Japanese Quail questions

[yamashta]

Howdy, I'm new here. I have quail but they're young and still indoors as my hutch isn't QUITE ready for them (I want to make alterations and want to make them before moving them into it, as it'd probably be stressful to get them used to being in it only to pluck them out for a time while I alter it.)

Please understand that I'm not completely uninformed. I also really appreciate/value actual straight forward answers. I've been having some issues getting these elsewhere so I'm trying here with my fingers crossed. I am a bit of a rambler so my questions may get confusing, just a warning. I'm anxious and over-prepare, and some times come off as grouchy/short when writing. Apologies.

QUESTION #1: What size grit for adults? Grit seems to range in sizes (by number) and I don't want to get something too small or too big. Yes, I am aware they do not need grit if they're on a premade, ground diet/crumbles. I want to provide for them a staple diet with some gamebird seed mix, greens, etc. for variation/enrichment, which means they will need grit. I need to know what size grit. A measurement would help, however I am a bit numerologically impaired so bear with me.

QUESTION #2: The hutch I have was not built by me, I inherited it already assembled. The floor is 1/4" grid wire. I am not fond of this and don't think it'll work with droppings passing through. I've seen people say that 1/2" grid wire is better, or 1/2"x1" grid wire, and some people say it needs to be pvc/vinyl coated to prevent issues. What say you about this? Would love input/feedback.

QUESTION #3: I am not DIY handy/savvy when it comes to anything involving cutting, measuring, etc. so a lot of what I am looking at is premade (which I am aware is more expensive). Do you have any premade suggestions for things such as low/no waste feeders, low/no mess watering systems, 'coop' lighting, etc? The hutch is about 6 feet tall and is open air wire for about 4 feet, then has an enclosed 1-2 foot 'coop' box that is enclosed. Would love some lighting suggestions that are relatively easy to install and safe (low/no risk of fire). This hutch has a thermostat with a timer, however I need to reattach a plug to it as I believe the cord was ran over by a lawn mower a long time ago (oops!)

QUESTION #4: What should I line the 'coop' box with? Should I make a pan for it to put substrate in so it's easier to clean? It's wood in the bottom. Another aspect of the design I'm not terribly fond of but I feel like I can work with it.

QUESTION #5: General husbandry suggestions/tips/etc would be lovely (including brooding information). I am doing this on my back patio, I live in a more suburb/borderline rural area in a city, so things that are relevant to that are great.

Disclosure: I do not drive. I really, really value utilizing online sources for products. Additionally, there are no nearby TSC, Coastal, or Wilco. There is a very small family owned feed store not far from here that I could take a bus to, but what they have is somewhat limited. Additionally I lack a lot of tools, which is part of why I want premade.

Thanks in advance!

 

[scyllarus]

I'm also new to quail (got my first ones a couple of months ago), so I would personally go with the advice from someone more experienced - but here's some stuff from my experience:

1. Gonna be honest, I don't know. I give mine play sand to dust bathe in and they seem to eat bits out of it - I've seen others mention construction sand is better since play sand can clump and possibly impact their crops. I'll likely switch in the future, but for now there's been no issues.

2. We made our own coop and the bottom is actually an old bird cage, so it's 1/4 inch coated bars. I suspect you won't have too many issues as long as they have places to rest their feet? We use some scrap wood for ours - it does get covered in poop.

3. There's tons of plans for low-waste feeders. I think the simplest would be to use a hole saw to cut some 1 inch holes into a plastic container to keep them from throwing food/scratching it out.

Watering systems...I bought some chicken watering cups off Amazon and drilled a hole into a plastic jug. I made a couple of these and they work well, you just need to make sure the cup is high enough off the ground to not get pushed upwards (which causes the cup to fill/spill). I've also used small animal bottles, the kind with the metal ball? It took them a little longer but they figured it out. You can also definitely order this off Amazon.

We're in Florida. I didn't bother with lights.

