Hello.
I would like to have some advice, opinions, or whatever about small birds specifically - mainly about QUAILS...
...In order to try to get rid of my allergies, I plan to buy quails - probably Japanese Quails : I have severe allergies, and I am kind of really desperate to get rid of them; and quails' eggs are renowed to help people fight allergies... right?
So, I thought... why not?
(For the record : I have gone to an allergist 10 days ago, but the man clearly did not want to work; and so, I got out of his office without any solution, or even knowing what exactly I'm allergic to...)
...But fact is : I never raised quails.
And I am not totally in the dark here, thanksfully; but I am certain I have not all the knowledges I could need...
So, here I am - begging for some answers...!
(Sorry : will be a bit long...)
▬ CONCERNING THE EGGS :
• 1 • Is eating quails' eggs really so efficient to fight allergies?
Some people report good results only a few days after trying the eggs; and some people report none...
...And I actually even once heard about a woman who decided to eat quails' eggs for her allergies, and who next ended up having a severe allergic reaction to these eggs...
• 2 • How much eggs per day would I need to eat to fight allergies...? And for how long to have a definitive effect?
I find so much different informations... I don't know what/who to believe, so if somebody knows something...?
(7 eggs per day, for 3 months straight...?
...12 eggs per day, everyday of the rest of my life?)
• 3 • Is there a way to cook (or not) the eggs that would be more effective for them to act as an antihistamine?
I have found NO information...!!
If eating the eggs not cooked woud be more effective, then I could just eat them in no-bake desserts - for example...?
But if eating them cooked would be better, then I could just make omelettes everyday...?
▬ CONCERNING THE OTHER BIRDS TO KEEP WITH QUAILS :
Spring is here, and I am preparing to house other birds with my quails...
So...
1 • What birds can be housed with quails - OUTDOORS, ALL YEAR ROUND?
...Knowing I can not add any artificial heat to my aviary...
I feel like canaries and finches would be okay, so I plan to get several pairs of each...
Budgies, sadly, are a big NO : I read about several people reporting them to be mean to quails... and am I right to assume budgies could kill other birds...?
...What about mynas and cockatiels...?
I'm lost about mynas...
I met one once, when I was a teenager... and I just felt in love. So, if possible, I would like to add at least a pair to my aviary...
And I really love cockatiels, but I don't know... their bill just look dangerous...
I would be afraid they would hurt my others birds, but I was told cockatiels were "much too coward to pick a fight", and so, could be housed with quails and canaries without any problem...?
(Other hookbills than cockatiels also are pretty nice, I believe...? What about conures...?)
2 • What birds can I house together, exactly?
If I can not house quails with all of these birds... could I then just make a straight-billed aviary (with the quails), and a hooked-billed aviary (with cockatiels, and conures, and budgies, and what I can actually find...)...?
I would really prefer to make just ONE big aviary, housing then : quails, finches, canaries, cockatiels, conures, and maybe mynas...
(At least two pairs of which so they won't feel alone, and with around 18-20 quails specifically - at least 15 females and 3 males...)
(...Any kind of advice, or even opinions, would be really, really appreciated!!)
▬ CONCERNING THE AVIARY :
I actually already started building an aviary in my garden. (Just next to my ducks' pool...! I hope it was not stupid from me?)
In order to be sure my aviary would be the most secure possible, I'm using panels from Zippi Rabbit Runs (from Omlet) : the panels are made of relatively thick metal, and I really don't think I could find better in my country; so...
...In addition, by using Zippi Runs from Omlet, I can at least make a relatively big aviary by connecting several parts : some parts would be at 105 cm high (Zippi Rabbit Run - Double Height), and some others at 153 cm high (Zippi Rabbit Run - Double Height + Single Height)...
My questions here are :
• 1 • Is a 153 cm (around 60 inches) tall aviary sufficiently high for the other birds I want to keep with the quails?
Talking here about canaries, finches, mynas, cokatiels, etc...
