Question on housing quail?

[sydney13]

Recently I was given a used rabbit hutch and I've been thinking about getting some courtnix quail to house in it. I have the hutch in pretty large covered pen. The pen isn't predator proof though so I was thinking of locking the quail up in the rabbit hutch at night so their safe. I was wondering if the quail will return to the hutch at night on their own like how chickens know to go to their shelter at dusk? Or will they just stay in the pen?
Also the pen is made of wire that has 1" x 2" openings. Is that small enough to hold courtnix quail or will they be able to squeeze through?
Thanks!

 

[Reedgirl20]

Coturnix generally won't go back to a hutch for roosting like a chicken, you would have to catch them and lock them up each night. A full grown quail 'might' not squeeze through a two inch gap but a juvenile would easily squeeze through. I don't use anything less then one inch and wait until they are at least two to three weeks old for that.