Can I use this cage to raise quail in my back porch?

[sybonbon]

Hi all. New to the idea of getting quails in the spring. I have been watching many videos. I own a cage like the one in my photo. If I put a floor in the middle to make two different cage areas, would this work for quails? Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[african chickens]

Im no expert but depending on the size of the quail it looks too small

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If I put a floor in the middle to make two different cage areas, would this work for quails?

Generally, according to my current understanding and from research, not personal experience.. the quail roof should be at 12 inches or 6+ feet to prevent broken necks when they get startled and flush upwards. Alternatively, some folks have added a tighter mesh netting (not standard bird netting which is dangerous in my exerience) a few inches from the inside ceiling so it has some give when they hit it to prevent injury.

Also, depending on your location and whether your porch is enclosed or open.. that may not be very predator resistant. Raccoons can reach right through those bars for example.

What kind of quail are you considering keeping? Can you include the actual dimensions of the cage being considered for alteration?

 

[Krugerrand]

If you're getting started with quail, I'd start here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/quail.48/

I'm not sure how many people with quail are reading the coop threads.

 

[sybonbon]

Generally, according to my current understanding and from research, not personal experience.. the quail roof should be at 12 inches or 6+ feet to prevent broken necks when they get startled and flush upwards. Alternatively, some folks have added a tighter mesh netting (not standard bird netting which is dangerous in my exerience) a few inches from the inside ceiling so it has some give when they hit it to prevent injury.

Also, depending on your location and whether your porch is enclosed or open.. that may not be very predator resistant. Raccoons can reach right through those bars for example.

What kind of quail are you considering keeping? Can you include the actual dimensions of the cage being considered for alteration?

My porch is a 3 season fully enclosed porch. I'm not concerned about predators. The most common quails available are the Japanese quail. The cage would be 2 feet x 4 feet x 2 feet high. Top and also bottom. 2 separate sections. I will close up the back ,top and 2 sides with wood to help them feel safe. Only the front will be open. This seems much roomier than the small boxes I've seen on line. Do you have quail?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do you have quail?

No, no personal experience beyond consideration and the research required for that consideration. As stated previously 2 feet high/tall *may* be an actual safety issue, rather than being roomier.

If I recall correctly, @Nabiki and @007Sean may be actual keepers of quail. TIA to both for looking and any feedback!

 

[Nabiki]

It looks like you've already been steered to the article section on quail. Definitely start there.

The spacing on the bars looks large enough for a quail to get its head through, and possibly stuck. You mentioned that you're not worried about predators, but EVERYTHING likes to eat quail. A rat could get through those, and rats can kill quail. Mice could also get in, and while mice are unlikely to kill a healthy quail, if one is not feeling well, they will happily munch on it.

2' high is a dangerous height for the pens unless your quail are very calm. That's high enough that they can reach full speed if they flush and not high enough for them to slow down before hitting it. They are likely to break their necks.

I hope this helps, and please feel free to ask more questions after you've taken a look at those articles.

 

[sybonbon]

It looks like you've already been steered to the article section on quail. Definitely start there.

The spacing on the bars looks large enough for a quail to get its head through, and possibly stuck. You mentioned that you're not worried about predators, but EVERYTHING likes to eat quail. A rat could get through those, and rats can kill quail. Mice could also get in, and while mice are unlikely to kill a healthy quail, if one is not feeling well, they will happily munch on it.

2' high is a dangerous height for the pens unless your quail are very calm. That's high enough that they can reach full speed if they flush and not high enough for them to slow down before hitting it. They are likely to break their necks.

I hope this helps, and please feel free to ask more questions after you've taken a look at those articles.

Thank you. The bars will be closed on 3 sides and the top with boards. The front doors will have screen or mesh on them. No heads stuck or predator problems. I can raise the floor up if 24 inches is too much space. The coops on line look like tiny dresser drawers. My coop would be nicer, in my opinion. And yes, I will continue reading. Thanks again.

 

[Susan Skylark]

I use a 2x3’ dog crate subdivided too and bottom and it works fine for 4 weeks and older birds (chicks can squeeze through the bars). My quail can stick their heads out but it is wide enough they don’t get stuck either. Can you subdivide into 3 cages, that would fix your height issue. Also, I’m not sure enclosing 5/6 sides is a good idea (light, ventilation, sanitation would all suffer). I put a 3-4 inch rim around the base of each level to ‘hold’ shavings in and give a ledge for water bottle bases/tips. Birds need a square foot of floor space (minus feeders, etc) each. Mine live in the garage and so far no issues with predators though there are plenty around, especially cats. Quail keeping is an art not a science, do what works for you and your birds (within the basic parameters of course like cage height) and you’ll always be learning and tinkering and changing things as you go, it’s a journey not a sprint.

 

[sybonbon]

I use a 2x3’ dog crate subdivided too and bottom and it works fine for 4 weeks and older birds (chicks can squeeze through the bars). My quail can stick their heads out but it is wide enough they don’t get stuck either. Can you subdivide into 3 cages, that would fix your height issue. Also, I’m not sure enclosing 5/6 sides is a good idea (light, ventilation, sanitation would all suffer). I put a 3-4 inch rim around the base of each level to ‘hold’ shavings in and give a ledge for water bottle bases/tips. Birds need a square foot of floor space (minus feeders, etc) each. Mine live in the garage and so far no issues with predators though there are plenty around, especially cats. Quail keeping is an art not a science, do what works for you and your birds (within the basic parameters of course like cage height) and you’ll always be learning and tinkering and changing things as you go, it’s a journey not a sprint.

All great ideas. Perhaps instead of wood I can use screen. I read they like dark cozy spaces that's why I thought wood. Also, the screen would cut back on the shavings coming out. There are two sets of doors, a set of two on the top level and the same on the bottom. The divider has to work with the opening and closing of the doors. Do quail lay eggs in nesting boxes or wherever they want?