4. I'd put an aluminum pan with hay or sand in there. They love dustbathing, so it can do double duty to keep the coop floor clean + allowing them to have enrichment.

5. Tips...Definitely set up a low-waste waterer and feeder. They love sand-bathing and you can clean the sand with a mesh strainer, plus it gives them access to grit. My hens always lay their eggs in the sand, too, so it helps me locate them. Make sure you have another container in case of sick birds, naughty roos, or whatever else - it's been really helpful for me to have one as a bachelor bin, especially since mine have taken a long time to hit puberty + I have a lot of non-feather-sexable colors. It allows me to observe how aggressive a roo is + if it *is* a roo, so I don't accidentally cull hens. I would recommend a good sharp set of poultry shears - I'm always very anxious about cutting myself when culling birds, and it just makes it easier. You can order a set off Amazon, too.

Links to what I've been using:
Cocoyeye 6 Pack Chicken Waterer Cups, DIY Chicken Water Feeder, 3/8 Inch Automatic Filling Water Poultry Drinking Bowl Split Type for Ducks, Turkeys,Goose，Birds (6) https://a.co/d/aa6rd9h

Lixit Pet Wide Mouth Water Bottle (16 oz), translucent, 8802 https://a.co/d/7ZgskTk

GAIFONGRE Heavy duty kitchen scissors 2-pack,High Stainless Steel sharp blade,Dishwasher safe meat scissors Cooking shear for Chicken Fish Meat Color RED https://a.co/d/9VmSHc7

Whew, that was a long response. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Nabiki]

Howdy, I'm new here. I have quail but they're young and still indoors as my hutch isn't QUITE ready for them (I want to make alterations and want to make them before moving them into it, as it'd probably be stressful to get them used to being in it only to pluck them out for a time while I alter it.)

Please understand that I'm not completely uninformed. I also really appreciate/value actual straight forward answers. I've been having some issues getting these elsewhere so I'm trying here with my fingers crossed. I am a bit of a rambler so my questions may get confusing, just a warning. I'm anxious and over-prepare, and some times come off as grouchy/short when writing. Apologies.

QUESTION #1: What size grit for adults? Grit seems to range in sizes (by number) and I don't want to get something too small or too big. Yes, I am aware they do not need grit if they're on a premade, ground diet/crumbles. I want to provide for them a staple diet with some gamebird seed mix, greens, etc. for variation/enrichment, which means they will need grit. I need to know what size grit. A measurement would help, however I am a bit numerologically impaired so bear with me.

QUESTION #2: The hutch I have was not built by me, I inherited it already assembled. The floor is 1/4" grid wire. I am not fond of this and don't think it'll work with droppings passing through. I've seen people say that 1/2" grid wire is better, or 1/2"x1" grid wire, and some people say it needs to be pvc/vinyl coated to prevent issues. What say you about this? Would love input/feedback.

QUESTION #3: I am not DIY handy/savvy when it comes to anything involving cutting, measuring, etc. so a lot of what I am looking at is premade (which I am aware is more expensive). Do you have any premade suggestions for things such as low/no waste feeders, low/no mess watering systems, 'coop' lighting, etc? The hutch is about 6 feet tall and is open air wire for about 4 feet, then has an enclosed 1-2 foot 'coop' box that is enclosed. Would love some lighting suggestions that are relatively easy to install and safe (low/no risk of fire). This hutch has a thermostat with a timer, however I need to reattach a plug to it as I believe the cord was ran over by a lawn mower a long time ago (oops!)

QUESTION #4: What should I line the 'coop' box with? Should I make a pan for it to put substrate in so it's easier to clean? It's wood in the bottom. Another aspect of the design I'm not terribly fond of but I feel like I can work with it.

QUESTION #5: General husbandry suggestions/tips/etc would be lovely (including brooding information). I am doing this on my back patio, I live in a more suburb/borderline rural area in a city, so things that are relevant to that are great.

