So... one pesky housing question....

[saddina]

Ok hatching date is about the 1st, I have a 20 gal aquarium set aside for brooding, and a small light, some game chick starter, feeders, waterer but....

I need some caging help.

We're planning on having them in the garage (it's ventilated and cooler than the yard). The garage has some built-in shelves we don't use. I'm thinking about making a hardware cloth door for them, and sliding in a tray of newspaper for droppings, like you would a finch.

12H X 12T X 36W is each shelf and there's 5 stacked on each other.

So each shelf is 3sqft.

Am I nuts? or does this sound reasonable? I'm uh... tool impaired (long story involving electrocution and firemen there), so I'm looking for something I can tack together with a few nails and staple gun. Being in the garage it has to keep quail in, not animals out.

 

[Munchies]

First, you will need to put 1/2 inch wire cloth two inches above each shelf so the birds are not walking in there own dropping. and you can change the trays underneath. I say trays because if you try to catch it with newspaper the newspaper will stick to your shelf.

Second, you'll need trays that hang on front so you can give them food and water.

Third, an access door big enough for you to get your hand in while holding onto a full-sized bird on each shelf. This might involve hardware and power tools.

Fourth, you can only safely house 6 birds on each shelf.

 

[saddina]

Quote:
Not a problem, with 40 eggs in the bator, well if I have 30 hatch, great, but even then I'd have to cull 10ish as extra roos.