Ideal quail cage setup?

[Sky5678]

I'm planning on building my first quail cage, and I'm in need of ideas so I decided to ask the community about what cage features would be the most beneficial. So far, I'm going with:

• Wire bottom with solid floor areas
• Sliding pan at the bottom for waste
• Tilted floor for easier egg collection (will this stress the quails?)
• Height lower than 2 feet so I can slide the cage under the deck during the winter

How does this sound? Thanks.

 

[le_bwah]

How many do you want to raise, and what will you do with them?

If you have the means, I urge you to consider raising quail in contact with the ground—or at least on a substrate that mimics the ground. Wire-bottom cages are not the most ethical choice for raising quail long-term.

 

[Sky5678]

@le_bwah They will be mostly raised for eggs, and I'm planning to keep around 20-30 of them. I would want to raise them on the ground but I'm concerned about their waste building up.

 

[le_bwah]

@le_bwah They will be mostly raised for eggs, and I'm planning to keep around 20-30 of them. I would want to raise them on the ground but I'm concerned about their waste building up.

I raised 9 Coturnix on ~50 square feet last year, but the deep litter I used could have easily handled double or triple that number.

As long as there's bare earth under the litter, microbes and invertebrates have access to the substrate (and the poop). They eat it and turn it into something that looks and smells just like dirt.

All you have to do is add fresh bedding on top and turn it under two or three times a week (more or less, based on your climate). The more birds you have, the more new material you add and the more often you turn it.

This is what I pulled out of my aviary a few days ago, almost a year after it went in. Note the absence of visible poo. I failed to add enough water to the mix to keep things damp, which is why it's not fully "digested."

Edit: I also used the wrong material at first. Use less wood shavings and straw, use more grass clippings/shredded leaves/chunky bark and wood chips.

You don't need to break the bank or build some huge flight pen to make it work—something the size of a rabbit hutch (with an appropriate number of birds in it) will keep this system running fine.

 

[Sky5678]

I raised 9 Coturnix on ~50 square feet last year, but the deep litter I used could have easily handled double or triple that number.

As long as there's bare earth under the litter, microbes and invertebrates have access to the substrate (and the poop). They eat it and turn it into something that looks and smells just like dirt.

All you have to do is add fresh bedding on top and turn it under two or three times a week (more or less, based on your climate). The more birds you have, the more new material you add and the more often you turn it.

View attachment 1730649
This is what I pulled out of my aviary a few days ago, almost a year after it went in. Note the absence of visible poo. I failed to add enough water to the mix to keep things damp, which is why it's not fully "digested."

Edit: I also used the wrong material at first. Use less wood shavings and straw, use more grass clippings/shredded leaves/chunky bark and wood chips.

You don't need to break the bank or build some huge flight pen to make it work—something the size of a rabbit hutch (with an appropriate number of birds in it) will keep this system running fine.

Sounds interesting, will this method work on top of grass and during winter? Where I live, we get a fair amount of snow.

 

[le_bwah]

Sounds interesting, will this method work on top of grass and during winter? Where I live, we get a fair amount of snow.

It will kill the grass under it (lack of sunlight, mostly) and incorporate it into the litter. It also still works in winter—the process is just slower, so you have to turn the litter more often.

As long as the pen has a roof over it (and a structure that can support the snow load), snow isn't an issue with deep litter. Done correctly, it can actually raise the temp in a closed area (e.g. in a chicken coop) due to microbial activity.

My birds have loved the ability to dig into their bedding, make little nests and bathe in the most decomposed sections. It's a natural probiotic, and it's safe to scatter treats across the litter (just be sure to give them some grit if you go this direction). All in all, very low maintenance and a joy to watch the quail do their thing a bit more naturally.

 

[Sky5678]

It will kill the grass under it (lack of sunlight, mostly) and incorporate it into the litter. It also still works in winter—the process is just slower, so you have to turn the litter more often.

As long as the pen has a roof over it (and a structure that can support the snow load), snow isn't an issue with deep litter. Done correctly, it can actually raise the temp in a closed area (e.g. in a chicken coop) due to microbial activity.

My birds have loved the ability to dig into their bedding, make little nests and bathe in the most decomposed sections. It's a natural probiotic, and it's safe to scatter treats across the litter (just be sure to give them some grit if you go this direction). All in all, very low maintenance and a joy to watch the quail do their thing a bit more naturally.

I don't think I'll be able to put the cage directly on top of the grass but I might be able to build a stand for the cage to sit on above ground. How deep does the dirt have to be?

 

[le_bwah]

I don't think I'll be able to put the cage directly on top of the grass but I might be able to build a stand for the cage to sit on above ground. How deep does the dirt have to be?

I've seen it done in the style of a raised plantar, which takes up space and is a more permanent structure but gives the advantage of bringing the quail (and their eggs) closer to you. The point is to get them off of wire flooring and onto something more natural/comfortable.

The dirt just needs to be there, not necessarily in large amounts. You'll want enough that you can turn it through into the bedding, not so much that there's more dirt than litter. It's the depth of the organic material that really matters—you can start with a few inches and bring it up to around 8 (minimum depth it seems to work) over time.

I know it seems like a bigger initial time/effort investment—it is!—but I find it worth it to raise quail in a more humane way. I hope you have the means/desire to.

 

[ChristineR]

I just started setting up my first quail pen last night. So, not an expert on quail, but this is what I'm doing. Maybe someone can get ideas or offer insight if I've done something wrong.

I had extra dog kennel panels - not chain link - the heavy gauge, welded wire type. I was going to make it 10'x10' but realized the posts holding up the deck above would be in the way, so I made it 5'x10'. The area under the deck is protected on three sides by the concrete basement foundation (the house was built on a slope, so it could've been a daylight basement, but wasn't built with an exit). Next I wrapped the whole thing in 6' tall chicken wire. Then, even though it's mostly protected by the house, I put a tarp above for more extra protection from the rain and for shade in the summer. I'm going to add some branches for cover and perches. Probably some potted plants. I usually use those plastic dog houses that split in two for shelters for my waterfowl. I take them apart and each half makes a little shelter. Would quail like those, too?

 

[le_bwah]

I usually use those plastic dog houses that split in two for shelters for my waterfowl. I take them apart and each half makes a little shelter. Would quail like those, too?

I've had good luck with those. Took them a while to figure it out, but once they did it was used like any other hiding spot—they also liked being on top of it.