Planning quail aviary

[BridgeportQuail]

Hi everyone! This is my first post here.
I have decided to get into keeping Coturnix quail for their eggs. I've decided to go with an aviary style enclosure, because from my research, a wire-bottom cage can harm their feet, and a hutch ceiling is too low. I also like being able to observe the quails' natural foraging behaviors.
This morning, I made a quick drawing which I included in this post. I would greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions! Thank you.

I also have a few questions:
- Can quail go up ramps? Would they appreciate an elevated platform a foot off the ground?
- What type of bedding should I use, or no bedding at all? The aviary will be on concrete.
- How should I secure the aviary to the ground? I'm planning on using wood to build it, so it would already be decently heavy. The aviary will be in between two buildings and surrounded by a fence.
- Predator proofing tips? I live in the city (No restrictions on quail! Yay!) and the only potential predators would be rats and alley cats.
- How much did your enclosures cost? I would like to stay under $100 - under $50 is even better.

 

[el dorado quail]

I spent 230 on hwc alone and that was on sale...
You'll def want bedding and no ramp. Maybe put some potted plants in there. I have no idea how you'd secure it to concrete unless you drill into it

 

[le_bwah]

Yay, welcome to BYC (and the world of quail)! I'll try to answer your questions—based on my experience:

• Quail will use ramps, but not readily. Their first instinct is to stay close to the ground. Mine go up pieces of bark without training—never tried a platform.
• You can do deep bedding on concrete—basically, adding fresh bedding like wood chips or shavings when the top layer gets dirty—or sand. You could even try composting in place (deep litter), mixing in "live" dirt with high-carbon bedding.
• Someone on here who's worked with concrete before could tell you better than me.
• As long as it's secured to a slab, nothing should be digging in. Best to use 1/2 inch hardware cloth on the sides and over any gaps.
• My first cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $800—it was roughly 50 square feet, but built to last. That was with sourcing wood from Craigslist and using many pre-owned materials and things already on hand—wood, hardware cloth and new roofing materials add up fast.

 

[muddy75]

Mine is a 13x37 pvc frame between deck rail and privacy fence covered by 1” aviary netting....cost under $300 but probably going to have to upgrade netting in near future!!!! (Don’t skimp on that) currently housing approximately 75 quail, 8 partridge, 7 pheasant, 3 silkies, and 3 “quickens” (chicken chicks that have only been exposed to gamebird life)

 

[muddy75]

View attachment 1797020 View attachment 1797021 Mine is a 13x37 pvc frame between deck rail and privacy fence covered by 1” aviary netting....cost under $300 but probably going to have to upgrade netting in near future!!!! (Don’t skimp on that) currently housing approximately 75 quail, 8 partridge, 7 pheasant, 3 silkies, and 3 “quickens” (chicken chicks that have only been exposed to gamebird life)

Oh and like others have said quail will use ramps but in general they prefer ground....as long as protection from storms/flooding they will do well.....but there’s no amount of hideaway structures available that will make them smart enough to go in out of the weather! Believe me I’ve tried!!

 

[BridgeportQuail]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

View attachment 1797020 View attachment 1797021 Mine is a 13x37 pvc frame between deck rail and privacy fence covered by 1” aviary netting....cost under $300 but probably going to have to upgrade netting in near future!!!! (Don’t skimp on that) currently housing approximately 75 quail, 8 partridge, 7 pheasant, 3 silkies, and 3 “quickens” (chicken chicks that have only been exposed to gamebird life)

I did think about using PVC pipe as I liked how it was easy to put together and move around. However, I calculated that it costs a lot more than wood, and you'll have to get "furniture grade" PVC pipe because normal pipe will degrade slowly when exposed to UV light. Still researching about it and whether the cost of PVC is worth the benefits.

 

[muddy75]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

I did think about using PVC pipe as I liked how it was easy to put together and move around. However, I calculated that it costs a lot more than wood, and you'll have to get "furniture grade" PVC pipe because normal pipe will degrade slowly when exposed to UV light. Still researching about it and whether the cost of PVC is worth the benefits.

We’ve been doing a full backyard remodel over the past year.....we chose standard pvc because of ease of building etc....and also versatility should we ever decide to sell and move.....can be easily removed! Since it’s relatively protected from the elements in area of yard that it’s in, will probably hold up well for us for many years (with netting exception mentioned earlier). We looked at prefab options, conduit, chain link etc before choosing pvc weighing all pros and cons. It’s an individual decision with no right or wrong answer! Your design looks good.....just know from experience that wood not necessarily most cost effective option (especially when over engineering like we tend to do)

 

[BReeder!]

Hi everyone! This is my first post here.
I have decided to get into keeping Coturnix quail for their eggs. I've decided to go with an aviary style enclosure, because from my research, a wire-bottom cage can harm their feet, and a hutch ceiling is too low. I also like being able to observe the quails' natural foraging behaviors.
This morning, I made a quick drawing which I included in this post. I would greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions! Thank you.

I also have a few questions:
- Can quail go up ramps? Would they appreciate an elevated platform a foot off the ground?
- What type of bedding should I use, or no bedding at all? The aviary will be on concrete.
- How should I secure the aviary to the ground? I'm planning on using wood to build it, so it would already be decently heavy. The aviary will be in between two buildings and surrounded by a fence.
- Predator proofing tips? I live in the city (No restrictions on quail! Yay!) and the only potential predators would be rats and alley cats.
- How much did your enclosures cost? I would like to stay under $100 - under $50 is even better.

I have to all, are you from Bridgeport in Chicago? Your avatar looks like it has the Sears tower in the skyline. Would be cool to know somebody is raising quail for eggs in my old neighborhood.

 

[007Sean]

You can use lag screws to anchor it to the concrete slab.

 

[BReeder!]

You can use lag screws to anchor it to the concrete slab.

Better yet, get some concrete anchors. They are bolts with sleeves on them you tap them into a pre-drilled hole in the concrete slab. I used them to put in post holders for a fence along the edge of our raised concrete patio. You should get a hammer drill to drill holes in concrete. Big box hardware stores rent them out.