Making an Indoor Quail Cage -- please help!!

[ChaeBird]

Hi there! I write Bird Hearts Bear and my husband built that bunny condo, so if you have any specific questions about it's construction while you're thinking of adapting it for quail, please ask! I know he'd be thrilled to fill you in on it. We used peel-and-stick tile from the hardware store on the floor of the cage and our dig-happy bunny has not been able to damage even one, so I highly recommend them. We also used milk paint(which is super non-toxic), 4 coats, and it has held up absolutely beautifully.

I also have "It must be pretty" as a requirement for things, so I completely understand your girl-logic.

~Chae

 

[Pent]

Just reading through, and wondering, why the height limitation? I'm afraid I don't understand limiting the height of the cage to 1', when buttons are often kept in aviaries with finches? Mine are going to go in a 75 gallon tank with an a-frame mesh lid, which will be much taller than 1'. Is it a personal space requirement, where you have to fit it somewhere, or is it to make it easier to catch the buttons?

 

[OhItsKay]

@Chae Omigoodness, thank you!! I'll let my boyfriend (who's the carpenter between the two of us) come up with any questions he might have and send you a message your way

@Pent I've asked myself about the height limitation too, to be honest. Height limitations seem to vary from person to person that I ask, but here's the source I got it from, in A Closer Look at "Button Quail": The Care and Breeding of the Chinese Blue Breasted Quail by Jodi McDonald --

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Yay for contradicting views and confusing information :\ But yeah, most cages that are wider are too tall (around 20+ inches usually)

 

[Pent]

@Chae Omigoodness, thank you!! I'll let my boyfriend (who's the carpenter between the two of us) come up with any questions he might have and send you a message your way

@Pent I've asked myself about the height limitation too, to be honest. Height limitations seem to vary from person to person that I ask, but here's the source I got it from, in A Closer Look at "Button Quail": The Care and Breeding of the Chinese Blue Breasted Quail by Jodi McDonald --


Yay for contradicting views and confusing information :\ But yeah, most cages that are wider are too tall (around 20+ inches usually)

Ah, I suppose that makes sense with a solid/semi-solid top. I'm using mosquito netting, which has quite a lot of give.

 

[TheWeeBee]

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I dunno--BQ's have strong legs and can jump pretty high. They definitely do not need aerial momentum in order to injure themselves!

 

[2Wings]

I'm new to poultry/game birds and I plan to incubate a few quail eggs and keep them in my very small home. Reading everyone's feedback about building an indoor cage has been very helpful. Can someone tell me why the cage has to be only 12-14 inches high?

 

[2Wings]

I'm a little embarrassed. Earlier postings on correct height of a quail cage did not show up on my screen until after I posted my question. Sorry for the redundancy. It looks like a lower ceiling prevents quails from injury when they are startled and fly up and hit their heads on the cage ceiling. Pent's comment has me wondering, is there a certain height at which they would no longer hit the ceiling with enough force to suffer injury? As in an aviary? If so, how tall would it have to be?

 

[OhItsKay]

Honestly, that's the part that confuses me too. Why is it that they can live in a 12"-14" little cage, but they've survived in aviaries just fine?
Jodi McDonald's book never really confronts this question :\