Quail Pen?

[AnotherKim]

Hi everyone. I'm back to Backyard Chickens after a long while. I'm thinking of getting quail now. I would like to have them as pets and maybe, sell some eggs. After reading up on quail, I'm debating on buying an incubator and some eggs. I thought it would be fun for my grandsons and foster son to watch the chicks hatch.
Now I'm debating housing options. I would kind of like to build a big aviary for them. I'm curious to see if any of you have raised your quail on bare ground. Would pea gravel work for a ground material. I thought I could spray it off with water every week for cleaning. Or is the ammonia I keep hearing about, going to be an issue on the ground underneath? Would wood chips be a better option? Do you have to change those weekly? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[little_chick_homestead]

I'm not fully sure of what type of pen to build, in my opinion, I would just build a large rabbit hut for them with extra would on run space. I would also have it covered as quail supposedly lime to fly. I can't really keep quail in my state due to some laws or thongs you have to follow to be able to raise the quail. You should check that too, make sure you can keep them without a license!

 

[le_bwah]

Hatch if you can—it's so much fun!

I raise mine on the ground using the deep litter method (but I'll be switching over to straight dirt + wood chips in the spring). Gravel might not wash easily enough to be worth it—depends on how many quail you'll keep. I've got nine and it took them over six months to get their bedding truly dirty—I only had to flip it every other day.

I think they're most interesting to watch when they have lots of room and a more "natural" enclosure.

 

[AnotherKim]

I'm not fully sure of what type of pen to build, in my opinion, I would just build a large rabbit hut for them with extra would on run space. I would also have it covered as quail supposedly lime to fly. I can't really keep quail in my state due to some laws or thongs you have to follow to be able to raise the quail. You should check that too, make sure you can keep them without a license!

Yes. I'm planning to look into that this week. I'm in Arizona. I think you have to be licensed to raise New World quail, but I'm not sure about Coturnex.

 

[AnotherKim]

Hatch if you can—it's so much fun!

I raise mine on the ground using the deep litter method (but I'll be switching over to straight dirt + wood chips in the spring). Gravel might not wash easily enough to be worth it—depends on how many quail you'll keep. I've got nine and it took them over six months to get their bedding truly dirty—I only had to flip it every other day.

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I think they're most interesting to watch when they have lots of room and a more "natural" enclosure.

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I love your set-up. That's kind of what I was thinking of.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi Kim! My name is Kim too Welcome back.

I live in Phoenix and you don't need a permit for Coturnix. Gambles and Bobwhites you do but I've heard it's very easy to get and not too expensive.

I was just going to copy some of the pics from my thread about raising quail on the ground and post here but I see you've been there already so I'll go answer you there. I hope you enjoy having quail!

 

[Fishkeeper]

Gravel isn't a very good flooring for most things animal-related. Deep litter is a good option for most. Just be sure you dig the hardware cloth deep into the ground so nothing can dig in and get at them. Quail require even more predator-proofing than chickens, as a rat can do major damage to one, and snakes are a concern even at their full size. Most places don't have snakes big enough to swallow a whole adult chicken, but a decent number of places have chickens big enough to take on quail.

 

[Kaya1]

I recently switched to a large aviary, and found that they don't like open space very much. With only 16 hens on mostly clay/granite ground, I just sweep, rake, and scrape the ground once per month.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Quail are small prey animals, they like a lot of cover. They'll use space if you give it to them, you just have to make sure they feel safe in it. Branches and durable plants are a good way to go. And if they don't have any soft ground under them, be sure they have a big sandbox to dustbathe and scratch in.

 

[AnotherKim]

Thanks all. I think I'll skip the gravel and just leave it dirt. I plan to put bushes and overturned planters for hiding spaces. I probably won't start until late Summer or early Fall. We have a busy Spring already starting and Summer is ridiculous hot here.