rabbit cage from TSC

[willow_lane]

Has any one used this pen from Tractor Supply? I made my first cage the other night but was not extremly thrilled with it. I am not very handy.

It looks like this cage would work great to house 4 quail. Would you recommend any modification to the cage to use it?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
no pic.

 

[laputa]

Great cage.
I use this cage, and the cheapest I found is here (their shipping is really cheap too, I order 3 cages and a bunch of other stuff, and the total shipping is less than $10):
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(jii2ui55b03efz554mczqxz2)/productDetails.aspx?SKU=8014789

The cage itself is not raccoon proof. I build a two story rack with 1/2 hardware cloth covering the outside.

The feeder with the bottle in the photo did not work well. I had to use the long stick one with slight mod to prevent wastage, and they worked a lot better.

 

[willow_lane]

Sorry, I meant to include a link to this .

http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-ca...house-trade-complete-hutch-kit-24-in--2179457

 

[willow_lane]

laputa,

Great setup. Do the cages have pull out dropping trays? If they did not come with the trays did you build your own?

 

[Emilys3guppies]

I keep a breeding quad in one of those cages...they're great. Got it at the TSC but it has a solid bottom...I prefer that. My birds are spoiled pets and we like to watch them in the shavings.

 

[Pokes79]

I just tried the Ace Hardware cages online and they want over $30 to ship three cages.

 

[laputa]

willow_lane, I build the poop tray, it is 4 pieces of wood and a piece of plywood nailed together, really simple and cheap. The kit IMO is not worth the price since if you use it outdoor, you can't just go plug and play, you still need to modify it to make it raccoon proof.

Pokes79, did you try ace hardware, or ace hardware outlet? I am in CA, and ordered from ace hardware outlet a few months ago, my shipping is $8 for 3 cages and various feeders/tools, and arrived within 3 days. It might be because they are shipped from their local warehouse.


Edit: Pokes79, you are right, I just tried the shipping estimate and it went over 30 bucks. Out of stock in local warehouse maybe and got quoted from a different state? Otherwise it's hard to understand why such a big change in shipping cost. I would definitely try a different online source then with lower total cost.

 

[ksukristin]

I bought one of those from ace and my shipping was $8.19- for just one cage yowza...it must have gone up. But I bit the bullet and got it cause I was in a pinch- and the wire on the bottom is larger than I anticipated. laputa did you line the bottom of yours with a smaller hardware cloth? I can't tell from the pictures.
I was going to use a large drip pan from the automotive section at wal-mart for a poop tray- not as fancy as laputa's but functional and easy to hose off. I really like the stacking set up- thanks for sharing the pics!

 

[laputa]

ksukristin, I did not line the bottom with smaller size mesh. The bottom is 1/2 by 1 inch, gauge 14 wire, I think that is pretty standard for raising quails, and comfortable enough for their feet.
The only thing I felt that could use an improvement is, I wish the openings on the side wall are vertical instead of horizontal. They are 1 by 2 inches. But being horizontal openings, it is possible but not comfortable at all for the quails to stick their heads out, if the feeder/waterer are hung outside. One possible mod would be to replace one of the side panel with a vertical opening panel, so you can hang waterer/feeder outside.