Quail in a greenhouse?

[Fishkeeper]

Does anyone keep quail in a greenhouse? It seems like it'd work out pretty well- greenhouses are pretty much predator-proofed already, they're warm enough that buttons would be happy, and there's plenty of space. All you'd have to do is set up something so they couldn't bolt out the door when you opened it, add a few hiding places, and make sure you didn't accidentally set a pot down on your quail. Maybe hang something soft under all the shelves so they wouldn't bonk their heads.
Would this work as well as I think, or would the humidity be an issue for them, especially down near the ground? I don't know what levels of humidity quail are fine with.

 

[sourland]

I think okay for the winter, but not so good in the summer.

 

[007Sean]

I agree with @sourland , if you could regulate the temps and humidity year round, it might be a viable plan.

 

[Fishkeeper]

I suppose it would depend on where in the world the greenhouse was and how hot it got in the summer. A good greenhouse with shade cloth and a fan shouldn't ever get uncomfortable in the summer- that's not so good for plants, either.

What humidity CAN quail be healthy in?

 

[007Sean]

Where I'm located the humidity in the summer is 80-85% most days, combined with triple digits temperature. It hasn't killed any birds yet but I know it's not good for them either. Their enclosures are well ventilated and have plenty of shade. I often water down their enclosures to give them some relief from the heat.

It's not necessarily just the humidity but the combination of temp and humidity that's lethal.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Does anyone keep quail in a greenhouse? It seems like it'd work out pretty well- greenhouses are pretty much predator-proofed already, they're warm enough that buttons would be happy, and there's plenty of space. All you'd have to do is set up something so they couldn't bolt out the door when you opened it, add a few hiding places, and make sure you didn't accidentally set a pot down on your quail. Maybe hang something soft under all the shelves so they wouldn't bonk their heads.
Would this work as well as I think, or would the humidity be an issue for them, especially down near the ground? I don't know what levels of humidity quail are fine with.

I'm planning to! It's just being built right now.

I take issue with saying they're predator-proof, though. I guess it depends on your neighborhood predators. Mine are bears, so even with two layers of electric fence I wouldn't call my setup foolproof. They broke into our garage and got my entire original flock before we even got those up.

Where I'm located the humidity in the summer is 80-85% most days, combined with triple digits temperature. It hasn't killed any birds yet but I know it's not good for them either. Their enclosures are well ventilated and have plenty of shade. I often water down their enclosures to give them some relief from the heat.

It's not necessarily just the humidity but the combination of temp and humidity that's lethal.

With a summer max of 80 and a whopping 9% air humidity it's perfect for where we are!

 

[Fishkeeper]

Oof, yeah, greenhouses aren't bear-proof. I forgot about bears. They'll work against most other animals, though- I can't see a fox gnawing through glass. Put it on a solid base, and that keeps out the burrowing animals. Glass and metal construction means nothing can gnaw in, then you just gotta worry about any sort of ventilation windows, and about raccoons opening the door. Carabiner through the door latch will keep the 'coons out. I'd probably back the vent windows with hardware cloth to keep out squirrels and anything that drops out of an overhead tree, plus a layer of mosquito mesh, and voila. Nothing short of a bear, a super-determined big dog, or Bigfoot should be able to get in, unless Mother Nature invents squirrels that can climb glass and chew through hardware cloth. And if that happens, we got bigger problems than the quail.

Could probably rig a small fan to a solar panel and battery, cage it in hardware cloth to keep the dummies out, and put that down on the floor to help with temp and humidity issues. Shade cloth as needed to help with the heat, plenty of shade from the plants, and maybe monitor it through the middle of summer to be sure before adding any quail.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Oof, yeah, greenhouses aren't bear-proof. I forgot about bears.

Honestly, I doubt these ones would've even normally been that bold, but we've got a mama sow with two big babies she's trying to get fattened before winter. That sounds like a great plan for a setup! Mine'll be about the same, just....electrified....

Wish me luck when I inevitably forget about that last bit xD

 

[DK newbie]

Keeping quail in greenhouses is quite common in Denmark, where I live. I haven't tried it yet, but I intend to. The ventilation windows should be covered, not just to keep squirrels out, but also to keep boinking quail in. Apparently buttons do well in high temperatures - I read an account from someone who said his were sunbathing in the hottest part of the day.
Humidity can be a problem for chicks. Adults will most likely do fine (be aware of poo-balls forming on their toes, though), but I'd try to keep the ground as dry as possible if you intend to let the birds breed.
Small plants should be placed out of reach and apparently some quail love styrofoam (I think cots are worse than buttons though), so you should try to avoid that too. But other than that - go for it

 

[Fishkeeper]

What about doing deep litter? I know that can make it harder to keep bugs out of the plants, but I'd imagine the quail would help some with that. Plus, whenever you need to repot a plant, just dump the old dirt out and scoop up some new compost!