help with quail cage

[ljak1407]

Hello so im looking to start raising quail for my family and i have someone who is open to buying very large orders of quail and rabbit. Im looking for help on how to build a cage for a single quail that has an egg catcher. Im having trouble trying to visualize how the egg catcher would work if anyone could possibly help by drawing a diagram? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Em Ty]

My quail cage is 2'x2'x10" high. I used 1/2" hardware cloth, left 1.5" for the eggs to roll under, 2" for the eggs to sit on outside the cage, with a 1.5" lip to keep them from falling off.

To visualize the cage, the bottom is 24" wide and 24" + 2" deep to account for the ledge. The lip is another 1.5". The back is 10", the top is 24", and the front face is 8.5". If you made the top, bottom, front and back from 1 piece of 24" wide hardware cloth, it would be 70." long, with folds at 1.5" for the lip, another fold 26" from the first (so 27.5" from the start of the piece), another 10" along, and the final fold 24" from that. That will leave you with a 1.5" gap for the eggs to roll out, though I had to put a zip tie in the middle to keep the gap at 1.5". If you don't, the gap will be large enough for the quail to escape. Ask me how I know. You can then cut two 10"x24" pieces for the sides. You can make one of the sides a door, or cut a hole in the top and cover it with a slightly larger piece. I cut the sides longer and folded them in to make a holder for a tray to catch the droppings, though I haven't made a tray yet. I re-purposed some 36" hardware cloth, so it took a lot longer and I had to fold in the wire that stuck out. 24" would look nicer and take way less time.

I'd suggest getting some graph paper and cutting it to scale for 24" wide hardware cloth and playing around with it before you start cutting.

This is the zip tie that makes the cage so Alcatraz-y.



I cut out an 11"ish square hole and put a slightly bigger lid on.



This shows the 1.5" gap better, the lip ( I guess it's only 1" high) and the tray holder underneath.



Front view.



Side view.



Side view close up.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Hello so im looking to start raising quail for my family and i have someone who is open to buying very large orders of quail and rabbit. Im looking for help on how to build a cage for a single quail that has an egg catcher. Im having trouble trying to visualize how the egg catcher would work if anyone could possibly help by drawing a diagram? Any help would be appreciated.

are your cages going to be inside or outside?

 

[Em Ty]

I didn't see your comment that the cage would be for a single quail, and I'm not sure if that's what you're actually looking for. It may not be good to house them singly, and it would certainly not be very cost effective.

Jack has raised a good point. If they're going to be outside, you can't have a cage like mine as they'd be exposed to predators.

 

[ljak1407]

O no i will raise a lot more than just 1 lol i plan on doing this indoors. Im remodeling my house so i plan to make a 1000 sq ft area for them. Would love to have stacked cages

 

[Tabasco Jack]

O no i will raise a lot more than just 1 lol i plan on doing this indoors. Im remodeling my house so i plan to make a 1000 sq ft area for them. Would love to have stacked cages

My cages are similar to Em's but are 48" long with a door on the front and a thin plywood divider with a cutout to provide a hiding place. I used some cutouts from a plastic tote lid to provide solid flooring in the hiding area.
I used 1/2 x 1 mesh on the bottom and 1 x 1 for the rest. That left a 2" gap at the front for egg rollout. And yes, I had a couple males escape and had to zip tie some of them closed.
I also used the large automotive drip pans for dropping trays underneath.
And mine are outside so I covered the egg rollout with a piece of plastic gutter ripped in half.
You didn't say what type quail you're planning on raising. That could affect your cage size.

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[Tabasco Jack]

I found a photo I had one my phone that shows part of the cage and waterer before I put the gutters on.

And of the whole setup

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[ljak1407]

You didn't say what type quail you're planning on raising. That could affect your cage size.

Honestly i havent really been able to make my mind up yet about which i should get. I want to have 2 different breeds, for meat and eggs.

 

[Em Ty]

I'd just get one for both; it'll make things easier and I don't think there's much actual difference between most breeds. If you can find jumbos, get them, otherwise you can breed for larger birds if you're going to incubate. I was looking for coturnix but found jumbo goldens.

 

[amyschickens1]

You need a cage that does have a bit were there is no wire because it can hurt there feet.
If you live in the UK/USA then you would do better keeping them inside or in a shed because quails can get killed threw the bares
Also Chinese quails (button quail) is very flight by nature and will fly upwards at the slightest fast movement.
Also they should have there water in a coffee lid or bowl on the floor same with there food
Also rats can gets most breeds of quails but I find Japanese Quails is to big for them.

I have been a quail keeper for 7/10 years and have bred them before