Is a hen house necessary in this set up?

Great post by @ejcrist ....do you have a coop page or build thread?

Agrees that the hardware cloth upgrade is essential...wonder what the added cost of that is?
Also questions the roosts being at the same level as the nests....basic coop building error, wouldn't accept that from a 'pro'.
I don't have a coop page but here are some pictures....











 
Don't house quail near chickens... the chickens can easily give them coryza and other viruses or diseases which can easily be fatal.
Are chickens more likely to be asymptomatic carriers of coryza than quail? Are quail more susceptible to coryza than chickens? Do they even get sick from the same strains? And then there is the possibility of coming into contact with diseased wild birds or other infected quail and attributing the morbidity results to chicken contact. It's actually been difficult to find hard information on this beyond 'well, a chicken once looked at my quail and then my quail died so never keep them together' sort of anecdata.

Merck says [chicken vs other gamefowl coryza] they are similar but not the same disease agents: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...verview_of_infectious_coryza_in_chickens.html
 
Appreciate all the suggestions!

Yes, the hardware cloth I intended to upgrade, but now I know we'll need to add a mesh skirt as well.(thanks, ej) Haven't called for pricing on the hardware cloth upgrade until I have all my questions lined up.

Good to know about the roosts too. I'll be sure to raise one up (or just add another one of a natural branch) and perhaps put a solid barricade on the outer wall just by the roost.

@Ridgerunner, I'm happy to hear any criticism -- that's what I am looking for! I did see your link on space earlier. I was thinking of just 3 or 4 hens. The roof slope seems slight, but we only get a max of 7" of rainfall per year. The inside height clearance was something I wanted to check too. I'm a couple inches shy of 6' so good reminder to check that. If needed, perhaps the center peak could be raised to take care of both overhead clearance and run-off. I wonder if we'll need to build ourselves after all...was hoping to not have to if we can keep the price reasonable.
Thank you for your considerations and suggestions.

@ ej, your coop and run look real solid! Wonderful job!


Another question:

We were considering using a bubbler fountain for water -- it would be attached to a water leveler -- the idea being that the water would stay cooler (and fresh). We'll be mostly in triple digits from now until September, so moving water is the only cool water. It can also be made to have a little more surface water (where the pebbles aren't raised quite so high).

Any thoughts on the feasibility of this? Here is a photo example for an idea.

Other thoughts on the quails near chickens are welcome!
 
Other thoughts on the quails near chickens are welcome!

Don't do it. Simple as that :)

There are many threads on this topic, but here is the main/major one that people point to. It is a long one.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ldnt-put-quail-and-chickens-together-update-3

Main point being in post #6.

"This Is The Reason You Dont Mix Chickens, Ducks Or Turkeys With Gamebirds. As Those 3 May Well Carry Coryza And Never Ever Exhibit The Illness, But Can Readily Pass It On To Your Gamebirds Who Have Little Of No Immunity To It.
The Result Is That The Illness Will Run Thru Your Gamebird Population With Wicked Fatality Results. Kinda Like The Spaniards Did To The Inca In South America Way Back When The Old World Was Discovering And Colonizing The New World."
 
Don't do it. Simple as that :)

There are many threads on this topic, but here is the main/major one that people point to. It is a long one.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ldnt-put-quail-and-chickens-together-update-3

Main point being in post #6.

"This Is The Reason You Dont Mix Chickens, Ducks Or Turkeys With Gamebirds. As Those 3 May Well Carry Coryza And Never Ever Exhibit The Illness, But Can Readily Pass It On To Your Gamebirds Who Have Little Of No Immunity To It.
The Result Is That The Illness Will Run Thru Your Gamebird Population With Wicked Fatality Results. Kinda Like The Spaniards Did To The Inca In South America Way Back When The Old World Was Discovering And Colonizing The New World."

They wouldn't be together sharing the same space, but in separate, side-by-side enclosures. Does that make a difference?
 
They wouldn't be together sharing the same space, but in separate, side-by-side enclosures. Does that make a difference?

Here are the first words from the other thread I linked you to.

"Even though i didn't technically have them in the same area, some of the younger chickens were able to fit through my fence (or they flew over). Anyway, when my garage door was open they'd come inside and eat the food that the quail managed to flip onto the floor. I never saw one of them on top of the quail cages, but apparently the floor was close enough!"

Translated, that says.... "I had some chickens that were below my quail on one or two occasions for a few minutes each time, and their nastyness floated up and wreaked havoc."

Now, this is all assuming you buy his explanation about how his quail got sick. But if you read that entire post, a vet is really sure about what the disease was, and it only takes a little detective work to figure out the likely source of the infection. Still not 100% linked, but pretty close. So it all comes down to your risk aversion. If you are willing to take the risk, then there ya go! If you are a risk averse person, don't do it.
 
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