Show me your quail pens

Hi chickenguy! i,ve changed my setup about 5 times, but this is what i have atm. at the back i have a breeding cage on wire. at the front is a walk in section which i have about 17 quails
 
This is old, but here's one:






Yup, I raise 'em on the ground, in chain link. The chain link is now covered almost completely with hardware cloth, and the top is covered with wire, and there's wire under the dirt. Right now, there are three quail in about a hundred square feet. They are happy birds. I'll add another half dozen hens in the Spring. They're completely different from how caged birds act--calm as chickens, talkative, and fun to watch dig & dust bathe. And no fighting or feather-pulling ever (I keep only one male in the pen--I could probably keep two if I had a dozen girls or so).

There are more pictures and details on my blog, here.
 
I really don't have trouble with smells or hygiene, but my secret is not all that useful if you are trying to raise quail for anything other than eggs and pets: Low density. At most, I have 8 or 10 in a 100-sq-ft area. It's shaded by tons of trees, so they also constantly have tree leaves falling in and adding carbonaceous material to help decompose the poop.

If I had a larger number, I'd probably bed them with straw and just mix it up/add more regularly. Still, for truly factory-style numbers, raised pens are probably much more practical. I find in a raised pen that it helps them a LOT to have a sandbox to hang out in. When mine were in brooders, they'd spend almost all day in the sandbox, and it's where they'd lay their eggs too. Kept the eggs cleaner & easier to collect, too. Put high sides on two or three sides of the sandbox though--they'll kick the sand all over otherwise, and you'll lose it through the wire.
 
my quail pen is almost done!!!! ill try to figure out how to put pictures on here and post them tomorrow!!!
 

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