what is the best housing for japanese quail?

[zayn]

hi everyone, i currently have 5 japanese quail one male:4 females and keep them in a very large wooden open topped box sort of thing which is in a safe outdoor/indoor spot(it is in between the garden and house, but not part of the house, bit like a conservatory) and want to get a new place so they can be shut and safe outside like a rabbit hutch. i was thinking off a place where they can be off the ground. i have three ideas in mind,but all comes with one problem:

INDOOR RABBIT CAGE: not warm enough too open and they will get cold at night, also not waterproof-will get wet and fill up with water-plastic sheet can be used, but i wont be able to always put it on when it rains.

DOUBLE TIER RABBIT HUTCH: although this is the best idea which suits many of my requirements, they will not use the ramp and if fox proof wire is used they can fit their head through which predators can get.

SINGLE RABBIT HUTCH: not very large and not enough light will be able to get in the hutch as only one side is open(mesh/fox proof wire)

ON THE GROUNd CHICKEN COOP/RUN: another good idea but cats are common round here and can easily dig their way under their coop especially if it is not level.

What do most people keep quail in and what is the best housing to keep my japanese quial? any ideas or advice would be really appreciated, thanks in advance


zayn

 

[stephstuckman]

There are tons of ideas aready posted. Search the forum for quail coops, there are multiple threads with tons of photos

 

[Fat Daddy]

hi everyone, i currently have 5 japanese quail one male:4 females and keep them in a very large wooden open topped box sort of thing which is in a safe outdoor/indoor spot(it is in between the garden and house, but not part of the house, bit like a conservatory) and want to get a new place so they can be shut and safe outside like a rabbit hutch. i was thinking off a place where they can be off the ground. i have three ideas in mind,but all comes with one problem:

INDOOR RABBIT CAGE: not warm enough too open and they will get cold at night, also not waterproof-will get wet and fill up with water-plastic sheet can be used, but i wont be able to always put it on when it rains.

DOUBLE TIER RABBIT HUTCH: although this is the best idea which suits many of my requirements, they will not use the ramp and if fox proof wire is used they can fit their head through which predators can get.

SINGLE RABBIT HUTCH: not very large and not enough light will be able to get in the hutch as only one side is open(mesh/fox proof wire)

ON THE GROUNd CHICKEN COOP/RUN: another good idea but cats are common round here and can easily dig their way under their coop especially if it is not level.

What do most people keep quail in and what is the best housing to keep my japanese quial? any ideas or advice would be really appreciated, thanks in advance


zayn

You with find the rabbit hutch much easier for YOU..... Most end up with this type of corurnix pen. The quail will prefer a ground pen for sure. But this makes you changing out sand or bedding fairly regular and finding the eggs becomes a easter egg hunt every day.... In the hutch type pen you can see the birds better with out actually handling them and the eggs are easy too. Not to mention all the poop that falls thru and you can shovel it into 5 gal buckets or straight to compost pile when it needs to be removed..... But folks find their own reasons to land one way or another. If you have a rabbit hutch already, try it.... I dont think the lighting is going to be the issue you think it is.... Good luck

 

[zayn]

stephstuckman and Fat Daddy thanks for the advice, maybe i will go for the rabbit hutch double decker, but would i need a mesh floor so th epoop collects on the pull out drawer instead of on the floor< and what is the bsest bedding,(hay/wood shavings/wood chips)?

 

[Fat Daddy]

I always use 1/2" x 1" wire for the bottom of birds pens and rabbit hutches. 100% of the time..... I do use bedding in brooders before they move out side.... My first choice is a horse pellet product that is designed to soak up moisture. It breaks down into saw dust as it gets wet and last a very long time in this application. Odor free two or three times as long as pine chips which would be my second choice.... Iv seen several posters concerned about birds eating the saw dust after the pellets have broken down or whole pellets. I have raised 100's of quail,chukar and chickens directly on them as bedding with no issues at all. They pick at them but its never been a problem.... BTW, If you spread these about 1/2" deep in the bottom on a poop pan, they cut the smell and make cleaning the pans SO much easier......

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tractor-supply-coreg;-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb

 

[zayn]

@ Fat Daddy i think that should work for the quails, thanks for the link, i have got some 1/2" x 1" wire mesh so i need to fix that just above thier floor when i order the hutch, thanks again for the advice