aviary style quail pen

[quailman 13]

i am planning on raising coturnix quail in the spring, my plans are to raise them in a 10 foot by 20 foot aviary style pen with a 8 foot by 8 foot three sided enclosure on the one end to allow for easy food and water placement for me and shelter for them. it will be approx 1 to 2 foot off the ground over the entire enclosure. thinking of 1/2" by 1/2" wire on bottom (would i be ok with 1/2" x 1") the sides and top will be chicken wire. i have read about using boards up 8-12" on the sides so that the quail cant get their heads out.

i know that most of the people i have talked to so far raise in cages anyone with any experience or advice about this type of pen?

should i still try to incorporate cages somehow?

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC and the quail forums!

Sounds like a good size aviary for your birds. You will want to use 1/2 inch hardware cloth for the flooring and use the same 1/2 inch wire on the sides instead of chicken wire. Predators can rip thru chicken wire very easy, paws can shimmy in, snakes can get in, along with mice and rats. Also the birds can get their heads stuck in chicken wire. So use 1/2 inch all around.

And speaking of predators....you might want to raise the pen up off the ground more than 1 or 2 feet. That will make it harder for preds to bother your quail. Skunks, raccoons, cats, weasels and things of all kinds are going to smell your birds a mile away and will be drawn in for miles. So you might want to raise it higher off the ground. Also, you will want to baffle the floor just under the wire so that these predators can not grab toes and claws that hang out of the bottom as the quail sleep or sit. Happens all the time, and you will awake to a nightmare of missing toes and feet. Just like a parrot cage has a tray on the bottom....that is what you want to catch the quail poop and protect your quail.

Make sure to put on a roof that keeps the hot sun off the quail, rain and snow. Add some cut branches from a tree outside to prop up in corners as hidey places so they feel secure. A shallow pan with dirt or sand for dust bathing and a place to get off the wire.

Enjoy your new quail adventures!

 

[MrNappy]

 

[quailman 13]

thanks for the advice two crows


from what i have read on here i have noticed that bobwhite are more difficult to raise and decided to stay away from them because of that as a beginner. what makes them more difficult?

 

[TwoCrows]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Bobwhites are more difficult to raise, but compared to say Coturnix, which are a good species for a new quail owner, Bobs take a bit more space, can be more aggressive and can be a handful for someone that has never raised quail before. But don't let that scare you. My first quail were Bobs, having never kept quail before, and I have to say that I never looked back and did not regret not going with Coturnix to start with. Bobs are quite personable, smart, pretty to look at and have an exotic call when looking for a mate. Once you get used to their personalities, they make interesting quail to keep.

 

[quailman 13]

the main difference i have found so far has been the joy of roosting for both species, if i start with coturnix and would happen to switch to bobs should i take any consideration when building in case i do switch. i assume that they need the same basic pen structures. obviously i would put some roosts up for when i make the switch or at least allot space for them.

you said about the space difference is it a major difference. most i have heard is 1 sq ft per bird are bobs more like 1 1/2 sq ft.

 

[TwoCrows]

The basic pen design that works for Coturnix will work for Bobs or any quail. However Bobs need about 4 square feet per bird. More if you can afford it. Bobs are large and need to move. And if you need to separate the pairs during breeding season, (Bobs are best kept in pairs), this also takes up more spaces as well. But in the basic aspect of keeping them, they are no different than any other quail.

 

[red golden]

You can always put a couple strands of electric fence up around your pen. Start low for snakes and up higher for coons and such. If this is possible to your pen location. But the 1/2 hardware cloth atleast half way up is a must and alot of flight pens use aviary netting on top to keep from having broke neck birds.

 

[keith123]

I'm planning on building a similar aviary using the ground for a bottom. If run 1/2" x 1/2" wire about 6" into the dirt would that be sufficient.it just seems like it would be hard to keep clean with the mesh against the ground.and a pen that size would be hard a costly to lift. Any advice?

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, you can sink wire into the ground, but I wouldn't go any less than 6 inches. I used railroad ties sunk into the ground for my aviaries. Then put another railroad tie on top of the sunken one. Never have I had a predator even try to dig underneath. Predators can feel and smell moving air. So if you bury something solid, they don't understand the concept and will not try to dig.