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Stage 1 - Picking the location

We had to find a suitable place where the pigeon loft could be situated, it was decided that at the back end of the school field would be the best place to house the pigeons due to the fact that it is easy accessible and has an open area facing south which is the direction the birds race from.

Stage 2 - Clearing the land

We had to clear the land, this was one of the hardest jobs to do as the land that we was using was very uneven and was full of stinging nettles that was over a meter high! This made things very difficult taking 3 to 4 days to complete.

Stage 3 - Laying down the foundations for the loft

We had to lay down over 40 blocks to form a base for the loft. It was not as easy as it looks as the ground sloped away from the field towards the church so we had to dig down and level the blocks off with a spirit level. This was completed by a local pigeon fancier and Mr Chambers ready for the arrival of the pigeon loft.

Stage 4 - The Loft Arrives

The pigeon loft then arrived on the shortly after we had laid the foundations. The loft cost £1300 with money sponsored by the Royal Pigeon Racing Association and also PigeonChat.com. It was a 16 x 8ft loft and as you can see it blended in really well with the surrounding area.

Stage 5- The first pigeon's arrive

The first pigeons arrived at the loft 3 days after the loft had been constructed the first birds in was 4 birds donated by Alan Bamford of Bamfords Top Flight Corn and shortly followed by 6 from Pickstock and Gilespie of Runcorn. Making a total of 10 pigeons to start off the Kingsmead team.

Stage 6- Paving Slabs and small avery

With the new pigeons in the loft and getting stronger every day we constructed a small avery that we attached to the landing board so that the Young Birds could look out at their new surroundings. We also laid down paving slabs for the pigeons to walk on. At this stage the project really did start to look the part as you can see.

Stage 7 - Fencing and the New Aviary

with the 2011 season finished it was time to start making plans for the 2012 season and we needed a new home for the young birds for the 2012 season so again we was sponsored the building materials for the new section and we built an aviary in the winter closed season. We also added a new fence around the loft to make it a more secure area for the birds when they were out on the yard.

Stage 8- Racing and Learning

Now we are fully up and running with us racing between the months of April and September, as well as lessons involving the and visits by local primary school children this is one thing that happens all year around and has proven to be a big success here at Kingsmead gaining both local and National press coverage.

Kingsmead School Pigeon Project

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