How big should the "enclosed" portion of an outdoor quail pen be?

[speng5]

I'm building an outdoor pen for 14 quail. I'm aware of the 1 sq ft/bird rule for the pen, which will be constructed of 2x4, 2x2 and hardware cloth. I'm wondering how much space should i have enclosed, to keep the birds out of the wind and give their feet a resting spot from the hardware cloth? I can't seem to find an answer to this as readily as I can for pen dimensions.

 

[Starrponies]

Are they all being kept together or in breeding sets?

 

[speng5]

all kept together. I am thinking of having both "ends" enclosed so either way the wind blows, they can get out of it 100%

 

[Nabiki]

all kept together. I am thinking of having both "ends" enclosed so either way the wind blows, they can get out of it 100%

That sounds like a good plan. They may or may not use them all the time, but if you have small boxes, flower pots, or containers around, they will happily use those for shelters.

 

[Starrponies]

Your plan sounds perfect!

all kept together. I am thinking of having both "ends" enclosed so either way the wind blows, they can get out of it 100%

 

[eddie_van_quailen]

We have 18 inches of siding as a "skirt" around the entirety of our aviary. It seems to provide adequate protection from wind, plus keeps the neighborhood cats from spooking the birds. But even that plus the roof wasn't enough to keep out all the sideways rain this past stormy winter! We will be adding removable greenhouse panels before the next rainy season, for sure.

 

[springvalley123]

FWIW, I'm a newer quail owner, after having flocks of chickens and ducks for several years.

My 6 jumbo coturnix females, ready to lay any time now, are in a 12 sq ft (26 inch by 6 ft) outdoor cage/pen. No wire floor, just peat moss, dirt, and pine pellets. I give it a once over daily. They're on a patio, with potential for neighbors nearby. They seem quite happy, but the hot wet smelly season hasn't started yet. I personally would worry about any less than 2 sq ft/bird.

Maybe someone experienced like @Nabiki could comment on the following thought of mine: Also not sure how much they'll actually be on the wire in your case, since they'll have a natural footing area to get off the wire. So if they were to spend most of their time off the wire, the actual square footage they use will drop, and the poop smell might increase in proportion.

 

[scyllarus]

I'm building an outdoor pen for 14 quail. I'm aware of the 1 sq ft/bird rule for the pen, which will be constructed of 2x4, 2x2 and hardware cloth. I'm wondering how much space should i have enclosed, to keep the birds out of the wind and give their feet a resting spot from the hardware cloth? I can't seem to find an answer to this as readily as I can for pen dimensions.

I think it depends on how windy/cold your area gets. My cage is in my profile picture and I've got pics floating around - it's elevated off the ground and under a carport, so the birds never get rained on. We put a fan on one end as we're in Florida, so they're always in the 'wind'. Mostly, I think as long as all the quail can get out of the weather it should be fine - but if your area has very extended rain/wind/snow, it might be better to enclose more of it.

As for giving their feet a rest, I do this by providing a few planks of wood. Mine will even hop up onto the 'second story' planks to explore (the boys do it a lot). They also have other spots to give their feet a rest, including their nesting area (you could use straw, I used pine straw and ripped up palm fronds), their food area (feeder is kept on an old baking tray), and their dust bath.

 

[Nabiki]

FWIW, I'm a newer quail owner, after having flocks of chickens and ducks for several years.

My 6 jumbo coturnix females, ready to lay any time now, are in a 12 sq ft (26 inch by 6 ft) outdoor cage/pen. No wire floor, just peat moss, dirt, and pine pellets. I give it a once over daily. They're on a patio, with potential for neighbors nearby. They seem quite happy, but the hot wet smelly season hasn't started yet. I personally would worry about any less than 2 sq ft/bird.

Maybe someone experienced like @Nabiki could comment on the following thought of mine: Also not sure how much they'll actually be on the wire in your case, since they'll have a natural footing area to get off the wire. So if they were to spend most of their time off the wire, the actual square footage they use will drop, and the poop smell might increase in proportion.

I've found that the poop smell depends more on moisture. If it's dry, it doesn't stink. If it get wet, though...

Feed matters too. For some reason Purina makes their poop stink even worse.

 

[Mo_fawaazzz]

I'm building an outdoor pen for 14 quail. I'm aware of the 1 sq ft/bird rule for the pen, which will be constructed of 2x4, 2x2 and hardware cloth. I'm wondering how much space should i have enclosed, to keep the birds out of the wind and give their feet a resting spot from the hardware cloth? I can't seem to find an answer to this as readily as I can for pen dimensions.

what type of wire r u using ? dont use chicken wire with big holes because those raccoons get their grabby hands in and suffocate the quail.

use aviary wire