Need advice on quail housing

[RumAndCoconuts]

Hi all,
I have a bit of an issue that I need advice on.
A week ago I hatched 23 coturnix and they are my first go at quail.
The problem is that I am in a small island and getting welded wire here is taking far longer than anticipated. (Par for the course here)

Now what I do have is the first pen I made for my chickens (before I suffered chicken math and built the mother of all chicken runs )

It is not where I would want them indefinitely but I'm heading to Vancouver for Christmas and want them settled before I leave. The old chicken run is dirt ground and some trees. As in just the ground. Not dirt on contrete or any other substance, the ceiling is netting so perfect for quail
If the chooks have been out of it for a while would it be safe to house the quail in there? I know that there's issue with bacteria transferring from chickens to quail but will that threat still be there after a bit of time has passed?

It will either be that of having to build an inappropriatly small pen with the materials that I do have on hand.

Any input would be super. Thanks.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Good morning.... It sounds like you are well aware of the issues shared housing can lead to for game birds. After "knowing the risk", its really just a matter of are you willing to take it. Most of the time you will get by fine. but there is always the chance. Oxine is your friend if you can find it..... on bare dirt its not 100% but better than nothing. As is a strong bleach water mix... With either mix, I'd surely spray the entire pen, dirt and all, very well and wait a few days, or until i no longer smelled it..... I'm not sure how long the bacteria from any "chicken clap" can live with out a host. Im sure it will vary. But I have always maintained a "scorched earth" policy for anything of this nature..... 9 times outta 10 times you'll be just fine. Even with no prophylactic measures at all. I guess the question really is. Is the potential gain worth the potential risk..... Only you can make that call. A lot of folks get by with it everyday. some dont.... Good luck, Bill

Edited to better match the English language, still struggling ......

 

[dc3085]

Basically you're playing russian roulette. People do win the game. But there was a bullet in the gun the whole time.

Things like cecal worms can live in soil for as many as ten years.

People do get by keeping them together all the time, but they are doing a disservice to quail keepers everywhere. Once a bird gets coryza, mg or blackhead it will carry and transmit it freely for life. There are no vaccines, tests, or cures for either of those three diseases.

If people keep tossing them in with chickens, in ten years we'll be sitting here telling people how you can't have your quail around other domestic birds cause quail have diseases....I don't think any of us want to see that.

Here is a picture of a quail with advanced coryza

As FatDaddy suggested I'd bleach it all out, then personally I'd turn the soil over with a spade and do it again.

 

[RumAndCoconuts]

Thank you both for taking the time to respond. I've decided that in light of what you are saying I will go for the option of having them a little over crowded instead. It will only be temporary. I have plenty of room here to build them something like an aviary when I return. I will make up for crowding them in the mean time,
Who knows, maybe the welded wire will show up in time....
Thanks both.