...Knowing I can stand to my full height in the aviary; and so, if ever a bird is hurt or sick, I could move easily enough in the enclosure to catch it in order to heal it...!
But would the birds be happy with the aviary at such a height?
Honestly, since I'm small, making the aviary taller would be a real pain for me... So, I really would not want to built it higher if I don't need to...!
Nevertheless, I'm begging here for advice, so I will eventually do what is best...!!
• 2 • Would the Zippi panels keep ALL my birds in the aviary...?
Mesh is 38 x 38 mm... (SO : 1,5 x 1,5 inches!)
It looks small enough to me, but for the time being, I don't have any canary, or finche, or cockatiel... so I can not (physically) verify if the panels really are small enough for these birds...!
I'm really worried about the size of the mesh, so if somebody could help me here...?
...I'm also worried about hookbills specifically, since they are told to be so destructive...
So : would these birds destroy the plastic Run Clips or the Bungee Hooks for the run Covers?
Because if they do, they could then eventually fly away from their aviary... right?
Also, since they are renowed to be so smart : could they open a Door by removing the Door Pins by themselves...?
(...I needed to be able to open one of the door from the inside of the aviary, so the pins are also inside; and I don't know if small birds could be strong enough to remove them...?)
• 3 • Are my quails at risk of wounds of any kind in the aviary?
Because I'm also using the Underfloor Panels of the Zippi Runs to built this aviary, so... I really hope the quails would not be at risks of bumblefoot...? Or to hurt their claws by foraging...?
I don't think so, but just in case I'm mistaken...?
• 4 • What size would you actually recommend for an aviary?
For now, the aviary I built is around 2.76 m2. (Or : twice the size of a Zippi Rabbit Run.)
Not big enough, I know; but I need to get some more panels to make a bigger enclosure...
(Next month, the aviary will probably be around 5,5 m2... Then, little by little, I will keep expanding it.)
Given I plan to bring home the small birds before the quails... how many of these birds could I buy now - in 2,76 m2 -, since I don't have to house the quails for the time being?
I know what size is advised, but I would prefer to know what people who actually own these kind of birds have to say...? (I want HAPPY birds, and not just pretty birds...)
• 5 • Can I build my aviary directly on the grass?
I know quails will devour the grass... but they don't need grass to be healthy, right?
I could always sow seeds if needed... but if I don't? ...Would my quails, and maybe even the other birds of the aviary, be at risk of some illness?
(I don't have nowhere else to put the aviary than on the grass!)
• 6 • What can I put in my aviary?
Feeders and drinkers, of course...!
Sand, so the quails can take dust baths...
Water, so the small birds can also bath...
Several perchs, and toys for the hookbills if I decide to adopt some...
Shelters on the ground for the quails, and shelters (nest boxes) hung on the metal panels for the other birds...
Maybe concrete statues, so it would offer more stimulation and shadows to the birds...
...Also, OF COURSE : a big, acrylic miror so the birds could admire themselves!
But could I also put gravel, stones, pebbles... on the ground?
And if ever I decide to put flower pots inside of the aviary... would the quails, or even the other birds, destroy what I planted in the pot...?
• 7 • What distance between the nest boxes...?
I actually am not sure if I can put the nest boxes for the birds next to each other, or if I have to respect a distance between them...?
▬ CONCERNING THE COOP :
I think I will just use an Eglu Go for the quails... but if some people think the Go is not big enough to house 15 to 20 quails, I will then connect an Eglu Cube instead of a Go...?
I know quails prefer to sleep outside than inside of a coop, so that's why I don't feel like using a big coop would be necessary : I would actually just put some rabbit/hedgehog shelters in the aviary, so quails could hide and sleep in these if they want to...
But again : I never raised any quail, so I would take any advice people have!
...Voilà!
I hope I have not forgotten anything...?
Thank you in advance to who will answer to me!
The quails are for when I have a much bigger aviary (IF their eggs really act like a strong antihistamine; otherwise, I am not sure I will raise quails)... but the other birds are, probably, for the next two weeks...!!
