6:1 ratio instead of 5:1?

[BoE1987]

Hey guys just a check but I wanted to run 6:1 in a 40x19" enclosure each (photos attached). I have all my extra males separated with the extra females in my grow out pen for cull, but wanted to play around and see which hens and roos were aggressors etc to switch them out.

Good idea or should it absolutely be maintained at 5:1?

Reason I'm asking is the suicidal rate of these birds. Since hatch I've lost several from dumb stuff. Id hate to cull my grow outs and then lose any at the 5:1 ratio.

TIA

 

[orloffer]

6 females to 1 male sounds like a good ratio to me! 5 to 1 is just a recommended guideline.

 

[Nabiki]

6:1 should be fine number wise, but your enclosure is small for that many birds. It looks like you have feeder, waterer, and sand bath in there. Those subtract from their living space. They should have at least 1 square foot per bird.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

i do anywhere from 1:2-1:7 it just depends on the rooster

 

[orloffer]

6:1 should be fine number wise, but your enclosure is small for that many birds. It looks like you have feeder, waterer, and sand bath in there. Those subtract from their living space. They should have at least 1 square foot per bird.

x2

 

[BoE1987]

6:1 should be fine number wise, but your enclosure is small for that many birds. It looks like you have feeder, waterer, and sand bath in there. Those subtract from their living space. They should have at least 1 square foot per bird.

Thank you. I wasn't aware of the 1 sqft. Should I take the larger sand baths out and just leave the container sand bath? The bigger ones were originally being used as a dual planter/sand bather but the plants didn't work out well.

 

[Nabiki]

Leave the sandbaths. They love them. Make or get a bigger pen.

 

[BoE1987]

Leave the sandbaths. They love them. Make or get a bigger pen.

I do have some brand new extensions I got but I'm not quite sure how to quail proof it since its for chickens. Its 55"×38"×30. The top lifts and there is a back panel that comes off, but only 1 door which is on the side. It would need legs attached and framed out on top of wire bottom.

 

[Nabiki]

That looks like something I would be willing to use for my quail. I don't have much in the way of predators, though, since I'm in town. If you have predators, you may want to make sure they can't get in.

 

[BoE1987]

That looks like something I would be willing to use for my quail. I don't have much in the way of predators, though, since I'm in town. If you have predators, you may want to make sure they can't get in.

Thankfully, even out in the county where I live, we do not have predators past the random hawk and bald eagle that go after my ducks, chicken and goose. No ground predators anywhere. In fact, not even squirrels lol.

Is the height too high for them? I'm afraid of them spooking, jumping and breaking their necks. Theyre use to my dogs and the kids running around the yard and being looked in on and I also have solar lights in their current pen.

Slap a bottom in it and add some legs and go?