Hey everyone
Just getting started with pigeons - picked up 12 birds from a local fancier last month.
Quick question: how often should I be cleaning the loft? I’ve been doing it daily but wondering if that’s overkill. Read somewhere that some guys barely clean at all??
Don’t want to stress the birds out but also don’t want disease problems.
Thanks in advance!
Ryan - Texas
No such thing as too clean IMO, but daily might be a bit much depending on your setup.
I scrape perches every couple days, full clean once a week. Deep clean with disinfectant monthly during season, more often during breeding.
What’s your ventilation like? Good airflow matters more than cleaning frequency honestly. Wet loft = sick birds, doesn’t matter how often you clean.
Agree with above.
One thing though - don’t go crazy with the disinfectants. Some guys bleach everything constantly and wonder why their birds have no immunity. A bit of “good bacteria” isn’t a bad thing.
What kind of floor you running? Deep litter, grates, or bare?
The whole “natural immunity” thing gets thrown around a lot but I’m not convinced. My birds are healthy AND I keep the loft spotless.
Just saying, correlation isn’t causation. Maybe those “natural” lofts do well despite the dirt, not because of it.