I would like to have some advice, opinions, or whatever about small birds specifically - mainly about QUAILS...
...In order to try to get rid of my allergies, I plan to buy quails - probably Japanese Quails : I have severe allergies, and I am kind of really desperate to get rid of them; and quails' eggs are renowed to help people fight allergies... right?
So, I thought... why not?
(For the record : I have gone to an allergist 10 days ago, but the man clearly did not want to work; and so, I got out of his office without any solution, or even knowing what exactly I'm allergic to...)
...But fact is : I never raised quails.
And I am not totally in the dark here, thanksfully; but I am certain I have not all the knowledges I could need...
So, here I am - begging for some answers...!
(Sorry : will be a bit long...)
▬ CONCERNING THE EGGS :
• 1 • Is eating quails' eggs really so efficient to fight allergies?
Some people report good results only a few days after trying the eggs; and some people report none...
...And I actually even once heard about a woman who decided to eat quails' eggs for her allergies, and who next ended up having a severe allergic reaction to these eggs...
• 2 • How much eggs per day would I need to eat to fight allergies...? And for how long to have a definitive effect?
I find so much different informations... I don't know what/who to believe, so if somebody knows something...?
(7 eggs per day, for 3 months straight...?
...12 eggs per day, everyday of the rest of my life?)
• 3 • Is there a way to cook (or not) the eggs that would be more effective for them to act as an antihistamine?
I have found NO information...!!
If eating the eggs not cooked woud be more effective, then I could just eat them in no-bake desserts - for example...?
But if eating them cooked would be better, then I could just make omelettes everyday...?
▬ CONCERNING THE OTHER BIRDS TO KEEP WITH QUAILS :
Spring is here, and I am preparing to house other birds with my quails...
So...
1 • What birds can be housed with quails - OUTDOORS, ALL YEAR ROUND?
...Knowing I can not add any artificial heat to my aviary...
I feel like canaries and finches would be okay, so I plan to get several pairs of each...
Budgies, sadly, are a big NO : I read about several people reporting them to be mean to quails... and am I right to assume budgies could kill other birds...?
...What about mynas and cockatiels...?
I'm lost about mynas...
I met one once, when I was a teenager... and I just felt in love. So, if possible, I would like to add at least a pair to my aviary...
And I really love cockatiels, but I don't know... their bill just look dangerous...
I would be afraid they would hurt my others birds, but I was told cockatiels were "much too coward to pick a fight", and so, could be housed with quails and canaries without any problem...?
(Other hookbills than cockatiels also are pretty nice, I believe...? What about conures...?)
2 • What birds can I house together, exactly?
If I can not house quails with all of these birds... could I then just make a straight-billed aviary (with the quails), and a hooked-billed aviary (with cockatiels, and conures, and budgies, and what I can actually find...)...?
I would really prefer to make just ONE big aviary, housing then : quails, finches, canaries, cockatiels, conures, and maybe mynas...
(At least two pairs of which so they won't feel alone, and with around 18-20 quails specifically - at least 15 females and 3 males...)
(...Any kind of advice, or even opinions, would be really, really appreciated!!)
▬ CONCERNING THE AVIARY :
I actually already started building an aviary in my garden. (Just next to my ducks' pool...! I hope it was not stupid from me?)
In order to be sure my aviary would be the most secure possible, I'm using panels from Zippi Rabbit Runs (from Omlet) : the panels are made of relatively thick metal, and I really don't think I could find better in my country; so...
...In addition, by using Zippi Runs from Omlet, I can at least make a relatively big aviary by connecting several parts : some parts would be at 105 cm high (Zippi Rabbit Run - Double Height), and some others at 153 cm high (Zippi Rabbit Run - Double Height + Single Height)...
My questions here are :
• 1 • Is a 153 cm (around 60 inches) tall aviary sufficiently high for the other birds I want to keep with the quails?
Talking here about canaries, finches, mynas, cokatiels, etc...
