Can Coturnix quail survive outdoor cold and windy weather?

[bridgetchicken]

Can Coturnix quail survive outdoor cold weather (37-55 degrees in the winter)? I am planning on building an outdoor cage with a roof on top and do I need to seal off some of the cage walls with a solid wood panel? If the weather is cold and windy, can they survive that?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They definitely will need protection from the wind and place to hunker down.

But, they can survive those temps.

 

[Whiskybear]

Your design will need to incorporate some shelter for wind and and rain.
if those are your winter temps I'd be more worried about summer. Coturnix are better suited to cold than heat. If they wore clothes, 37°F would be T-shirt and shorts weather for them.

 

[Nabiki]

The temps are fine. They need to be able to get out of the wind, though. As long as they are dry and out of the wind they can survive below freezing temps. If you can give them some boxes, they'll be pretty happy. If they're on wire, put their wind free space off of the wire or they'll lose heat through their feet and stomachs.

 

[MrJudeRaw]

lil tip to those with a wire floor outdoor cage. You can help combat this heat loss by adding a solid skirt around the the outside to reduce air movement underneath. A roll of flashing and metal to metal glue or metal to wood glue would run someone about 20 bucks at home depot and cover tons of cages

 

[le_bwah]

We're in the 40s-60s F here right now, no tarps or heating yet. Once it approaches freezing, I tarp up the aviary's smallest section and let the birds decide if they want to be in or out at any given time.

Add about a bale's worth of straw (per 30-ish square feet) over the winter, keeps them insulated and their feet stay dry and clean. Give them lots of cramped hiding places that will trap their heat—they seem to know they're better off resting there than in the open, except for night time when they learned to huddle up.

Last year, supplemental heat in the form of heat pads was necessary for my oldest birds' safety and the whole flock's comfort. Got down to about five degrees Fahrenheit some nights, but birds were fine come spring.