Loft Building 101 {Pigeon 4H}

A Home School Project

with Grandpa Cliff

 

Power tools replace pencils in the hands of our middle schoolers.

It's not an Eagle Project, it's a pigeon project ~ an extension of the 4H Pigeon program in which Joseph and Peter participate with Grandpa Cliff.  It all began with a few pigeons given to Peter on his "anything that breeds" birthday in 2010.  From there, the interest and enthusiasm spread to the point that we will soon have a racing pigeon loft in our back yard. 

the frame goes up

 It's not an official break from (home) school, but due to the enormity of this construction project, there is very little actual desk work being accomplished during pigeon loft work weeks.  The exception is Joseph's math homework, since he's enrolled in an algebra class taught close to home on Monday and Wednesday mornings.  Speaking of math, before the pigeon loft project took off, Grandpa Cliff taught Joseph and Peter how to use the plans and measurements to determine the projected materials list.  He has included them in every step of the project, his patience is heroic. 

Yesterday after a full day's work with hammers, drills and power saws, Grandpa Cliff left the boys with a gallon of paint plus supplies and instructions for painting the interior and the untreated exterior.   Peter stayed outside painting until it was dark, but Joseph called in quits in time to make swimming practice. 

Physical education is involved, particularly climbing and balancing acts. 

Once it's complete, the loft will have sectioned off areas for the fancy birds, the racing birds and the
sick birds.   Pairs of pigeons will have their nest boxes, and in non-breeding seasons the males and females can be separated.  Expect great things from these pampered birds, their new home is fit for kings and queens.

planning, measuring, assembling 

Joseph paints the inside of the loft, before construction of the nest boxes.

Painter Peter

Anything That Breeds {Peter's Birthday Wish List}

 Grandpa Cliff assembles nest boxes for pigeons in the chicken coop.

 A birthday bird for Peter, thanks to Grandpa Cliff and Grandma Billie

Peter's wish list for his 10th birthday basically recycled most of the items on his Christmas wish list (almost all of which breathe and eat, ranging from llamas to goats to pigs and sheep).  Essentially, the list could be summed up as follows: "Anything that breeds!"  And the reason?  "To drive Zac crazy!"  At the top of his list was rabbits, because he'd learned how quickly they reproduce. 

Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff granted Peter's "breeding" wish with 2 pairs of pigeons.  Cliff raised pigeons in his youth, and has all the know-how and skills to make their new home here perfect.  When Zachary learned of Peter's new pets, he let out a groan of displeasure... which must have been the icing on the cake for the birthday boy.

Peter's chicken coop is now (temporarily) a chicken and pigeon coop, and although a few of the chickens think they should be allowed into the pigeon quarters, Cliff has a plan to keep the pigeons safe from the mean chicken beaks.  Someday soon, Peter will have pigeons born here, which can be set free to fly and return to their home.  Those brought in for his birthday, however, if set free, would fly to the place of their birth... so they'll be permanent residents of the coop.

Fall Colors

beautiful smiles

dreams for the future

brotherhood lives