...Knowing I can stand to my full height in the aviary; and so, if ever a bird is hurt or sick, I could move easily enough in the enclosure to catch it in order to heal it...!
But would the birds be happy with the aviary at such a height?
Honestly, since I'm small, making the aviary taller would be a real pain for me... So, I really would not want to built it higher if I don't need to...!
Nevertheless, I'm begging here for advice, so I will eventually do what is best...!!
• 2 • Would the Zippi panels keep ALL my birds in the aviary...?
Mesh is 38 x 38 mm... (SO : 1,5 x 1,5 inches!)
It looks small enough to me, but for the time being, I don't have any canary, or finche, or cockatiel... so I can not (physically) verify if the panels really are small enough for these birds...!
I'm really worried about the size of the mesh, so if somebody could help me here...?
...I'm also worried about hookbills specifically, since they are told to be so destructive...
So : would these birds destroy the plastic Run Clips or the Bungee Hooks for the run Covers?
Because if they do, they could then eventually fly away from their aviary... right?
Also, since they are renowed to be so smart : could they open a Door by removing the Door Pins by themselves...?
(...I needed to be able to open one of the door from the inside of the aviary, so the pins are also inside; and I don't know if small birds could be strong enough to remove them...?)
• 3 • Are my quails at risk of wounds of any kind in the aviary?
Because I'm also using the Underfloor Panels of the Zippi Runs to built this aviary, so... I really hope the quails would not be at risks of bumblefoot...? Or to hurt their claws by foraging...?
I don't think so, but just in case I'm mistaken...?
• 4 • What size would you actually recommend for an aviary?
For now, the aviary I built is around 2.76 m2. (Or : twice the size of a Zippi Rabbit Run.)
Not big enough, I know; but I need to get some more panels to make a bigger enclosure...
(Next month, the aviary will probably be around 5,5 m2... Then, little by little, I will keep expanding it.)
Given I plan to bring home the small birds before the quails... how many of these birds could I buy now - in 2,76 m2 -, since I don't have to house the quails for the time being?
I know what size is advised, but I would prefer to know what people who actually own these kind of birds have to say...? (I want HAPPY birds, and not just pretty birds...)
• 5 • Can I build my aviary directly on the grass?
I know quails will devour the grass... but they don't need grass to be healthy, right?
I could always sow seeds if needed... but if I don't? ...Would my quails, and maybe even the other birds of the aviary, be at risk of some illness?
(I don't have nowhere else to put the aviary than on the grass!)
• 6 • What can I put in my aviary?
Feeders and drinkers, of course...!
Sand, so the quails can take dust baths...
Water, so the small birds can also bath...
Several perchs, and toys for the hookbills if I decide to adopt some...
Shelters on the ground for the quails, and shelters (nest boxes) hung on the metal panels for the other birds...
Maybe concrete statues, so it would offer more stimulation and shadows to the birds...
...Also, OF COURSE : a big, acrylic miror so the birds could admire themselves!
But could I also put gravel, stones, pebbles... on the ground?
And if ever I decide to put flower pots inside of the aviary... would the quails, or even the other birds, destroy what I planted in the pot...?
• 7 • What distance between the nest boxes...?
I actually am not sure if I can put the nest boxes for the birds next to each other, or if I have to respect a distance between them...?
▬ CONCERNING THE COOP :
I think I will just use an Eglu Go for the quails... but if some people think the Go is not big enough to house 15 to 20 quails, I will then connect an Eglu Cube instead of a Go...?
I know quails prefer to sleep outside than inside of a coop, so that's why I don't feel like using a big coop would be necessary : I would actually just put some rabbit/hedgehog shelters in the aviary, so quails could hide and sleep in these if they want to...
But again : I never raised any quail, so I would take any advice people have!
...Voilà!
I hope I have not forgotten anything...?
Thank you in advance to who will answer to me!
The quails are for when I have a much bigger aviary (IF their eggs really act like a strong antihistamine; otherwise, I am not sure I will raise quails)... but the other birds are, probably, for the next two weeks...!!