Aviary going up!

[igorsMistress]

I'm happy you can go with an aviary/garden style enclosure. From what I've seen, quail really appreciate being able to dig everywhere and have plants shelter them. They are almost as destructive as chickens when it comes to eating what's around them, so the trick is finding plants they don't like (mine won't eat sage or fountain grass, so that's what they have now).

I'm excited about that too. The chickens get the whole back yard so I couldn't see putting quail in a wire cage.

 

[le_bwah]

Decided to put up some plastic sheeting to keep the wind and rain out this fall/winter. It's been getting down into the 20s at night, and I figure the aviary will need a bit of weatherproofing once it's wet enough for snow. I stretched this vinyl sheeting between two lengths of furring strips, stapled it down, rolled it up to the right length, and screwed it onto the frame.

It's super clear (if reflective) and blocks the wind just fine, so I can keep an eye on the quail, and they can still see out.

Whole upper half is open, and I might cover it if the weather calls for more winterizing. I don't plan on providing electric heat for them, just shelter from the wind and wet and thick bedding to snuggle in. They're up and moving all morning and resting in nooks and crannies in the evening, but they tend to sleep out in the open.

 

[Fishkeeper]

That's probably the right route to take. You may also want to try giving them some small enclosed spaces, like tiny doghouses, that could retain heat more easily.
Water in a (closed!) black container can also help somewhat. The black outside means it heats up quickly in the sun, and the water inside holds warmth for a long time when it cools off. People do that in greenhouses. Just be sure it's shut entirely, quail are dummies who can't be trusted not to drown if given access to water.

 

[le_bwah]

That's probably the right route to take. You may also want to try giving them some small enclosed spaces, like tiny doghouses, that could retain heat more easily.
Water in a (closed!) black container can also help somewhat. The black outside means it heats up quickly in the sun, and the water inside holds warmth for a long time when it cools off. People do that in greenhouses. Just be sure it's shut entirely, quail are dummies who can't be trusted not to drown if given access to water.

I tried giving them frozen jugs of water this summer but they never figured out to stick close to them (or they didn't need them as bad as I thought they did). Might try it with warm water this winter, just on really bad nights. They've got hollow logs and cardboard boxes they cuddle up in during the day, but they've always slept right out in the open.