Newbie question about quail shelters

[FenDruadin]

My husband is thinking about getting into quail, and we've been browsing the awesome quail pen sticky. But we're wondering--I noticed many of them have what looks like a nesting box (and many do not). What is the nesting box for? Do they lay better, brood sometimes, just prefer the privacy?

Thanks!!!

 

[JJMR794]

Depending On The Speces And Individual Birds.... Decoration

! Most Could Care Less About Nest Boxes

 

[_Randall_]

I've got my Bobs on 1/2" sq. hardware wire. They just drop'em anywhere and everywhere on the wire. I was gonna build nesting boxes extending from the coop, but chose not to. Sure makes for a good, clean poop-free egg for hatching or pickling.....

 

[FenDruadin]

Thanks, guys! I think we're going to go with a standard rabbit-hutch style box I've been using for brooding our ducks--no enclosed nestbox area, but it sounds like that's not terribly important. We'll probably expand with other cages along the way, but this provides us a good start without much investment.

Now, I just need to find Coturnix breeders in my area with birds available for sale...