New Quail Mom question

[Quail Buddy]

Can moving quail inside and outside from quail tractor to cage inside bldg at night stress them where they won’t lay? (More explanation on new introductions)

Thx Quail Buddy

 

[Nabiki]

Yes, it can. Quail don't like change, so the less you move them the better. If they trust you a lot their break from laying will be shorter, but you can expect up to a two week break after making serious changes to their environment.

 

[Nabiki]

If you're completely new to quail, I would start here for information.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/

 

[Huntmaster]

Can moving quail inside and outside from quail tractor to cage inside bldg at night stress them where they won’t lay? (More explanation on new introductions)

Thx Quail Buddy

 

[scyllarus]

I had a look at your other post and wanted to ask what kind of feed the quail are on? You mention starter feed, but is it chicken starter, gamebird starter, all-flock, etc? It might be too low protein for them - for adult quail you'll want 20-30% protein. My understanding is that too-high protein can lead to oversized eggs (and increased risk of egg-binding) while too low protein can lead to less or no eggs as well as feather-picking/eating and general violence.

My birds stop laying after a significant move and it usually takes a couple of weeks for them to restart. I'm not sure if your hens will ever get used to being moved daily - my quail live in our carport and are used to traffic noises, people's loose pets, my car coming and going...plenty of things that could upset more anxious birds, but mine seem to be happy and are laying.

 

[Quail Buddy]

It is gamebird starter, and Im buying gamebird layer feed to start transitioning them today. I guess I wanted their best life, safe at night, outside in quail tractor during the day. But I didnt get them for more pets so I’ve got to look at a whole new system now.

The neighbor I acquired them from raises his like big commercial breeders, crammed together and on wire with no relief or sand baths, but they lay like crazy.

I’m determined to not let my birds be treated that way, but my husband is now questioning my “humane methods” and asking me about giving all the birds back to that neighbor because he doesn't want to build anything else for them.

Back to the drawing board for me, and quickly. Any suggestions appreciated. I have a 10x20 building I can keep them in, my issue is putting pans under their quail tractor I will move inside, the pans being filled with shavings and then being able to get those pans out to clean since birds will be walking on pans with vinyl flooring underneath. When I tip my tractor up to move and clean pans, will I disturb them enough to upset laying then? And some may escape through the opening when I pull pans out.

This is way more work than I bargained for.

 

[scyllarus]

I understand. I keep my birds in a 24 sq ft cage with as much enrichment as I can figure out for them - they get daily 'salad' (edible weeds from the yard), they have a sand bath, a wading pool (we're in Florida and it's already getting hot), boxes to hide in, and piles of straw-like material to play in (it's ripped up palm leaves atm). I've had up to 21 birds in the space without issues, so it's possible to house your birds in a more permanent situation while being more humane than the usual factory set-up.

I don't know the details of your set-up, so I'm just going to toss suggestions at you. Is it possible to maybe staple some hardware cloth to the bottom of the tractor? You can place things on the floor to allow them to rest their feet, like scrap wood or a sand bath. If you feel safe keeping them outside, you could make a hardware wire skirt around the tractor and/or place rocks, gravel, or pavers to deter digging animals. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, you could pick up a couple of rabbit cages or hutches (they sell an XL rabbit cage which is, iirc, 7 sq ft at TSC for about ~50) that are fairly secure.

 

[Nabiki]

Do you garden? I have several raised beds (and am making more). I move my quail pens about once every 3-4 months. My quail know me and since one garden bed is pretty much the same as another and their pen and all of the furnishings move with them, they don't all take a break from laying and those that do only stop for maybe a week.

I plant, harvest, move quail on, move quail off, let the bed rest and repeat.
This keeps the quail happy because they have dirt to dig and bathe in. It keeps them reasonably clean because you just hoe the poop under every two to three weeks.
The poop is dry because of the dirt too, so it doesn't smell.
When the quail get moved on, they have fun destroying the remaining garden plants (don't leave tomato plants in, though. Those are toxic).
The garden beds get dug up and fertilized by the quail (you will still need to add compost, just not as much).

 

[Quail Buddy]

Ive got (I think) a plan, but it doesnt include outside. There are too many predators to leave out at night, they will get in and also the ones that dont will scare my birds so badly at night. I’m in the country. They will have a/c inside the building and no threat of avian flu and Coccidiosis from wild birds flying over.

My main issue now is figuring how to buy, install, then move pans in and out to clean with as little disturbance as possible. And putting some 2” high sides on walls to help keep shavings in 3.5’x3.5’ tractor that will be moved into bldg. Ive also got to get some added lighting.

 

[Quail Buddy]

Where do I buy the soda bottle water attachments?

Thanks so much to all of you for answering my questions!