New Quail Owner

[J-quail]

I was gifted 4 quail for my birthday. My husband ran out and bought me a chicken coop to raise them. I need to know anything and everything anyone would like to impart to me. Here's a pic. The wood is thin. Shall i insulate? I read chicken coops are NOT good for quail. I read they won't/ can't use the ramp to go outside and back in. All this after it was bought. Help?

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Make sure you check out this link and feel free to ask any questions - Quail

 

[Kiki]

Welcome!
Can you return that little coop?

 

[Xouie]

Welcome to BYC.

Yes, quail usually won't go up a ramp like that. They like to hang out at ground level. On the bright side, if you can't return the coop you're ready for a couple of layer hens. I envision a pair of mellow little bantam cochins clucking around in there.

 

[RainbowHen]

Hello! Welcome!

 

[FloorCandy]

I was gifted 4 quail for my birthday. My husband ran out and bought me a chicken coop to raise them. I need to know anything and everything anyone would like to impart to me. Here's a pic. The wood is thin. Shall i insulate? I read chicken coops are NOT good for quail. I read they won't/ can't use the ramp to go outside and back in. All this after it was bought. Help?

I know from experience that those prefab coops are super flimsy. I have one that is made of the same stuff, but it’s a ground level cage. The first thing to break was the ramp, luckily they don’t need it because the door is only and inch and a half from the ground. I reinforced all joints and I never let anyone lean on it. I am constantly terrified my dogs will not hit the brakes and will smash it by accident (my big boy popped my 3 foot deep easy set pool by not cutting a corner tight enough and he clipped it hard, whoosh!).

I have built other enclosures from pvc and hardware cloth and they can take a hard hit.

That coop though might make a decent grow out pen in the future, as I’ve noticed younger birds are more willing to climb and explore. If you have predators, a raccoon for example can rip thru that soft wood so easily, and mice and rats can chew thru since it’s so soft. Again, not an issue for me, we have an overpopulation of hawks, so the small critters don’t cross the open area of the yard to get near the coop, or if they do, they don’t make it. If you can return it, I would. If you can’t, just make the best of it. I reinforced the joints with metal hardware, and I wall papered the coop with flex seal tape. So far it’s doing ok, but i think 1-2 years is the max life of these things.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Nice little coop for your quail! Quail will use ramps after they get used to them. When I downsized from large aviaries to a small coop having only a handful of quail left, they quickly adapted to using the ramp. Do not insulate your coop, as long as they can get out of the wind, they will be fine. I drove stakes into the ground to keep it attached to the earth. Definitely predator proof it making updates to areas of the coop that you feel may not be sturdy enough. And be sure to stop by our Quail forums for more help. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/quail.48/

 

[N F C]

Hope you enjoy your little birds, it's nice to have you here!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUN-omenal community!

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC.