Pigeons don't need ostentatious abodes, after all they have been living quite happily for centuries in cliffs and on boring park statues. Pigeon houses can range from old-fashioned dovecotes, (those funny looking little houses high up on poles) to multi-storey lofts, with a myriad of variations in between. Pigeon houses can be called coops, pens or lofts, depending on what kind of pigeons you decide to raise. Most pigeons would be quite happy in a cote, however for all purposes of good husbandry, these are not practical so we won't bother delving any deeper into those. So, what's the difference between the others, I hear you ask? A pen is used to house utility pigeons (the big meaty ones) like Carneaux, Kings or Runts. Fancy pigeons are kept in coops and racing and flying pigeons belong in a loft. Simple, huh? I personally call them all 'lofts', but whatever YOU decide to call it, the cage you build for your pigeons must fulfil a number of pigeon requirements.

Pigeons know what they need to be happy... well they ARE pigeons, so when you plan the loft they are to live in, be sympathetic to their needs. Racing pigeons will need a loft without a wire flying area, after all, the main purpose of a racing pigeon is to be out racing and when not doing that, inside breeding and raising baby racing pigeons. Similarly, flight pigeons such as Tipplers, Rollers and Flying Tumblers will need the same kind of house, as they will be spending a lot of time outside flying free too. Both racing and flying pigeon lofts need landing boards and bob-wire traps to get the birds back inside. These are hinged wires which open inwards when the birds push against them, but don't allow the birds to push their way out again. Fancy pigeons like Fantails, Pouters and the like will need a wired flight area where they can sun themselves as they will not usually be allowed outside the loft. Their loft will also need lots of walking areas, where they can strut and show off. The perches will be quite low to the floor as these types of birds aren't expected to fly all that much (some show pigeons are actually ruined for exhibition if they fly). And finally, meat breeds will need lots of open floor spaces with low-set perches and nesting areas.

Your pigeons will also spend a lot of time making and raising babies, so they will need nest boxes to do it in. And seeing as how male pigeons are one of nature's biggest show-offs, they will need more boxes than you might think. Once a male pigeon claims a nest box and settles his wife in, he will most likely head off to raid and steal the boxes of others. A good idea is to make the boxes in pairs, with a running board that extends right in front of both compartments and a barrier between each pair of boxes. Kind of like little bird-sized apartments! That way, if he heads off to steal another box, one of his rivals will quickly step in to steal HIS box and possibly his wife as well! Male pigeons catch on pretty fast though and it doesn't take long for peace to reign. This show-off trait will probably also mean that you will need more than one loft so the single males don't cause trouble for the paired birds. Next, let's think about the size of the loft. Generally speaking, each breeding pair should have about four square feet (a little over one square metre) of floor space. So a loft for 5 breeding pairs will be about 20 square feet.

Once the needs of the birds have been considered, think of YOUR needs! If you are a hefty six-footer, there isn't much sense in building a five-foot high pigeon house. Pigeon keepers have to get into their lofts to feed and water the birds, band the youngsters and catch those race winning champions as they dive through the bob-wires. So it is most important that your own comfort is also considered. It is a good idea when building the loft, that nest boxes, perches and other items are not made permanent fixtures. You will most likely want to change things around inside the loft as your own particular husbandry style develops.

When planning the loft, careful consideration must be given to just where you are going to put it. Ideally, the front of the loft (the wired side) will face the sun, this being south in the northern hemisphere and in the southern hemisphere, north. This allows plenty of winter sun to get into the loft, yet keeps the hot summer sun out. Another consideration is the direction of the prevailing winds, after all you don't want the chilly winter gales blowing straight into the loft freezing your birds off the perches. If the ground in your area is prone to damp, you might well consider building the loft above the ground on legs to avoid the floor staying too wet and cold. If you decide to build in this way, make sure the loft has at least a foot of space underneath, otherwise you will probably have neighbourhood mice (or worse, rats) taking up residence underneath.

Finally, the materials you use to build the loft can be almost anything. Many city rubbish tips have second-hand recycled timber, metal and wire which can be purchased quite cheaply. No matter what you build with, remember to protect the structure from the elements with good quality paint, particularly any exposed timber. Of course, choosing a water based acrylic type paint, free of lead and other nasties, goes without saying. Try to ensure that there are no crevices or hollows where insect pests like mites can hide. The loft must also be sound enough to withstand attacks from vermin, such as cats, rats, weasels and the like. The most common point of entry for these critters, is through the wire or where the wire and framework meet. Use wire of sufficiently heavy gauge to prevent these unwanted visitors making off with your valuable birds. If you are not confident enough to build your own loft, you can always buy a pre-fabricated structure... in fact, those galvanised metal garden sheds can be adapted quite easily and cheaply into a wonderful pigeon loft.