Button Quail Enclosure

[GodLovesU]

What is the best kind of cage for adult button quail?Pictures and ideas welcome!Want to keep around a dozen but not planning to make it huge.

 

[Nabiki]

For a dozen, you want at LEAST 12 square feet after you subtract the space used by watererss, feeders, dirt bath, and hiding places.

 

[GodLovesU]

That’s helpful but I meant more so design ideas.

 

[Nabiki]

There are a lot of "right" ways to build an enclosure. Are you looking for a cage style setup or an aviary style? Something square or rectangular works since they are ground birds. They don't need nesting boxes, and all of their enrichment can be things that you put in with them.

 

[GodLovesU]

I was thinking something I could buy or that would need minimal assembly but not really a aviary.My budget is -$200

 

[Nabiki]

Cheap, good enclosures are really hard to find. You could probably make something with plastic totes and hardware cloth. That's what I've done for buttons. A 50 gallon tote is just about perfect for one pair. Cut the middle of the top out and replace it with hardware cloth, cut a couple of "windows" into the sides and cover those with hardware cloth, add bedding, hiding places, and a dust bath, and they're pretty happy.

 

[GodLovesU]

Ok,I was thinking something wooden or aesthetically appealing.I did think about bins however I just want to keep more than that.

 

[Nabiki]

If you're keeping them indoors, you can get one of the cheap runs on amazon, but they're really flimsy.

 

[GodLovesU]

I’m planning to keep them on the covered porch

 

[Nabiki]

Then you will need something sturdier. Cats, raccoons, skunks, possums, snakes, rats, etc. EVERYTHING likes to eat quail. It probably wouldn't be too hard to make a cube frame of wood then put a piece of plywood on top and bottom for a roof and floor, then staple 1/2" hardware cloth to make the walls.