Disclosure: I do not drive. I really, really value utilizing online sources for products. Additionally, there are no nearby TSC, Coastal, or Wilco. There is a very small family owned feed store not far from here that I could take a bus to, but what they have is somewhat limited. Additionally I lack a lot of tools, which is part of why I want premade.

Thanks in advance!

1. You want something about the size of the largest piece of crumble they'll eat. Sand is good for bathing, but not for grit.

2. I keep my quail on the ground, but from what I've heard, 1/2" hardware cloth is best and you want coated. If it's not coated, it is more likely to cause small wounds that can easily become infected and turn into bumblefoot.

3. I use standard chick feeders and extend the tube with cardboard to keep the feed section shallow enough that they can't easily bill it out. I also use cups for watering attached to 2 liter bottles, but I change their water daily. The water goes into my garden beds, so it's not being wasted. For light I use solar powered LEDs.

4. Again, I keep mind on the ground in fallow garden beds, so they're on dirt. I hoe the dirt and poop under as needed.

5. You can find a lot of good information here, including brooding and basic care information.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/

 

[scyllarus]

1. You want something about the size of the largest piece of crumble they'll eat. Sand is good for bathing, but not for grit.

2. I keep my quail on the ground, but from what I've heard, 1/2" hardware cloth is best and you want coated. If it's not coated, it is more likely to cause small wounds that can easily become infected and turn into bumblefoot.

3. I use standard chick feeders and extend the tube with cardboard to keep the feed section shallow enough that they can't easily bill it out. I also use cups for watering attached to 2 liter bottles, but I change their water daily. The water goes into my garden beds, so it's not being wasted. For light I use solar powered LEDs.

4. Again, I keep mind on the ground in fallow garden beds, so they're on dirt. I hoe the dirt and poop under as needed.

5. You can find a lot of good information here, including brooding and basic care information.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/

Nabiki to the rescue!

 

[MrJudeRaw]

I really, really value utilizing online sources for products. Additionally, there are no nearby TSC, Coastal, or Wilco.

all of these stores ship to consumers iirc

 

[CliftonQuail]

3. I use standard chick feeders and extend the tube with cardboard to keep the feed section shallow enough that they can't easily bill it out.

Got a picture? I'd love to figure out a way to keep them from wasting so much food. This is the chick feeder I'm using for some of my birds:

 

[Nabiki]

Got a picture? I'd love to figure out a way to keep them from wasting so much food. This is the chick feeder I'm using for some of my birds:View attachment 3664159

That's the feeder I used, but I extend the jar with a toilet paper roll. I cut the tp roll in half, then split it. I then expand it until it fits snugly into the jar and extends about an inch and tape it in place. The keeps the level of food in the feeder lower, which reduces waste.

 

[CliftonQuail]

That's the feeder I used, but I extend the jar with a toilet paper roll. I cut the tp roll in half, then split it. I then expand it until it fits snugly into the jar and extends about an inch and tape it in place. The keeps the level of food in the feeder lower, which reduces waste.

Got it. I'll give that a shot. Thanks.

 

[MrJudeRaw]

Got it. I'll give that a shot. Thanks.

hows it going? I did something very similar a while back except i just used a hole drill and put a 1inch hole in the top and set a funnel in it.

Google low waste feeders. I make them out of 2 litres all the time

 

[CliftonQuail]

hows it going? I did something very similar a while back except i just used a hole drill and put a 1inch hole in the top and set a funnel in it.

Google low waste feeders. I make them out of 2 litres all the time

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, been busy with other stuff. I may get around to it tonight. I do have one low waste feeder that's a short plastic container to which I added some 3-D printed ports that I got from someone on Etsy. It seems to work OK, but it was a pain to drill the holes in the plastic container. Given my current setup is mostly Wynola Ranch cages, I can't make anything too tall. However, I do have some over flow birds in pet carriers where I'm using the chick feeders above. I also have a multi floor cage with ramps between the levels that has a bunch of birds in it and I'm using a chick feeder in there as well. Bottom line is that I need to send a bunch of birds to freezer camp, but have been too busy lately to set the time aside.