New coop

[Strummer]

I built this for my wife's old English bantams . I think I'm going g to make another one for quail . What do y'all think ? I will make the doors different and will have it off the ground , the coop in the pic roof open up for easy access. If I build one or quail the doors will be in the front if the coop . It will also be divided in to two to three sections . It is 10 foot long and. 36 inches tall .

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I don't have quail but thought I'd mention that I'd go with 1/2 inch hardware cloth on the whole thing instead of chicken wire since coons, rats, and weasels (and dogs) can get through that chicken wire. I don't know how bad the predators are around there, but thought I'd mention it.

I hope this helps.

 

[Strummer]

That's a good idea on the hardware cloth . Will do that . My dogs do a good job keeping most of the critters out of the yard. I get a opossum
And coon every once and a while .

 

[buttonquailtx]

To go a bit further, I suggest 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Since you live here in TX, you will find that Texas rat snakes will constantly plague your birds. 1/2 inch hardware cloth still allows them to enter a cage. Last month, I had a single snake kill 10 quail. He finally ate one and couldn't get out of the cage. Normally, I don't kill nonvenomous snakes, but Texas rat snakes are extremely aggressive and will almost certainly try to bite you. It's amazing that a 2 1/2 foot snake can eat a grown coturnix quail, but it can! They also eat eggs! I have had very few run ins with coons, possums, and skunks, but in a two week period, I killed 6 rat snakes that had eaten my birds.

 

[Strummer]

I have been fighting the snakes . I have killed 4 or 5 this year . They were getting a lot of my chicken eggs . The golf ball in the next box been working great . Also have ceramic eggs too , dang skunks were getting my guineas eggs too . Killed a few of them guys . I will go work the 1/4 cloth , that's what I have on my other small pen for my baby chick