How to pad Quail coop roof??

[annasurbanfarm]

Our DIY coop is 2 ft tall with hardware cloth on top of most of it, but we built a cutesy “farmhouse” style for the covered portion and it rises up to 3ft there with plywood on top. After almost finishing it, we finally realized this is a perfect head-injury height. Is there something we could put inside the plywood to pad it in case of startling? What would you use?

 

[Kiki]

Can you get a picture of your set up?
Can you possibly lower the roof?

I find that if you give them too much room it causes them to jump.
If they don't have enough room to jump they don't jump.
Does that make sense?

 

[Deleted member 551573]

Our DIY coop is 2 ft tall with hardware cloth on top of most of it, but we built a cutesy “farmhouse” style for the covered portion and it rises up to 3ft there with plywood on top. After almost finishing it, we finally realized this is a perfect head-injury height. Is there something we could put inside the plywood to pad it in case of startling? What would you use?

Hang some shade cloth a few inches down from the roof it will soften the blow enough to avoid injury, use a white low UV rating shade cloth so it doesn't block out too much sunlight.

 

[annasurbanfarm]

Can you get a picture of your set up?
Can you possibly lower the roof?

I find that if you give them too much room it causes them to jump.
If they don't have enough room to jump they don't jump.
Does that make sense?

Sorry for the messy porch but here’s the coop with the roof open.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Are these japanese quail?

I keep my japanese quails in a variety of enclosures, including one a similar height to that one. They have never boinked in there. My only japanese quails that jump high are the ones in a 1.8m-high aviary (that's only when they get chased by the male). Like what @Kiki was saying.

However, my king quails boink a lot. I actually had some die from it. I have since lined the top of each king quail enclosure with wadding and that seemed to help.

If you are still worried, you could try wadding.

 

[BloomBunny]

If you are still worried, you could try wadding

Hmm, I don't think you are loading a black powder rifle , so what is meant by wadding? Web search didn't help much, but from Collins and Cambridge dictionary sites, I get soft cloth or packing. Bubble wrap? Burlap?
--clueless in Illinois, USA
(Not the OP so I'm not losing anything but brain cells by not knowing)

 

[Quailobsessed]

I mean this stuff

Sorry, I didn't realise other people didn't know what it was
I looked it up and I think in the USA its called batting.

 

[emMAyTeeTee]

Lol wadding is an upholstery term no longer commonly used in North America due to the fact that most upholstery here is foam based, not natural materials. A little foam or batting(wadding) with a layer of cloth covering will also add insulative value. But may incur mites... Draping curtains of some sort from dowels might be an option easily cleaned. I'd think eye bolts screwed into the ceiling and dowels slipped through the eyes then sew up curtains with rod pockets and voila. Soft roof. Cheap too. Non-woven polyester materials, used beneath couches for dust shields might be the ticket. Most fabric stores who sell upholstery fabrics should have available in yard goods. Available in white or black /grey.
Quail are curious little creatures aren't they? I mean to say they are interesting.

 

[BloomBunny]

I mean this stuff

View attachment 2059235

Sorry, I didn't realise other people didn't know what it was
I looked it up and I think in the USA its called batting.

Oh, yes. That would work!
Batting is how I know it. Thanks for the new word.

 

[BloomBunny]

Lol wadding is an upholstery term no longer commonly used in North America due to the fact that most upholstery here is foam based, not natural materials.

Thanks for the additional information.