Keeping coturnix quail in a chicken tractor

[Bird maniac]

hi all, I was wondering if I could keep coturnix Quail in a chicken tractor. What are the pros and cons, why do most people use cages? Here are some photos of my current one, if it is not protected enough I could get another one. I am meaning to use them for eggs and as meat.

 

[Hope Hughes]

hi all, I was wondering if I could keep coturnix Quail in a chicken tractor. What are the pros and cons, why do most people use cages? Here are some photos of my current one, if it is not protected enough I could get another one. I am meaning to use them for eggs and as meat.

There was no photos posted but alot of people put them in the cages to keep them away from predators. Mine are on the ground in flight pens they are for meat, pets, eggs and dog training. They have done great in them we are in north florida so we have a sand/dirt ground.

They were not made for them so there could have been better modifacations to them to make them safer(hardwire cloth being one of them). They get raked out every week.

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[Welshies]

You can, but there are some pros and cons. You will also need to make tons of modifications.
Pros

• It allows them space to eat bugs and grass
• It allows you to have more quail in one area
• Somewhat less expensive
• Natural
• Easy
• Tastier Quail

Cons

• Must make modifications- quail can slip through anything 1" or larger.
• Will find (and lose) eggs all over
• Rats and mice prey on quail, as do snakes. Tractors are hard to predator proof.
• It is very large... almost too large.
• Flushing birds may gain enough momentum they break their necks if it's 4 feet tall or less.
• Must modify... or lose birds.

Quail are normally kept in cages or hutches. Some people build them their own coops- I will be doing that this spring, but only because i'll be keeping 30+ quail. Lets talk about cages:
Pros

• Easy to find eggs and won't lose them... but even then, some can be tricky to find!
• Can have different breeding groups.
• Easy and cheap to use. Great for quail, as they only need 0.5-2 square feet per bird.
• Easier to manage, especially in a cramped area
• Flushing birds rarely break their necks.
• Predator proof

Cons

• Small, little to no grass access
• Can be hard to keep smell-free
• Less natural, but birds can still be happy
• Without proper management overcrowding issues can arise

Honestly, there's a variety of different ways to keep quail.
Cages are by far the most efficient and profitable, particularly if you use quail as a bit of a business.
Coops or tractors are the best for big, more personal flocks of birds.
Either can still produce a very natural and tasty environment for a quail. Their needs are simple. They only need dusting areas, some grains or greens, water, and food. They do not need a perch nor nesting boxes, and many do fine without shelter. I give mine shelter seeing as we get -4°F and below weather.

 

[Bird maniac]

Sorry I got distracted and forgot to post them, here they are. Ignore the red circle thing, it’s part of a waterer.

 

[Welshies]

Sorry I got distracted and forgot to post them, here they are. Ignore the red circle thing, it’s part of a waterer.View attachment 1230016 View attachment 1230017

That could work... with modifications. For example, your chicken wire is not predator proof and far too big. Try 1/2" hardware cloth. Also think about how hard or easy it will be to clean and maintain.

 

[Hope Hughes]

That could work... with modifications. For example, your chicken wire is not predator proof and far too big. Try 1/2" hardware cloth. Also think about how hard or easy it will be to clean and maintain.

Agree with this... predators will pull them tnrlugh the chicken wire... lost a few that way(again my coops were not inteded for the quail)
I am also concerned about predators digging under it... things had tried to dig under pur before, they failed because we have it blocked. Just a few things to think about. @Welshies has better information for you on the tractor. I prefer mine on the ground it is more natural, more work but i think it is better for them in the long run. Just have to make sure they have places to hide in and around.

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[Bird maniac]

Thank you! Do you know how many Quail you can keep per square foot?

 

[Welshies]

Thank you! Do you know how many Quail you can keep per square foot?

Depends on your situation. For quail there is no rule of thumb. Some do fine on 0.5 square foot of space per bird. 2 square feet of space is generally preferred/recommended. I keep mine in cages on 1 square foot of space.

 

[Welshies]

Agree with this... predators will pull them tnrlugh the chicken wire... lost a few that way(again my coops were not inteded for the quail)
I am also concerned about predators digging under it... things had tried to dig under pur before, they failed because we have it blocked. Just a few things to think about. @Welshies has better information for you on the tractor. I prefer mine on the ground it is more natural, more work but i think it is better for them in the long run. Just have to make sure they have places to hide in and around.

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Yep, rats won't hesitate to kill quail.

 

[Hope Hughes]

I dont rememeber the size of mine but i have like 80 in one and 40 in the other .... they have alot of places to hide and seem to be fine with the space. But i could be dping it all wrong lol
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