Dividing a 4' x 8' pen and flooring

[CountryFried]

How would you divide a 4x8' pen for James Marie quail? I want some pens for fertile eggs, would love a communal hen pen, and a grow out pen. I'm getting 100 eggs from JM next week, and I need to start getting pens ready haha. What size wire would you use for the bottom? 1/2" hardware cloth or 1/2"x1" rabbit wire type?

The 4x8 doesn't have to be the only pen, but it's what I am going to start with, and I have a 4x4' pen already I'm going to use as a brooder and it could be a growout pen if needed, but what floor should I use? (Right now it doesn't have a floor, I've just moved my keets outside in it and we move it around for foraging during the day and put it on 1/4" HC at night. I should have the duck/guinea coop built by the time the quail hatch, though. I was planning to put 1/4" HC on the 4x4 because I really have no clue how big baby quail are and I am afraid of them getting their feet hurt on anything larger.

Thanks for any advice, I'm almost done with my rabbit hutch and the quail pens are next. The quail pen frame will be 4' x 8' x 10" high, about 30" off the ground. I could make it 4' x 9' MAYBE if that would give me a whole lot more options. I think I have 9'4" available where it's going to reside, and I wanted to save the extra for roof overhang, the long sides of the pen will run North-South if it matters. I WILL have access to both sides, but won't have access to the ends. (We are splitting our chain link yard with the quail and bunny pens to make a duck yard until we can fence our whole property. Our dog gets a section and the birds the other. I'm going to use pallet planks across the pen legs to make the fence to keep the ducks and dog separate. There are existing gate posts already in place there so I don't have a lot of flexibility on the size unfortunately, or to access the ends.)

 

[Fishkeeper]

If you gave me full choice of what to use as the bottom, I'd try to make it deep litter instead of wire. Much easier on their feet, way less smell, more enrichment, more natural environment, bugs that multiply in the litter, happier quail overall. They should also have some hiding spots. They won't die without brush to hide under and dirt to scratch in, but they'll be a lot happier with it. Bonus for you is they tend to lay eggs in actual nesting spots when they feel safer, instead of just wherever they are at the time, plus who wouldn't want a compost heap that also makes your birds happier?
If that's not an option, go for the hardware cloth, with a decent-sized sandbox for each section.

 

[BReeder!]

Two 2'x4' breeding sections and a 4'x4' grow out section. Built a second 4'x8' pen for the communal pen.
1/2" hardware cloth is what I use for the cage floor.
As for the baby quail. I grew mine out for the first few weeks on a solid floor. a 4'x4' section of plywood would suffice (based on the above suggested dimensions) and then could be removed after 3-4 weeks.

 

[CountryFried]

Two 2'x4' breeding sections and a 4'x4' grow out section. Built a second 4'x8' pen for the communal pen.
1/2" hardware cloth is what I use for the cage floor.
As for the baby quail. I grew mine out for the first few weeks on a solid floor. a 4'x4' section of plywood would suffice (based on the above suggested dimensions) and then could be removed after 3-4 weeks.

How many of each sex would you put in the 2x4 sections? And how many total in the 4x4 section? (Sorry have read so many different things Googling and would rather just ask the experts here!) When you removed the plywood from the brooder, what were the babies on then?

If you gave me full choice of what to use as the bottom, I'd try to make it deep litter instead of wire. Much easier on their feet, way less smell, more enrichment, more natural environment, bugs that multiply in the litter, happier quail overall. They should also have some hiding spots. They won't die without brush to hide under and dirt to scratch in, but they'll be a lot happier with it. Bonus for you is they tend to lay eggs in actual nesting spots when they feel safer, instead of just wherever they are at the time, plus who wouldn't want a compost heap that also makes your birds happier?
If that's not an option, go for the hardware cloth, with a decent-sized sandbox for each section.

Hmmmmm! Can you do deep litter in a raised pen? Could I do deep litter with a 1/4" HC bottom (I have tons of 1/4" HC, got a great deal on it and it's allowing me to save a ton of money on cages, thankfully) I did plan on making little shelters and having a sandbox. If I do deep litter, how high should I make the roof? JM said 10" was best, my top of the pen will be 1/4" HC, then *probably* a gable roof if I have enough roof panels left. If I don't, it could very well be tarp for a while How deep do you let your litter get? (I understand deep litter in a coop but have not used it) I'd planned to do an angled bottom to allow the eggs to roll to a central collection point, so I'll have to think on deep litter and see if that's a better option. If it matters for deep litter, I'm in hot, hot, hot and humid Southeast Alabama. (Like 25 miles from FL)

 

[Fishkeeper]

Deep litter on hardware cloth, no, I don't think so. But you could make a 6-10" deep bin for the bottom of the pen and use that for deep litter. It can get as deep as you want.

