Chicken Coop as Quail Housing

[kristen2678]

We're building a new coop for the spring. This frees up our current coop which is on the small side. It fits 3 large fowl chickens without trouble. It's one of those large dog house style coops on stilts with an attached A-frame run (from greenchickencoops). Anywho, I was considering some kind of bantam breed or project trio but then quail came to mind. Would they use the "house" and run like a chicken would - going up at night and coming down in the morning?

 

[TwoCrows]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Quail don't go to "roost" at night like chickens and would happily stay in their run all night, unless the weather gets brutally cold. And even then, sometimes they don't have the sense to go into a shelter.

Any shelter will work for quail and of course having a "run" for them, as long as it is COMPLETELY predator proof is great for them. But if you want them inside their coop at night, you will have to run them in by yourself, not always an easy task.

I keep my bobwhites in an aviary and when it is cold I have to run them into their "coop". I have them "clicker" trained that when they hear the "click" it is time to get under cover. If they play "dumb" and ignore my request, and you can not catch my crazy bob's, I have to bring out the "net". Once they see that thing, they run like the devil into their coop.

Good luck!

 

[7L Farm]

Give it a shot. My Bob's have three sides & a big run. When it gets cold they normally go to the sided part & huddle together to stay warm. They always sleep snuggled with some others.