Cold temperatures

[Graciepechey]

So it’s cold now in the uk feeling about -2 right now at night , my quail are in their quail hutch and I’ve put a fluffy blanket over the hutch but leaving about 5 - 10 cm of a gap for air ventilation is that enough and will it help keep them warmer from any draft , and help keep them warm a bit they are having to be in the big garage atm

 

[catesquire]

Quick clarification: are these coturnix, buttons, or some other quail?

If coturnix, then they're totally fine at that temp as they're not too drafty or wet. I live in a place that gets to -30F, and I know people who keep them here in sheds and such. Assuming that -2 was in Celsius, I have four week old chicks on my porch that only look mildly grumpy when it hits that overnight. If that's all the colder it's getting by you then they're probably fine even without the blanket if they're in a garage, though as long as it's not building up condensation then it's not going to hurt anything, either. I'm planning to put some plastic sheeting (the kind you'd use in a greenhouse) around my cage when it starts hitting 0F regularly (with ventilation holes like you're already doing). I'm holding off doing it sooner because I worry they'll get too warm during the day when the sun hits their cage. If you're really worried about them, give them some extra bedding to burrow down into, they'll have fun AND stay warm!

 

[Nabiki]

As long as they're dry, out of the wind, and have small shelters to snuggle into, they'll be fine. This last winter we had a few days where it hit -7F (-22.5C) and my birds were fine.