i have a few questions about keeping quail on wire floors

[youridreezen]

Hi all.
i have a few questions about keeping quail on wire floors.
1. do you also keep growers on wire or just adults?
2. for the eggs to roll out to the front of the cage how match lower should the front be (then the back) in a 2ft deep pen and how match for a 2 2/3 ft deep pen?
3. i would like to have a dust pan in the pen but how do i get them to not lay in the dust pan?
4. how match space do growers need?

any help would be really good as i would like to get started soon.

cheers youri.

ps forgot this is for Coturnix.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The only way you will get them to not lay in the dust pan is to take it out. You can put it in the pen for an hour or so, then remove it. But they will still probably lay in the pan, I know mine do. It's like they reach such a state of ecstasy in the dust, the eggs just slide right out

I put mine on wire when they go outside, usually about 3 weeks old. The wire on most of my cages is 1 inch by 1/2 inch.

ETA: I don't know about having the eggs roll, I just reach in and get mine out of the dust pan

I would think an inch lower in the front would be sufficient, you don't want to make them walk on a hill all the time.

Growers would need the same amount of space as adults, since they do grow very fast. Though I had some (I think about 30) in a rabbit cage over the summer...the cage was about 3' by 2 1/2'

ETA again: Just remember, the steeper the slope, the faster they'll roll. If it is too steep your eggs are likely to crack when they hit the front

 

[youridreezen]

Quote:
thanks a lot.
i read that for growers 3-6 weeks old a cage 4 X 2 1/2 ft is ok for 50 growers.

i read that 10% drop is good but not sure how match that is for 2 ft deep?

also do jumbos need more space then other Coturnix quail?

cheers youri.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

 

[La Mike]

2 foot is of course 24 inches x 10% = 2.4 inches
Thats too much drop I would only haveat most 1.5 inch drop in 2 feet any more you will be risking damage to eggs and birds
Everything Shelley said is right on cue
I dont keep dusters in my breeder cages though
I keep slide drawers to help with hygene and auto water and feed
Dusting is done on periodic basis for breeders here
All the grow outs have larger cages but in general they need as much room to grow as you can give them

 

[shelleyd2008]

Jumbos don't need any more space, the ones I keep talking about that are overcrowded (by the 1 sq. ft. rule) are the jumbos, though the others are overcrowded as well

 

[youridreezen]

Quote:
ok thanks so jumbos will be ok with the 3/4 sq ft that you said?

cheers youri.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yep, that's how mine are. But just like the others you'll have to watch them. Some birds just aren't compatable with each other, no matter how much room they have.