Button quail - at what age do they fly?

[ozzie]

I've just hatched 10 button quail and they are in a brooder with a heating lamp. The brooder is just a simple tub but it has no lid on it. They are about 4 days old now and I'm wondering when I should start to think about putting a lid on the tub (or some sort of netting) to stop them from flying up and out. I noticed that when I went to change their bedding they already leap quite high and this is without their flight feathers fully developed yet. I've read in some posts how some of you have lost buttons in the house never to find them again because they fly out of the brooders.

ozzie

 

[Plain_View_Farm]

Get a lid on there within a day or so if this reply isn't too late already. Screen or some type of mesh. They will be flying VERY soon. Not flying well or far, but enough to get out of the brooder.

David

 

[citalk2much]

Oh my it is almost like they where hatched able to fly I would cover

 

[Yvonne37894]

My day old quail can jump about 4 inches,
and the brooder is covered by 1 week.
I was told that they tend to slam their heads on hard things,
so its covered with an old lace table cloth.
It lets the air flow and heat in nicley.

 

[Chicksdigit]

I hatch them out regularly and right now I have 10 3 day olds as well I just have them in a box with 1/4 x 1/4 hardware cloth top on it I cut the Hardware cloth just a few squares larger than the box on all sides and folded it down on the sides and it does two things it holds the light up out of the box and covers the top. I use an old Flat rate priority box from the post office ( about 9 inches tall and 1 foot by 1 foot) it is good sized for them at this age, and easy to replace. I will move them into a bigger container in a few days when they start to feather out and get a little size on them. But for now the box is just the right size to keep warm and keep them comfortable.

 

[ozzie]

Thanks for that - they are jumpy and zippy little things. I'll have to change the brooder to a box then. The plastic tub that I have has high walls and at the moment the bulb is hanging just under the top rim of it and I worry that raising the bulb any higher to put a lid on the tub would leave them too cold so I will change it to a box with lower sides so that the bulb can stay above the wire mesh lid (or maybe something like bird netting which is softer on the head if they do boink).

ozzie

 

[Plain_View_Farm]

I use plastic totes for my brooder boxes with a piece of wire shelving wired to the top on one side for a hinge.

I can set a light right on the metal and not worry about it. I start with 100w bulbs and work down to 54w before the light is removed.
If you look in the picture you can see a smaller access door in the center for chanign feed, water and catching so they can't escape out the sides.

David

 

[Scot1458]

Quote:
nice easy set up, hope you don't mind if a borrow your idea.

 

[Plain_View_Farm]

Not at all that's what were here for to help one another.
These are the 106 Qt totes but I put the same type cover on the ones half that size.
I buy an 8' shelf at Lowes and cut it to fit. Be sure to buy the ones with 1/2" spacing Especially for Button Quail or they will get out through the 1" spaced ones.

David

 

[willow_lane]

What do you use in the bottom of the totes? How often do you have to clean them? I was using a small tote for a brooder but I needed to clean it 2 times a day. I cut the bottom out and installed 1/4" wire for the floor. It has made cleanup much easier.