Slightly smaller chicken coop.

[Athiena14]

I'm building a slightly smaller chicken coop for my quail with a fenced in yard for them to scratch around. Is this okay for them? I like my birds free ranged but understand you can't really do that with quail.

 

[JaeG]

As long as the yard has a roof/netting on top so they cannot fly out and predators cannot dig in - everything likes to eat quail and I've had rats have a go at pulling them through 1/2 inch hardware cloth (they did first try to chew their way in ). They need more of an aviary than a 'run'. I now keep mine in raised cages because of my little rat problem! But I'd love them to be in an aviary and have space to run and jump around (I love their jumping games).

Quail generally prefer to sleep rough rather than cuddle up in a coop so make sure they are sheltered from the prevailing wind and you may need a board around the bottom of the run to ensure nothing can reach through and grab them. You'd be best using the coop for food and their dust bath to encourage them to go in there, plus it keeps all that dry. They will sometimes use ramps but will easily hop up and down stairs.

 

[Athiena14]

As long as the yard has a roof/netting on top so they cannot fly out and predators cannot dig in - everything likes to eat quail and I've had rats have a go at pulling them through 1/2 inch hardware cloth (they did first try to chew their way in ). They need more of an aviary than a 'run'. I now keep mine in raised cages because of my little rat problem! But I'd love them to be in an aviary and have space to run and jump around (I love their jumping games).

Quail generally prefer to sleep rough rather than cuddle up in a coop so make sure they are sheltered from the prevailing wind and you may need a board around the bottom of the run to ensure nothing can reach through and grab them. You'd be best using the coop for food and their dust bath to encourage them to go in there, plus it keeps all that dry. They will sometimes use ramps but will easily hop up and down stairs.

Thankfully it's not rats I gotta worry about. It's feral cats XD. The yard will have will have netting and making it out of an old work bench and reclaimed wood

 

[Danny C.]

As long as the yard has a roof/netting on top so they cannot fly out and predators cannot dig in - everything likes to eat quail and I've had rats have a go at pulling them through 1/2 inch hardware cloth (they did first try to chew their way in ). They need more of an aviary than a 'run'. I now keep mine in raised cages because of my little rat problem! But I'd love them to be in an aviary and have space to run and jump around (I love their jumping games).

Quail generally prefer to sleep rough rather than cuddle up in a coop so make sure they are sheltered from the prevailing wind and you may need a board around the bottom of the run to ensure nothing can reach through and grab them. You'd be best using the coop for food and their dust bath to encourage them to go in there, plus it keeps all that dry. They will sometimes use ramps but will easily hop up and down stairs.

As JeaG is describing, this is how mine looks and protected. There are plenty of spots inside that I’ve got inside to hide and fill secure as well. The only issues I’ve had were raptors, hence the lower protectors around the pen..

 

[Athiena14]

They are in. Went to check on them a few hours later and like jaeg said none are in the coop part. Lol. The food and water are in there. Will they go in there to lay their eggs at least?

 

[paneubert]

Will they go in there to lay their eggs at least?

Highly doubt it. Quail don't need, and don't really use coops. Mine would occasionally go hang out in a wooden dog house I had in their aviary, but the eggs (and birds) were just as likely to be found outside the doghouse as inside. It was completely random and by chance.

 

[Athiena14]

Highly doubt it. Quail don't need, and don't really use coops. Mine would occasionally go hang out in a wooden dog house I had in their aviary, but the eggs (and birds) were just as likely to be found outside the doghouse as inside. It was completely random and by chance.

That means I gotta make another outside door in the mesh lol