Off the ground?

[doubleatraining]

Do quail have to be housed off the ground? I plan on having the main group of quail off the ground in a large pen but found a deal on 3x3 pens that will be on the ground. I want to use them as grow out pens. Will this be ok?

 

[thekid]

Yes quail pens must be off the ground if unless you want to worm your quail often.

 

[doubleatraining]

Hmmm Ok. How far off the ground? Can I put these pens on cinder blocks?

 

[thekid]

Quote:
I have mine at about 2 feet

 

[HEChicken]

I have mine directly on the ground and have seen no sign of worms. I love that they can hide in the long grass and dust bathe naturally. I move the cage once a week or so, since they get the grass trampled down flat fairly quickly.

 

[thekid]

Quote:
Soon my friend very soon... Just kidding lol. Unless there are no worms in your area. (normally not there if you have a lawn care service like true green) And the other thing that I dont like about wire is that they are walking in there own droppings

except with chickens they just turn the ground into a dirt pile and poop in there coop

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote:
This is not necessarily a true statement. Worming quail just for the sake of it, or because you assume they need it is never a good idea. Unless they show signs of worms, then worming often only becomes a poison to them.

Many folks keep their quail on the ground with no ill effects. The factors I have found that keep quail healthy ground dwellers is, number one, and this is a big one, dry, drier, driest. Keep the ground as dry as possible. Diseases, bacterium, fungus, worms and all those nastys love wet, warm conditions. So if you cover the area when it is going to rain, or build a roof over the area they are living in, disease is less likely.

Number two, is plenty of room. If they are not standing in their own filth all the time for having plenty of space to live in, then they are less likely to pick up crud.

Number three....keep it clean. Clean it often, use a dry bedding that is absorbent and don't allow the gunk to build up.

So, back to the worming...I went nearly 5 years with aviaries filled with quail before I ever wormed my birds, and I only wormed them because I thought it MIGHT be time to worm. My birds are healthy, happy and I have never lost one of them to disease attributed to being on the ground. If you are in doubt, you can take a fecal sample to your vet and they can determine if they do in fact have worms or what type of worm they have.

Worms are everywhere and do infect all birds and ground birds are more suseptable. But you do not have to be afraid to keep quail on the ground. They will love all the freedom available to them and if you can offer areas with grass, they will think they died and went to heaven! Good luck!

-L

 

[doubleatraining]

OK so it would be reasonable to put 7-8 quail in these pens for growing out....moving them daily? The pens have a roof and sides so they will stay dry. I can move them to "higher ground" in the yard when they are calling for rain. The grass will help keep mud and yuk down too.

If it doesn't go smoothly I can always figure out a way to raise the pens.....

I would hate to pass up this good deal on pens.

 

[JJMR794]

Worming quail just for the sake of it, or because you assume they need it is never a good idea. Unless they show signs of worms, then worming often only becomes a poison to them.

NOT TRUE. ALL FOWL KEPT IN GROUND PENS SHOULD BE ON A STRUCTURED AND ROTATING WORMING BASIS, THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE OF QUAIL. ALSO NO WORMER MEDICATION IS ABSORBED BY THE BIRDS AND THEREFORE NOT A POISON. WORMERS WORK BY STAYING IN THE ANIMALS DIGESTIVE TRACT AND PARALYZING THE PARASITES LOCATED THERE= THUS THE BIRD IS ABLE TO REMOVE THEM THROUGH GASTRIC MOTILITY AND BASICALLY (AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING CRUDE) CRAP THEM OUT

ITS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT BIRDS ELEVATED ON WIRE NEED PERIODIC WORMING AS WELL... JUST NOT AS FREQUENTLY. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR LOCAL COUNTY EXTENTION AGENT OR LIVESTOCK VET FOR FULL ADVICE AND THE BEST PLAN FOR YOUR GEOGRAPHIC AREA AS DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES OFFER SAFE HAVEN TO DIFFERENT MALADIES AND YOU NEED SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR LOCALITY TO BEST ADVISE YOU

ALSO TO THE OP YOU REALLY NEED TO DO SOME SERIOUS SEARCHING HERE ON PENS AND CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS FREQUENT PREDATION PROBLEMS SPECIFIC TO GAMEBIRDS, THEY ARE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN OTHER POULTRY AND PREDATION PROBLEMS ARE MUCH MORE SEVERE WITH THEM. MOVEABLE BOTTOMLESS PENS OFTEN RESULT IN POOR SECURITY AND BIRD LOSS... JUST SEARCH AROUND HERE IN QUYAIL AND YOU'LL EASILY FIND MANY STORIES ABOUT BIRDS EATEN OR KILLED. ITS DIFFICULT TO BUILD MOVEABLE PENS WITH ADEQUATE SECURITY FOR QUAIL~ THINGS THAT WOULD NORMALLY LOOK LONGINGLY AT CHICKENS IN TRACTORS THEN MOVE ON GET STUPID IDEAS+ UNBRIDLED DETERMINATION WHEN YOU REPLACE THE CHICKENS WITH TEMPTING TENDER TASTY SNACK SIZE MORSELS WE CALL QUAIL​

 

[Covey Rise Plantation]

ALSO NO WORMER MEDICATION IS ABSORBED BY THE BIRDS AND THEREFORE NOT A POISON.

How else would Levamisole, Fenbendazole and Albendazole kill Gapeworms, Eye Worms, Ovay Flukes Or even Roundworm larvae if they wasn't absorbed through the intestinal tract ? Or that residues of Levamisole can be found in the meat of Ringnecked Pheasants and Bobwhites for up to ten days?