Gambel Quail in Pens

[jblee]

I am currently building a pen that is 3 ft wide by 10 ft long and about 30 inches high at front and 24 in back. Will this kind of pen work for raising quail such as Gambels or Scales or is it better for Bobwhites

?? I dont plan on getting alot just enough to live comfortably in a pen that size. Anybody have any experiance they can share on this? Thanks in advance.

 

[Tony K T]

Is this a ground pen?I prefer to build pens that I can walk through.At 30"high whatever you put in there is going to hit the top of the pen if something startles them.This will surely scalp your birds.If it is off the ground they may feel more comfortable and hopefully will not hit their heads off the top.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[jblee]

it will be 2-3 feet off the ground. I have 6 foot block wall around our yard and a chocolate lab that doesnt know she is a bird dog. We had chickens that would stand on her as she laid on the grass. I am not to worried about the birds getting spooked.

 

[damionlake]

Just make sure to put some padding on the roof. Its not your dog you have to worry about, they jump at jsut about anything. I got underlay from my carpets and stapled it on the roof and that works great. If you havent raised too many quail I recommend you get Bobwhites. You will have a lot less issues, they are cheaper and easier to come by.
Cheers

Damion

 

[bfrancis]

Just make sure to put some padding on the roof. Its not your dog you have to worry about, they jump at jsut about anything. I got underlay from my carpets and stapled it on the roof and that works great. If you havent raised too many quail I recommend you get Bobwhites. You will have a lot less issues, they are cheaper and easier to come by.
Cheers

Damion

x2 ! Couldn't tell you how the bobs would do but with the Scaled, Valley and Gambels' they are a very skittish bird...real hands off. I've had mine for a while now..and they still get flighty when the "feed monster" comes through...

 

[aprophet]

x2 ! Couldn't tell you how the bobs would do but with the Scaled, Valley and Gambels' they are a very skittish bird...real hands off. I've had mine for a while now..and they still get flighty when the "feed monster" comes through...

my scales are fairly skittish my gambels are sweet babies they will eat meal worms outta my hands , the scales do best with some kind of tree limbs or places they can hide in

 

[bfrancis]

I will admit, no hand feeding of any type here. If I did that wouldn't ever get everything fed (too many birds, lol)

Wish my Gambel's would take from lessons from yours. In all my New World colony pens they have lots of hidey holes..from hollow logs to big branches to climb on or hide under as well as a true shelter they do use...but all are still flighty. Now mine are in fairly good size flight pens in relation to the amount of birds, perhaps also if they were in a cage verses more natural enviroment where they are have to see me up close and personal every day they would calm down...dunno. The scales will stay colony, but this spring the Gambel's and Valley will be put into pairs into breeding cages...so you never know, might see a difference.

It is always good to hear from other folks to see how their birds behavior is...Aprophet, you give me hope that it won't always be a covey flush when the door is opened.

 

[chick magnet]

Im about to start building my quail pen.Its gonna be raised with a wire floor.Its gonna be three runs wide,each run 25"-30" wide and 6-7' long.The back three feet is gonna have a roof and sides,open front.Doors at the front and rear of each run.Thats what iv figured would work out well for me,give the quail room to get away from me when im feeding them.Plan to have valleys,gambels,and bobwhites,maybe scaled if i can find them.I use to raise all these types,and in alot smaller pens with good hatches.So this should work out even better i hope.

 

[aprophet]

I am not sure why the scales just never calm down but the hen Gambels were the first to take the meal worm I offered them through the bottom of the pens and remained fairly still until they were able to get the mealie the males took a little longer but I have one male who runs to meet me at the front of the cage these days so he can be first in line Leyland hayes had a nice size pen he used for Mearns I think I will see if I can find the dementions

 

[aprophet]

Im about to start building my quail pen.Its gonna be raised with a wire floor.Its gonna be three runs wide,each run 25"-30" wide and 6-7' long.The back three feet is gonna have a roof and sides,open front.Doors at the front and rear of each run.Thats what iv figured would work out well for me,give the quail room to get away from me when im feeding them.Plan to have valleys,gambels,and bobwhites,maybe scaled if i can find them.I use to raise all these types,and in alot smaller pens with good hatches.So this should work out even better i hope.

the scaled it don,t hurt to use rabbit feeders the little sheet metal type they are pretty skittish and using this style feeder seems to reduce their stress a little I use either pop bottle waterers or rabbit waterers for them as well so I can feed/water them with out opening the cage