Flight Pen - Eggs

[steve&kris]

I've got 125 quail coming in a couple weeks. I'm building a hutch and a flight pen. My hutch will have a roll back bottom to bring the eggs to the back door.

My questions are....
1. I'm assuming the quail won't actually have their eggs in the hutch? They'll most likely just have eggs on the ground all over the flight pen, is that an accurate assumption?

2. What do I do with the eggs in the flight pen? I can't keep going in and getting them every day...or at least I don't want to b/c I want the quail to remain scared of people and be flighty.

Any thoughts from people with experience or would be appreciated.

 

[Acre4Me]

1. yes, they will lay in flight pen.

2. No practical ideas as this is not my setup.

What is your purpose for having the quail? As Pets? For Eggs? Other?

 

[Fishkeeper]

If you're raising the quail for shooting, you could try to teach them that eggs are edible. They'd eat the eggs on their own in that case. Bad idea if you want to save any as breeding stock, though, clearly.

 

[DK newbie]

I recall reading about someone raising bobwhite quail for release. I'm pretty sure they collected eggs and refilled feeders and water after dark, to prevent the birds from becoming accustomed to humans.

 

[007Sean]

I recall reading about someone raising bobwhite quail for release. I'm pretty sure they collected eggs and refilled feeders and water after dark, to prevent the birds from becoming accustomed to humans.

That's how I handle my prairie chickens this time of year. Feed and water at night, any disturbances can cause them not to breed.
Should work with quail, too! Just another night time predator in their pen.

 

[Danny C.]

I've got 125 quail coming in a couple weeks. I'm building a hutch and a flight pen. My hutch will have a roll back bottom to bring the eggs to the back door.

My questions are....
1. I'm assuming the quail won't actually have their eggs in the hutch? They'll most likely just have eggs on the ground all over the flight pen, is that an accurate assumption?

2. What do I do with the eggs in the flight pen? I can't keep going in and getting them every day...or at least I don't want to b/c I want the quail to remain scared of people and be flighty.

Any thoughts from people with experience or would be appreciated.

I have bobwhites in a 5’x8’x6’ pen and they do lay on ground and in hutches. When I go in to get eggs they scatter, when in go in to feed them they gather. I think they are instinctually afraid.