Framing Bird House/ Pigeon Coop

My step-dad came over and helped me frame up the dividing walls between the bird area and the storage space.

Then I cut in the holes for the vents and the window. I can't decide whether to make the cut out piece into a door or a panel, to set in the holes during really cold weather ( 10's and 20's.) If I go with a panel I will still have to figure out a secure way to hold it in.

The West side will be for starlings and sparrows, the east side will be for culled pigeons from local pigeon breeders. I anticipate having up to 20 pigeons at a time max in a 4'x4'x7' enclosure. We'll see how many starlings and English sparrows we catch. This is a picture of the starling side.

Starling side exterior. I still need to cut out the pigeon side but waited because I ran out of 1/2" hardware cloth.

The next day my step-dad came back to help me get the floors and dividers framed. The floor will be rabbit wire elevated 18" above the floor, so that I can clean up and the birds will stay clean.

 Wall covered and door added.

 This is the clever handle/ lock he came up with.

I'll need to add a little door to each side and a coat of paint to seal the wood, then it'll be time to wire it up.

Next day I added perches in both sides.

 Then we gave them a coating of primer. Next will be some nest boxes on the pigeon side, then access doors, and finally wire and floor coatings.

 

 Starling nesting cans. We'll see if they will use these like the nesting box. The idea is they go in the can to hide, I slide a piece of sheet metal keeping them in the can. Easier than using a net (I hope.)

 

Access door and flap, which uses small magnets to keep closed. Pine shavings to keep clean and smelling good.