Coturnix Quail

[mrachael]

Hi,
I just got my first Quail babies to raise for eggs. Bought 8 3 week old Coturnix this morning. They are in the brooder in my garage for now. They will eventually go outside in a rabbit hutch. I'm getting ready to renovate the hutch a bit - I want to add 1/4" hardware cloth (the wire kind) over the walls and door to make it more predator proof. What are your thoughts on nesting boxes? Any other tips/advice on how to outfit the hutch for them?

Thanks,
Rachael

Oh - and I live in New Jersey.

 

[jbobs]

Actually the 1/2 inch stuff is stronger than the 1/4 inch so as long as it has 1/4 inch mesh on it I would think you don't need to add 1/4 inch unless your looking to keep out snakes or something. I just use cardboard boxes with the top cut off for nesting boxes. one or two boxes will do for a bunch of them, they all like to lay their eggs together for most part. Some will just lay their eggs wherever. If you want to add extra warmth to the coop part of the hutch you can lay down a peice of R3 board insulation on the floor and put shavings or hay over top - you just have to add a lip around the edge with a 1x2 or something to keep the bedding from falling out and bunging up the door. With a decent sized group of birds, say a dozen, in a small space I've found this provides a lot of good insulation for winter. Installing a light socket would be a good idea as well. You can just use a 40 watt bulb for a little extra heat - I like to use a coloured bulb of some kind so the bright light doesn't drive them crazy.