dumb questions from the new guy

[cantwellcolton]

about to start my quail coop even though they wont be moving in for a while --
and my main questions as of right now -
-what is a comfortable height of
roof to floor clearance ..
- can it have an upper area for "housing" and a lower level for walking around etc (will they use a ramp?)
- i have more but im having a brain fart.

 

[TwoCrows]

Ceiling height depends on whether you are going with a pen or aviary style. 12 -14 inches minimum is good for a pen. Aviaries can go as high as you like. My aviaries are 6 foot in height.

My winter aviary is backed up against a greenhouse where I have the quail coop. That way they can get out of the weather. I found that quail don't use ramps like chickens and this ramp is only going to take up space. So I set up concrete blocks and bricks to make some "hop up steps" if you will. They seem to prefer to hop or flap a few times to get up. This is the only pic I have that semi describes what I am talking about. LOL



They do not use this coop unless the weather is bad and even then, they prefer to sleep in the aviary until temps get down in to the single digits. But it is a place to hide and hunker down in winter.

Quail don't use nest boxes either and prefer to make nests out of hay on the ground. I use over turned buckets for the breeding caged quail. The lose quail get to make nests all over and where ever they like...

 

[TwoCrows]

That last pic I posted actually had a bird in the nest at the time I took the pic, but I didn't know it till the shutter on the camera scared her out of it. LOL Her mate was right there to defend her should me or the camera attack...LOL



The nest is actually sunken and she had a little "room" down there. Maybe even had a TV in there for all I know. LOL Tuned to the "quail channel", of course!

 

[jbobs]

depends too wha kin dof quail you get. Bobwhites are better at using vertical space and ramps etc than coturnix are. Coturnix depend a lot more on floor space than vertical space. Bobwhites tend to fly a little more and perch occasionally compared to coturnix which generally remain at ground level. i found my bobwhites appreciated the aviary space but the coturnix didn't care much at all for it.

 

[JHorn91180]

Just wanted to say I love the last 2 quail nest pics. Looks so natural almost like somthing u would see if the wild.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have seen some really complicated intricate nests built by some of these Bobs. Like the ones I posted, if they have access to a lot of hay, they will build them so they can actually get inside and have room to turn around and such. They spend all day constructing these nests, carrying and throwing hay over their shoulders. It is fun to watch them build these things.

 

[jbobs]

yeah that one with the tree stump is great! My californias used to make some pretty cool nests too.