For coturnix, you should try to only have 1 male per group in a small area, and each male should have at least 4 females. More is, of course, better, and you can (depending on the roo) go up to something like 10 females and still have high fertility.

 

[BReeder!]

How many of each sex would you put in the 2x4 sections? And how many total in the 4x4 section? (Sorry have read so many different things Googling and would rather just ask the experts here!) When you removed the plywood from the brooder, what were the babies on then?



Hmmmmm! Can you do deep litter in a raised pen? Could I do deep litter with a 1/4" HC bottom (I have tons of 1/4" HC, got a great deal on it and it's allowing me to save a ton of money on cages, thankfully) I did plan on making little shelters and having a sandbox. If I do deep litter, how high should I make the roof? JM said 10" was best, my top of the pen will be 1/4" HC, then *probably* a gable roof if I have enough roof panels left. If I don't, it could very well be tarp for a while How deep do you let your litter get? (I understand deep litter in a coop but have not used it) I'd planned to do an angled bottom to allow the eggs to roll to a central collection point, so I'll have to think on deep litter and see if that's a better option. If it matters for deep litter, I'm in hot, hot, hot and humid Southeast Alabama. (Like 25 miles from FL)

2x4 bedding pen would hold 1 Male and 3-5 females. The 4x4 pen would hold 20 adults or 40 brooding chicks. 3x8b could hold 40 adults.
These Neeson's are based on my experience, which is honestly limited. I currently have my first bunch of quail and keep 40 adults in a 3'x8'. They have room to move around comfortably but a 4'x8' would be ideal with access from both sides or from above.
I started out with 120 shipped eggs. About 70 were fertile and about 60 hatched. After the first week or two, we had 45. We had to cull some with deformities and a few simply failed to thrive. I sent 5 naked to freezer camp at 10 weeks.

When the Lewis floor is removed the birds would be on 1/2" hardware cloth. I included an enclosed section in our pen that has a plywood floor so the bits have the option to get off the wire when they want too. The enclosed area provides protection as well. Think of it as a coop and the rest of the pen as the run.

 

[CountryFried]

If we keep quail long term, I’ll make them an aviary next year. These guys are a trial. Hubby decided he doesn’t want meat rabbits yesterday so now I have an additional pen for quail, 2x10 on the back of the bunnies. (Lionheads not meat)

So I am going to go with wire for now. Can I use chicken wire on the dividers or is that a bad ide? The sides will be 1/4” HC and the bottom will be 1/2”, but I’m wondering if I can save a little by using chicken wire inside?

 

[BReeder!]

If we keep quail long term, I’ll make them an aviary next year. These guys are a trial. Hubby decided he doesn’t want meat rabbits yesterday so now I have an additional pen for quail, 2x10 on the back of the bunnies. (Lionheads not meat)

So I am going to go with wire for now. Can I use chicken wire on the dividers or is that a bad ide? The sides will be 1/4” HC and the bottom will be 1/2”, but I’m wondering if I can save a little by using chicken wire inside?

I imagine chicken wire will work inside. I wouldn't use it for a pen with chicks/ baby quail in it though. They are small and dumb...

 

[CountryFried]

I figured out a different solution for the divider problem. The way I built the center divider (to split it into 2’ instead of 4’ wide) I had a gap but I solved that by just splitting one side in half, which allowed the divider to butter against the center wood. So one side has four 2x2.5 pens for lionheads (they have playpens for most of the day, so they won’t be stuck in cages all the time), and the other side is two 2x5 sections. It’s all got 1/2” x 1” floor. If that becomes problematic for the quail, I’ll put HC on top of it. I read a few posts where people are using it with Jumbos, so hopefully it will be ok. (And sorry I said it had 1/2” bottom in my last post...this hutch has 1/2 x 1 because the whole thing was intended for rabbits.)

SO! Now I have two 2x5’ pens for quail almost done. How would you divide the 4x8’ hutch with that in mind? The 4x8 will have 1/2 HC floor, 1/4 HC sides and top. And some sort of divider haha. Will see what I have when I get there. Would plastic 1/2” HC/mesh work for dividers? I have to mount support for the dropped roof in the quail side of the rabbit hutch, figure out a roof, and then build doors and it will be done. I’ll try to post pics for roof suggestions tomorrow.

 

[BReeder!]

Can you don't one of the 2x5 pens in half for two 2x2.5 pens to be used as breeders? Then the other 2x5 could be used as a brooder (may need a plywood insert for floor). I would then keep the 4x8 completely open as a colony pen.