Are my coturnix stupid or am I overprotective?

[coturnix condos]

So I have a 3x5 coupe attached to a 5x7 aviary for my 20 quail. They are about 4 weeks old fully feathered and healthy. I open the door to the aviary and let them out in the open every afternoon. They all run outside and then refuse to go back in for the night. The huddle together after an hour like they are cold. Temps are in the 50s 40s

. So I pick each guy up and put him back into the coup for the night. should I just let them be in the aviary all night.They can go into the coup whenever they want but they never do.

 

[cottontail farm]

My quail have a sheltered box in their pen but they never use it. As in, never ever. Snow, rain, doesn't matter. They actually prefer to be up against the hardware cloth sides. No, It's not just you. Beautiful quail house!

 

[Em Ty]

They're idiots.

 

[fishforbrains]

not very bright animals.

 

[coturnix condos]

Wow. Ok so Ill just leave the door open and let them be idiots. Thanks

 

[Jaybird14]

Maybe try a small light in the house. It might draw them in.

Is the feed in the house? Try a special "snack" in the house at evening time. Experiment.


Good luck, have fun with it.

Jay

 

[coturnix condos]

Maybe try a small light in the house. It might draw them in.

Is the feed in the house? Try a special "snack" in the house at evening time. Experiment.


Good luck, have fun with it.

Jay

The coup does have a heat lamp inside. Food and water inside and outside.

 

[coturnix condos]

So tonight is the first night I am leaving the door to the coup open. So it they want to be in the aviary all night they can. The coup is heated. But the aviary is open air outside. It's supposed to be 43degrees so we will see what happens. I feel like I may have a hard time sleeping thinking about them. Stupid birds

 

[Sill]

Like you found out quail don't free range well because they don't come back like a chicken to roost. Plus they are dinner to any predator that happens by. You will be lucky to have any quail left when the local cats, hawks and owls find out they are there. They are much safer in a predator proof enclosure. Yours looks pretty secure unless something can dig under the wire walls. I can't see if there is wire on the bottom?

I assume your birds are coturnix? What are you going to do with the extra 10 or so males? You can't keep them in with the hens or they will breed them to death in a couple of weeks. They make a great meal for us humans since you probably can't sell them because everyone else has extra males too. You will need to cull those extras and keep only one with your hens.

 

[coturnix condos]

Like you found out quail don't free range well because they don't come back like a chicken to roost.  Plus they are dinner to any predator that happens by.  You will be lucky to have any quail left when the local cats, hawks and owls find out they are there. They are much safer in a predator proof enclosure. Yours looks pretty secure unless something can dig under the wire walls.  I can't see if there is wire on the bottom?

I assume your birds are coturnix?  What are you going to do with the extra 10 or so males?  You can't keep them in with the hens or they will breed them to death in a couple of weeks.  They make a great meal for us humans since you probably can't sell them because everyone else has extra males too.  You will need to cull those extras and keep only one with your hens.

they are all still alive! The coup is pretty impenetrable. While thing is wrapped in 1/4"hardware cloth top and bottom too. It's also burried a foot down and out in an L shape on the bottom. This morning 15 were in the coup so some went inside last night. They are almost 5 weeks so I have the males tagged for freezer camp. I want to cull them at full weight. I was thinking 6 weeks. Any advise on that timeline?