What about a Rabbit hutch to keep quail?

[TwoCrows]

You are brilliant James....just brilliant! LOL

 

[danpv]

I agree with your statement that "they can and will crap everywhere"... that solid flooring you suggest is another item that will need to be cleaned and scrubbed of feces. Just me, but after a while, that wood flooring will start to decay and rot and will need to be replaced. The 1/2" hardware cloth will allow the droppings to fall through to the ground.
Something to consider.

Depends on what the solid flooring is made from and how large your hutch is. My hutch is about 2.5' x 5' and has a plastic lined tray under the roofed area that I keep liberally covered with wood shavings. Cleaning is a snap; just remove the tray, dump the shavings, hose off the tray if there's any poop on it, let dry in the sun - takes less than 10 minutes. Depending on the size of your hutch, cardboard or a piece of old vinyl flooring is an option; cover with wood shavings and your quail will love it. I also do a bit of general cleaning daily always adding another layer of shavings afterwards and though it builds up eventually, the girls enjoy digging and "nesting" in it.

"The 1/2" hardware cloth will allow the droppings to fall through to the ground." Definitely worthwhile for a raised pen but personally wouldn't use it for the entire coop. Though it allows most of the poop to fall through, it gets dirty too - those little quail don't have a good enough aim to avoid feces-covered wire.

 

[Cheeky Chick]

X2

I agree with James here that a solid wood floor will grow bacteria and rot eventually. Wood can not be sanitized. I use a rabbit hutch as a coop for wintering my birds in an aviary. I am not a fan of cleaning wire, and the floor of the rabbit hutch is wire. And as James has already told us, wood rots. I just add grass hay over the wire. About 2 inches of it. Some of it does get trampled into the catch tray beneath, and sometimes the wire is exposed, but at least most of it stays covered. However, you will need to remove the soiled hay each day and replace it with new. I think hutches make great quail pens. Just make sure they are 100% varmint proof if you are keeping them outside. Cover the 1 inch wire holes on the sides with 1/2 or 1/4 hardware cloth. And secure the catch pan beneath so nothing can pull it out in the night. Use a good lock on the front cage opening to keep it from being fooled with in the night as well. Here is a pic of a Bob hen inside the rabbit hutch...

I like the hay idea-my chickens have loads of hay in their pen and house. Comfy and hay smells good. I like that.

Now I need to locate some Coturnix. Not really a popular or commonly kept bird here on Long island. Anyone know of any?

 

[Joshp]

Hey everyone,
i personally havent done this, but have seen people who have. the idea is that you make the bottom of their cage full of sand, and when they crap, you leave it to harden then you just use a small sieve, or fish net with wider holes to pick up the solids and leave the sand behind. sand is better than the wire flooring. my opinion at least.

opinions??

 

[cshma11]

We are doing deep litter so the floor will be solid wood, lined with plastic (like tarp or something?) and then the shavings and leaves and dirt and such.

 

[JessicaL2322]

Hey everyone,
i personally havent done this, but have seen people who have. the idea is that you make the bottom of their cage full of sand, and when they crap, you leave it to harden then you just use a small sieve, or fish net with wider holes to pick up the solids and leave the sand behind. sand is better than the wire flooring. my opinion at least.

opinions??

Did you end up trying this?

 

[Huntmaster]

Did you end up trying this?

Old thread poster was last seen April 2017

 

[The Birb King]

A rabbit hutch would be good for Coturnix, just make sure it does not have a wire floor.

 

[cathalmire]

I'm interested in raising Coturnix, and I've seen some great "Off the ground" rabbit hutches for sale on Craigslist, that I think would be perfect for quail.

Do you think that would work? They have the little house and the run part that's all wire with a tray for underneath? I'm going to go have a look at a few and then I have to find some quail out here. Not an easy thing. I guess I could also try hatching them myself, although those of us on Long Island have been having a problem with shipped eggs of any kind hatching.

So-what do you experts think of the rabbit hutch idea?

I use a rabbit hutch for my quail and the use the ramp to get to the each level