Does anyone raise quail on the ground?

[le_bwah]

@le_bwah

This might help you out with planning for your aviary. Your best bet is to think big enough they can't eat it all and use some pavers or large rocks to keep them from bathing in the root zone of the plants. Good luck!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.id...den/margaret-lauterbach/article131569864.html

Thanks for the link!

 

[igorsMistress]

We processed 7 quail a couple of weeks ago and after a couple of days we stopped getting eggs. Today I found the blueish one on the left under the branch pile, so maybe things will get rolling soon.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

Oooohhh love the little stick hideout! I need to make one of those! And the half buried pots!

Mine have an outside pen for daytime, it's like a jungle. You almost cant see them hiding in the grass Looking at yours, I need to add more hidey places! And sticks!

Mine eat broccoli. Maybe because I finely chop it? if a single bit of the broccoli is bigger than a flaxseed they leave it

 

[igorsMistress]

Oooohhh love the little stick hideout! I need to make one of those! And the half buried pots!

Mine have an outside pen for daytime, it's like a jungle. You almost cant see them hiding in the grass Looking at yours, I need to add more hidey places! And sticks!

Mine eat broccoli. Maybe because I finely chop it? if a single bit of the broccoli is bigger than a flaxseed they leave it

Thank you! There's some clumps of grass growing in there that are getting a bit bigger. I've found either a nesting spot or a dust bath or both by almost breaking an ankle in the hole The pots with the sticks over them are popular it seems.

I thought they would nibble the little green bits and leave the stalk. No huh? I'll try chopping it next time and see, thanks!

 

[Crazydoglady99]

I had to Google what a suet feeder thingy was. They are an ingenious invention!!!!
(I have never seen nor heard of them before )

 

[igorsMistress]

I had to Google what a suet feeder thingy was. They are an ingenious invention!!!!
(I have never seen nor heard of them before )

Yes they are. Based on observation I think it's easier for them to eat because there's something holding the veggies. It's more like eating off a plant than throwing stuff on the ground.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

Would definitely save on wastage! I'm going to buy a couple to experiment with.

 

[AnotherKim]

I LOVE your set-up! This is what I'd like to do. How do you clean it? Just rake occasionally? Are you having issues with smell? I'm in Tucson. Hi neighbor.

 

[igorsMistress]

I LOVE your set-up! This is what I'd like to do. How do you clean it? Just rake occasionally? Are you having issues with smell? I'm in Tucson. Hi neighbor.

Howdy neighbor

I'm in Phoenix for the time being. Before long we'll be looking for somewhere a little cooler and Tucson is on the list to check out though.

This setup is actually supposed to be for my garden, but the quail are taking over Hubs is going to kill me when I tell him I still need a garden.

No smell problems but I do have to move all that stuff to rake the area and we're going to make some changes soon. We also only have 7 quail in there now, we started with 28 I think. We are raising them for meat with eggs being secondary, at least that's what my husband thinks .I like the eggs though. So there aren't a ton of birds in this space and they don't typically stay for long.

The area is 12'x16' and covered only with shade cloth. When we had a bunch of birds in there I would rake once a week as I do with my chickens. Now, it's been about a month and I'll be out there next weekend. There's not a bad smell, but after a while I can smell it. Does that make sense? You'll get to know when it's time to clean. I'm also looking to get some hay for the chicken coop and thinking about putting some in for the quail too and go with semi deep litter. I haven't made up my mind for sure.

How many quail do you want to keep for eggs? I think that would determine how large a space you'll need. You could easily keep 24 quail full time in an area this large for 8 square feet per bird living space and I don't think it would be too bad.

There are disadvantages to this setup that you might want to consider. No roof means when it rains the eggs can get wet unless the hens lay in or under something. I often find eggs under the bin or plants. Also, it's a hunt to find eggs this way vs birds penned in cages. Those issues don't outweigh my desire to offer a somewhat natural environment for them rather than keeping them in cages.

Good luck whatever you decide but do keep us posted. I'd love to see what ideas you come up with!

 

[igorsMistress]

Documenting for this hatch. I'm not using the turner, it's loud and not meant for quail eggs. Set up the incubator based on changes made during the first hatch for better humidity control. The sponge was too thick and touched the wire so I cut in half with a bread knife. Previously set up the temperature and will bring up humidity once it's ready.
Confirmed with seller for pickup tomorrow morning so will set the eggs tomorrow night. Possibly 4 dozen, will know for sure later today. All wild type this hatch