Converting rabbit hutch to quail home

[BoutrosBoutrosGalusGalus]

Nice!!! do you have the nest box attached to the cage or is it inside???
Ayda

Oh its attached to the side. Hanging off really. They like to lay eggs in there.

 

[Sharment]

I am so happy to see this picture! I am a preparing to receive my very first day-old Coturnix chicks from a local breeder around the 27th of this month, and found this exact same cage at the local thrift store a couple of weeks ago. Has it worked out well for you? And more specifically, have you had any trouble with them popping up and banging their little noggins on the top of the cage? I am wondering whether or not to attach some soft foam to the underside of the top or maybe stretch some soft fabric across instead - but if the height isn't a problem, I'll skip that step/expense.

 

[chickiechickz]

I have a couple questions..... I am a "newbie" to raising quail so here goes...

Ok, I incubated some quail eggs and right now I have 13 chicks that are 2 weeks old as of today. They are inside right now and are starting to STINK badly (I clean them every day and over the last few days I've been cleaning them 2x a day... it gets nasty QUICKLY). My other issue is that they are trying to flutter their way out of what I have them in (actually a few got out the other day but luckily I caught them and got them right back in). It may sound funny but I have them in a 30 gallon fish tank which was working awesome... UNTIL now because they have either gotten out OR keep trying to get out

. SO, needless to say I now have a cover on top BUT the poor little chicks are jumping and fluttering into it and I don't want them to hurt themselves! They are really sweet and obviously active which is good BUT they are getting very crowded very quickly. I'm not sure what to do... do I try to find a big bird cage or make something larger for them to be in? Should I seperate them at all? I have no clue on the sexes yet. I have a few different breeds... Texas, Pharoah, and Tuxedo.

I was wondering at what age can the quail chicks go outside? I live in Upstate NY and the temps are getting pretty cold here. Right now it's going into the 30 degree weather and this week at night going to 20 degrees.

I have a homemade rabbit hutch that is pretty solidily built with a nice heavy duty metal roof on it, it stays pretty warm inside plus remains dry which is also very nice especially with rain and/or snow. I just got 2 bales of straw and I also have one of those big heated dog bowls and I actually use one in my chicken coop to help with the water to not freeze. It works awesome and is SAFE which puts me at ease! I have heard SO many horror stories about coop fires and that scares me!

So... with all of that said.... Can anyone give me any sort of advice, tips, good facts to know about Quail, etc... ANYTHING?? Like I had mentioned.. I am a "Newbie" to Quail so ANY and ALL advice, tips, etc would be SO very much appreciated! I have read SO much online on ehow, wikipedia, basic facts, etc... etc.... BUT I'd really LOVE to hear about someone's actual experiences and point of views as well their tips and advice. Someone that I can "Chat" with and ask questions.

Ok, thanks everyone for your time and reading this. I appreciate your help and advice very much

Take Care,
Kim

Ps.... If anyone would like to see pictures of the Quail chicks and the hutch that I have I will try to upload some pictures.

 

[TwoCrows]

You will have to put up with the "stink" for a few more weeks. LOL They need to be fully feathered and adjusted to the colder temps before they can head outside. But by 5 1/2 to 6 weeks old, they will be ready to go outside. When you do make that move to the out of doors, bring along the heat lamp, being that it is winter. Use it at night only for a week or two, hanging it above their heads enough that it is not really really warm underneath it, but warm enough that they can get warm if they want, or get out from under it if they need to cool off. To help speed up the process now, make sure to drop the temp at least 5 degrees each week, maybe even 6 degrees so they adjust faster.

When you finally do figure out who is who, they are kept one male to about 6 females. If there is fighting in one group, you may need to mix and match till you get the right combo of birds that get along.

They might appreciate a cut branch or two inside the hutch for some hidey places and privacy. Make sure to offer up a pan of sand or dirt for dust bathing. And when they do start laying, offer up some crushed oyster shell or even cuttle bone for the hard egg shells.

Quail enjoy all sorts of greens, veggies, quartered apples or peaches, peas in the pod, mealworms and seeds.

Enjoy your new quail ventures!

 

[iheartquail]

mine are in a rabbit hutch i have close to the house so dont have to worry about predators reaching in

I had a rabbit hutch made by this company, the bars were EXACTLY the same. Raccoons reached their arms through one night and ripped off all their heads. This pen was right next to my house.

 

[myfinefeatheredfriends]

Keep mine in guinea pig cages too lol

 

[FenDruadin]

Just want to second the comment that raccoons WILL reach through and eat body parts off through wire that size--even right up against a house. Unless you live somewhere that raccoons are non-existent (and I don't think there is such a place in the U.S. anyway), they will eventually find out you've got dinner behind bars, and they will raid your pen. I once thought we were immune--I read about chickens having their heads eaten off and so on, but it wasn't going to happen to me. I had young ducks growing out in a chain link pen, with wire covering the chain link... but the wire wasn't tight enough, and after a full year of no incidents, I came out one morning to find two young ducks missing their heads. Later, we lost a quail whose foot was pulled through the 1/4" wire mesh under her pen and the leg ripped off.

What we've found to work, is to line the bottom of a wire-mesh-bottomed pen with a second layer of wire, about 6 inches away from the main layer, to prevent pulling legs through. On the sides, a single layer seems to be sufficient so long as it's a tight enough mesh.

Sorry to be gruesome. I just don't want you guys to lose any sweet pets by making the same mistakes I made.

Other than that, rabbit hutches make great homes for quail. Lining the cage with grass is awesome--afchicken, yours look so cozy and happy! They also adore having a dirt or sandbox to dig in. It will quickly become their favorite hang-out. Oh, and yes, they WILL flutter their way out of any enclosure--even a six-foot fence won't contain them long. They need a lid! A window screen, or a piece of cheesecloth, or any air-permeable top will do.

Good luck, guys. Coturnix make such sweet little pets, and awesome producers for the backyard farm.