Let's Build a Dovecote:

There is no doubt that building something yourself can be very rewarding, this is no less so than in the construction of your own dovecote. The first thing to decide is; are you going to build a wall or a post mounted dovecote? Generally it is normally slightly easier to build a wall mounted one but neither type is beyond the scope of the average handyman. “If you are reasonably good at DIY you have the necessary skills to build a dovecote!”

Once you have decided on the method of mounting; i.e. wall or post, you can consider the different styles; again these are numerous. In my book I have described the making of 4 x distinctly different styles of dovecote. Whilst full details are given for building each one it is nevertheless not difficult to modify the designs slightly to suit your own particular taste or space available.

If you are building a dovecote for ornamental purposes it can be as big or as small as you want it! If you are building a functional dovecote; i.e. you are going to keep doves in it then you need to consider the size of the individual compartments.

The generally recommended compartment size is a 12'' (300mm) cube and this is suitable for both straight tail and fantail doves. You can reduce the size to a minimum of a 9'' cube, but the dovecote will only be suitable for straight tailed garden doves. The compartments will also require more regular cleaning due to the multiple nests decreasing available head height. (Some doves tend to build a new nest on top of the old one before raising another pair of chicks).

If you reduce the length of any of the sides then try and increase the length of the other side; e.g. if you cannot accommodate a 12'' cube as a compartment size then I would recommend 9'' x 15'' x 12'' high as a good alternative compartment size that is suitable for all types of doves. In fact if you are building a wall mounted dovecote then these are close to the dimensions that I would recommend.

If you build your own dovecote you have the satisfaction of looking at it everyday and thinking to yourself; "I made that!" You can make it of a size, shape, design and colour to match your garden and property. You made it so you know exactly how it goes together; hence you can take it apart for any future repairs or modifications. You can control the quality and hence longevity by the materials you use.

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