few special pairs and it got down to 0 and I put an oil space heater in my loft for a couple days. If you have good pairs that set there young tight they will raise them when its 25deg. or above with no heat. You have to have a water sytem that keeps there water from freezing. or they will leave the nest. I use coffee mug warmers with a clay flower pot bottom turned upside down over the warmer and a 1/2 gal. plastic jug with a 1 1/2 in. hole 2 1/2 in up from bottom of the jug. and have no frozen water, no matter how cold it gets.PS, you need solid sides on the kit box in the winter no wire! Wire floors are fine.----------
Tapp
Last Edited by on Sep 21, 2007 6:38 PM
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Electric-man
590 posts
Sep 21, 2007
7:43 PM
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Last year, my early hatches were caught in some cold snaps! They do ok unless they are pinning out and just a little to big for the hen to cover them at nights, so I used hand warmers under them. I use hay or pine needles, so I would put the hand warmers about an inch under them and it kept the babies from freezing!
The kit birds and the rest of the loft birds do fine with no heat. Have a lot of nights here below freezing and not at all unusual to get in the teens and single digits! We have lots of wind here in Oklahoma also!
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Val
"Site Moderator"
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Donny James
47 posts
Sep 21, 2007
7:47 PM
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hay thom,
i use to live in portsmouth and i know what your talking about bill berry and berl adams and duck dadasky (spelling)told me to keep the draft off of them and the birds will be ok ..........donny james
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RUDY..ZUPPPPP
255 posts
Sep 21, 2007
7:50 PM
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How u been donny james
The Great.............HOF..
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Double D
355 posts
Sep 21, 2007
8:18 PM
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I don't heat my kit boxes but I do have a small heater in my breeding loft. It doesn't keep it super warm but just enough to take quite a bit of the edge off when it's really cold. I live in Idaho, (Northwest), where it gets pretty cold in the winter. I think the heater is just as much for me as for the birds so I can be out in the loft in the winter and be somewhat comfortable.
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Darin Olson
Checkerboard Lofts
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Santandercol
1389 posts
Sep 21, 2007
9:07 PM
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I read somewhere pigeons can live in -40.Long as it's dry in the loft,'course anything liquid at that temp would be solid ice.
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Kelly
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gotspin7
167 posts
Sep 22, 2007
5:02 AM
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There is no need for all that just keep them dry and clean and they will just fine!
Last Edited by on Sep 22, 2007 5:03 AM
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Double R
103 posts
Sep 22, 2007
5:18 AM
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Hey Thom,
In the winter I always make sure my birds have corn added to their diet. Corn helps produce body heat. I try to feed just before dark in the winter it seems to help them stay warmer when it's the coldest outside. Depending on the temp outside I may even feed twice a day morning and night.
Val, great idea with the hand warmers I would have never thought of that to help keep the young warm.
Robby
Last Edited by on Sep 22, 2007 5:24 AM
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Oldfart
158 posts
Sep 22, 2007
8:00 AM
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Hey All, Thanks for the responces, I was primarily concerned with the kitbox. Rest assured both the kitbox and the main loft are dry and ventilated. I have 1/2 inch hardware cloth anywhere the kitbox is not solid wood, even below the pull-out cleaning trays. Welded wire floors allow the spilled food and pigeon poo to fall below the living space. I use light bulbs, covered with flower pots to keep the temp. above freezing, but I like the coffie mug warmer idea better, I will try and find some!
Donny, I remember all the people you spoke of, I think I remember you also. We were in the Portsmouth Roller Club together, for awhile. I hope you are doing fine!!!
Thanks to all, this site is just great!!
Thom
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Electric-man
592 posts
Sep 22, 2007
11:35 AM
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Got a couple of old reptile heaters that I thought that I would try out when I start breeding in the late winter! If it works, I'll get a couple of more!
Don't mean to sound like mother hen, but you guys use GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interupters), especially on these home made water heaters! You can change out your recepts or buy the two ft extentions to go on your ext. cords! I know a couple of guys had some unplanned barbeques last year! Sure would suck!
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Val
"Site Moderator"
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Velo99
1304 posts
Sep 22, 2007
11:54 AM
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Val,
I hear you. I put a new one in my outlet last winter. I muse the clamp lamps with a 250 watt heat bulb. I just put the waterer where the lamp can keep it thawed.
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V99
Flippin`The Bird!
http://www.bluedotloft.50megs.com
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