Bar spacing for button & Cortunix quail

[Mrs MIA]

I had the same problem... poop build up on the 1/4" was not good for their feet. So I switched to the 1/2" on the floor. It's ok for the adults, though just a little too big.
I had bobwhites growing out on 1/2" and they kept getting their "elbows" stuck! It was the weirdest thing... I kept finding them stuck, like when you slide your butt down into an innertube in the pool and jack-knife so you can't get out! A couple of them died overnight because they got buried in the pile and couldn't get out.

I use 1/4" on the babies until they're about 8 weeks old, now. I hate learning curves!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Thanks - I'll definitely have to switch the wire because it is sticking to their feet. Tried scraping the poops off but they won't fall through either

 

[Dill]

Is it ok not to have wire on the botttom? Because I'm afraid it would hurt their feet so I'm going to put newspaper down over the wire and then put layers of shavings and stuff.

 

[Mrs MIA]

It's ok NOT to have wire, too. But if you have a lot of birds, you'll be cleaning a lot of shavings/newspaper, etc. All the time. Buttons aren't so bad as the coturnix or bobwhites, but still... their feet get clumped with poopies, and it's just easier on the humans when there are a lot of birds to have them on wire. It's a personal preference.

It doesn't hurt their feet to be on wire, but it does hurt them if they get too badly clumped up with poopies.

 

[Bossroo]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Quote:
Now why would you want to go and do a thing like that?

That HURTS!! LOL!

I have 12" high cages, and my Buttons bludgeoned themselves on them. Seems to me it would be the opposite, that their momentum decreases the higher they have to fly/pop.

Probably a bell-curve ...

If you hunted any gamebird, you would find that when that bird first flushes up you have to aim your shotgun right at it or slightly in front of it. Then, when the bird gains height and speed by using it's wings, you will have to aim your shotgun farther it front of it and follow through with your swing if you hope to have that game bird for dinner. Otherwise you will only have shot behind it. Same principal applies to a bird in a cage... their small legs give the bird only so much spring lift energy, then their proportionately large wings give it propultion and gains speed imediately. Less ceiling height equates to less speed of lift to bonk it's head to cause dammage.​

 

[Mrs MIA]

Ah... that does make sense. chuckle... the only birds I hunt are grouse, and they just sit there, thinking they're invisible.

Almost TOO easy.
My quail cages are only a foot high, indoor pens only 4' high, but the quail don't seem to bonk their heads as much on the 4' high pens.

 

[Dill]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

It's ok NOT to have wire, too. But if you have a lot of birds, you'll be cleaning a lot of shavings/newspaper, etc. All the time. Buttons aren't so bad as the coturnix or bobwhites, but still... their feet get clumped with poopies, and it's just easier on the humans when there are a lot of birds to have them on wire. It's a personal preference.

It doesn't hurt their feet to be on wire, but it does hurt them if they get too badly clumped up with poopies.

I'll be cleaning up after them regularly so that won't be a problem. I think poop sticking in the wire would be a problem too so it probably will be easier that way anyhow.​

 

[Mrs MIA]

It really is personal preference.