suggestions and help with decisions

[farrier!]

At this moment my 8' of quail pens are lined up just out the back door along a fence line. So far no problems with predators. I have a tarp for temporary protection.

I need to decide to cover them and an additional 8-15 feet for more pens or move them into the garage/shed.
In the garage (separate building) I would have electricity for more light for longer egg laying. Unluckily the building is extremely insulated on all sides and top with a cement floor. No outdoor light gets in and it is not set up for airflow. I think they had a working furnace and one of the teenagers lived there at one time. (no water inside).

Being south of most of Kentucky should I make a roof over the pens outside or move them in?

I have around 60+ Chukars, Bob Whites and Red Quail I need to build pens for that are in brooders right now. (some for breeders and I hope some for supper)

 

[shelleyd2008]

I would just leave them outside, if you are south of most of KY it shouldn't get too cold there anyway. You can make like a lean-to type structure around them to help block any winds. Or put some windows in your garage.

 

[farrier!]

Quote:
I would not even know how to begin modifying the garage... A lean-to is what I was thinking about. Maybe some clear panels above and down the side to about cage height?

 

[shelleyd2008]

You mean like from the ground up to the bottom of the cages? You could do that, or just put wire around it.

 

[farrier!]

I was thinking about a "roof" about 6' above ground at the high point with a bit of slope to it and a "side" going down to 3' , a guess at my pen hight.

Right now the free range chickens clean up any spills from the quail pens.

 

[mschickychick]

We are in the same situation. This is our first winter with quail. We are trying to decide the best way to keep our Coturnix and Bob's comfortable when it gets cold. We have put our cages in a insulated storage building. It has 2 windows and a large door. I leave the door open when I'm home. We put a fan blowing out to improve the ventilation. I had a problem with the poop trays getting wet from leaking water bottles. You could definitely smell the ammonia. We changed watering systems to resolve most of that issue but I have to clean the trays every other day. I have almost 50 Coturnix quail in those pens. Will be reducing those numbers as they are approaching 12 weeks old. So, I think your idea of a lean-to is probably the better idea.

I will be watching this thread to see how others winter their quail. I can use all the advice I can get.

Thanks

 

[farrier!]

Thanks! The problem with water leaking is also a problem I have and forgot how bad it will be inside.
With furred I know it is better out with air then warm and humid and stale.
I need to decide exactly what I want to do and how tall. I am tiered of trying to build on my own. Hopefully with daughter coming back home I will have a bit of help and enjoy this agin.

 

[mschickychick]

Again, I'm new to this, but aren't Bob's pretty cold hardy whereas Coturnix aren't? I only have a dozen Bob's that are young and I hope will get along in the rabbit hutch until spring. It sits in a sheltered location (out of the wind) and I have a light bulb in there (I used it as a brooder too) in case the weather got really cold. It got to 18 degrees last winter a couple of nights. I have stapled clear plastic to cover the sides when it's been cold too.

I just remembered something! I visited a local quail breeder and he had his quail in a building that was simply a roof, pretty high up, covered with wire. He had no walls. His cages were suspended from the ceiling with wire. He had chickens running around in there probably to clean up the floor. Great ventilation and no smell. What I'm just remembering was in the pictures I saw that were taken in the spring he had covered the walls with plastic. I think this would keep the wind out pretty good. Also of interest he had run 2 strands of electric wire (not over 12 inches high) almost 3 feet from the outside of the building. He said he never had a predator problem.

I don't remember if he had tin roof or not but with no walls lighting should not be a problem. I mean normal daylight. We are putting a roof on our chicken run and going to alternate tin and fiberglass to help with the light.

You mentioned how high to make the roof. You're a horse person right? Don't you always want a tall roof on your barn so the hot tin isn't radiating so much heat down on your horse in the summer?

Just thinking out loud here. Hope it helps.

 

[kingmt]

I like the building idea. I keep mine in the greenhouse with my chickens & ducks. It is a 10 x 12 floor that is dirt with lots of perching. I don't have a problem with smell. When I keep them inside the house in a aquarium as a brooder & I don't change it for a week it will get stinky but if you can get air moving around them I don't think it would be a problem.

If you are having a water leaking, you should look into making a cheap watering system. There is 100's of ideas on here. I like the nipple idea myself.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Coturnix are cold hardy as well, mine did just fine last year. They just need to be able to get out of the wind if they want too.