Quail pen idea...

[Bigdtc]

O.K. folks.. I finally was able to acquire a barrel to make a prototype.. The rest of the barrels should be delivered sometime this week. If they are then I'll order up some quail next week and get started.. I'm very happy with my results..
Details and lots of pics are here... Non-members should be able to view them without joining the forum..
http://mdpreparedness.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=115&pid=20141#pid20141

 

[onewithquail]

This sounds like a good idea to me, and any thing that can save money is always a bonus, looking forward to seeing the pic's...

 

[onewithquail]

Hey prototype looks great, I was just wondering though, how easy is it to collect the eggs? Can you put the support at the front to the sides some how to give you room to reach in or some thing like that?, just wondering....other then that it looks like a great idea to me...

 

[mossypath]

Nice..
Why don’t you cut out some of the bottom and let most of the waste falls out. You can cover it out with hardware cloth if you want. And if they were mine I would cut inside the lip of the end and make the door with plywood with cloth attached to it . It would not warp in the sun and stay sturdier.
A panel cut in to the side could act as a hatch that could be opened to let more air and light in.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Bigdtc]

I can actually reach the back of the cage as I have long arms.. lol

I thought about cutting out the bottom but they will be stacked on top of each other so it would be quite a mess. It will have some 1/2" drain holes in the bottom but the way they are now I can pull a wheelbarrow up to them and pull the "mess" out of the bottom.. should be easy to do but I'll adjust where needed.. I like the idea of the top hatch opening and would do that if I could not reach the back of the cage..

 

[onewithquail]

Sounds great!, be sure to post some pic's of the finished ones...!

 

[MobyQuail]

I like it and wish you much success.

did your birds arrive?

 

[Bigdtc]

I like it and wish you much success.

did your birds arrive?

No, not yet.. I did get the pens outside and have everything ready. I have the pens set up, purchased some feed, made feeders out of pvc and feeder bases, attached the waterers to the pens.. I just need the quail now. The plan is for them to be mailed tomorrow but I've not heard back from the breeder in La. yet.. I hope he calls today because I've e-mailed him a couple of times and got no response. They were supposed to come last week but he did'nt want to send them as the weather was cold here and he said he didn't want them to get chilled sitting at an airport. It will be in the 60's here by end of week. I'll post when I know more.. I'm patiently getting impatient.. .

 

[MobyQuail]

yeh man been there done that, eventually had to ask for money back.
are you getting chicks or adults, oh yeh 5-6 wks old...what colors? jumbos?

not to get off topic but nice avatar, what kinda birds are they, they look robust.

 

[Bigdtc]

Just plain old cots.. He did say he would throw a few jumbos in there for me.. I really hope to get them this week as I've been waiting for 3 now and I have folks anxiously waiting on eggs.
..I think the chickens are Java's.. They lay large brown eggs and have been great. They don't mind the cold as much as my others seem to and are fairly friendly. I think they weigh 6-7 lbs or so.