We used to raise rabbits for meat and have several rabbit cages left. I was wondering about repurposing them to raise a few cortunix quail for meat and eggs. The cages are mounted in a kennel-type structure. I'm wondering what type of hardware cloth I should affix to the floor and walls to keep the quail safe and comfortable in the cages, if this is a feasable idea. (The rabbit cages have "baby-saver wire" if that matters.) Also, we are in the country and there ARE rats and mice around if that is a consideration. (And no, I won't use poison.) What kind of temperatures would rule-out keeping quail outdoors in cages? Summer temps get above 100°, sometimes above 110° F. The chickens pant, but it hasn't been a problem with them...Can quail deal with that kind of heat? (Nights always cool down to the 50s.) Thanks for any advice.
To keep out mice use 1/4 hardware cloth and keep the bottoms covered so predators don't eat feet at night/risk bumblefoot on sharp poo wire. Coturnix quail don't shelter from wind/rain so keep that in mind, we keep ours either indoors or in the garage on deep wood shavings with no drafts during the winter, I live in Ontario, Canada and have kept them this way with no problems this year
Quail are very heat tolerant but they may stop laying when it gets too hot for them. It's essential they have shade if it's hot and I have read that over 110F people use misters to keep them cool. I'd put their cage in a shady spot and make sure they always have a shallow pan of water to stand in. They will need a dust bath and area that allows them to get off the wire flooring where you could have some bedding such as staw or hay to encourage them to lay their eggs there. Be aware that you need to keep wire bottomed cages very clean as, as Binki said, they can get bumblefoot from puncturing/scratching their foot on the dried on poop. I much prefer keeping them on bedding (no scrubbing involved) and they love scratching round in it.
