Conflicting info on pen size...

[Bettacreek]

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Do you ever have any aggression issues? Did you build or buy your cages? If you built, I'd love it if you'd share your blueprints!

 

[CARS]

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Do you ever have any aggression issues? Did you build or buy your cages? If you built, I'd love it if you'd share your blueprints!

No aggression issues unless you count the cat that could reach through the top and pull the little buggers through the wire

I lost a few that way

They started life as chicken layer cages. I removed every other divider to double the size (I bet the chicken would have liked that), made a new 1" x 1" wire front and added rabbit cage doors from Bass equipment. I added 1/2" hardware cloth to the floor on top of the 1" x 2" wire floor that was already there.

They are now 16" x 16" x 16" with 12" x 13" doors. The floor slopes 2" at 12" down the length of the floor. 4" total for the length of the floor and egg tray. (is that a 2/12 pitch like a roof, just upside down??)

I used J clips and a special pliers (both cheap) from Bass Equipment to assemble it.

I kind of fell into these cages and it took me a few hours to remove the dividers, add the front and doors, cut the holes for the feeds, and mount them to, what I call, my upside-down half wall. I can take as many as I want (hundreds available) but they are all in a loft in a very, very dangerous building. I'm worried about falling through every time a grab a couple. (I used them, minus the doors, for my nesting boxes too)

 

[pascopol]

I am not sure if everybody is on the same page. Is it space for coturnix or Bobwites discussed here?

1 square foot per bird is recommended for bobwhites I believe, coturnix can be happy with less than 1 sq foot per bird according to most opinions.

I raised both for a short period of time and while I am not expert since I had them only for 2 seasons, there is no question that bobwhites are more aggresive, vicious and wild needing more space per bird than coturnix.

 

[CARS]

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I was raising Coturnix (Texas A&M's).

Since I have all the equipment, I am going to try a small number (if I can find a small number) of jumbo Bob's to put in those cages I have. I will report back... I think a pair per cage may work. Time will tell.

 

[Friend2Fowl]

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You aren't the only conflicting one, my birds are cramped per standards as well. I keep 5-6 birds in a 2x2 cage, and have had as many as 30 in a 2.5x3 cage. Those were young though, and used to being together. My cages now consist of a 2x2 with 1 male & 4 females, another 2x2 with 4 females, a 2x4 with 2 males and 9 females, and a 2x1.5 with 1 lone female for now. Then I have another pen that is about 7x2.5, and there are 40 birds in that one.

My estimate, from my own experiences, is that you can keep one bird per every .75 feet. That's what my 'norm' is, and it seems to work well. Most people just eyeball it, if they look overcrowded, they probably are.

ETA: All of my cages have boxes for sleeping and pans for dusting, so the actual floor space is less than what is stated.

 

[Friend2Fowl]

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I am under the impression that 1 sq. ft. per on bobwhites is no where near enough space. The recommendation for coturnix is 1 sq. ft. per. Bobwhites need at least triple that.

 

[CARS]

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Then I am going to be in trouble

 

[aprophet]

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I am under the impression that 1 sq. ft. per on bobwhites is no where near enough space. The recommendation for coturnix is 1 sq. ft. per. Bobwhites need at least triple that.

would that number be for an egg laying cage or a flight pen ?? thanks

 

[CARS]

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I am under the impression that 1 sq. ft. per on bobwhites is no where near enough space. The recommendation for coturnix is 1 sq. ft. per. Bobwhites need at least triple that.

would that number be for an egg laying cage or a flight pen ?? thanks

I just got back from another gamebird site and after searching there it seems that 1 sq foot is the norm for egg laying but the flight pen ranges from 20 to 100 sq ft per bird

 

[Friend2Fowl]

I've always heard that bobwhites are very aggressive, I would be very uncomfortable keeping them in 1 sq. ft. of space per bird. The more space they have, the happier they are. Coturnix don't care if they are constantly being stepped on, unless they are the one being stepped on

Flight pens usually are 50' - 100' long, as these are used to condition the birds for flying. If you raise bobs to sell for dog training/hunting, you need a large flight pen to condition the birds.