Very interested in raising some quail, would love some info to get us started

[pac]

If I was to build an aviary I'm make it a walk-in. Don't forget, you might want to grab a bird. Or collect the eggs. And it will need swept up and cleaned.
Any type of coop would be on the ground. Nothing like a chicken coop. More like a dog house. Maybe you can find one of those igloo type dog houses cheap.

I saw a video the other night where a girl was using wire dog or cat crates as hutches/pens inside a greenhouse. I mention this because she gave a tip on what worked for her. That she learned the hard way.

The crates were 2' high and she laid a towel across the top of them and said her birds would see the towel and know not fly up and bonk themselves.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

If I was to build an aviary I'm make it a walk-in. Don't forget, you might want to grab a bird. Or collect the eggs. And it will need swept up and cleaned.

I totally get that, I definitely want a walk in for those purposes and also the aesthetic

Any type of coop would be on the ground. Nothing like a chicken coop. More like a dog house. Maybe you can find one of those igloo type dog houses cheap.

I saw a video the other night where a girl was using wire dog or cat crates as hutches/pens inside a greenhouse. I mention this because she gave a tip on what worked for her. That she learned the hard way.

The crates were 2' high and she laid a towel across the top of them and said her birds would see the towel and know not fly up and bonk themselves.

That makes a lot of sense! Very cool

They probably won't use a coop. As long as they are dry and out of the wind, they can handle below freezing temperatures quite well. If you cover their place with a tarp to keep out the wind and give them enough small shelters or enough straw for them to burrow into, they will be fine.

So likely a square or rectangle run/aviary thing will work instead of an a-frame because rain tends to go through the sides of my a-frame. Can I do a rectangle tractor so that I can move it around? Do they even eat the grass?

 

[EvieChickenGirl]

Would it work with only 8 hens and 2 males?
Also, my mom has the misconception that they should only be kept in a rabbit hutch and if they are kept in a run kind of deal they'll fly up and break their necks..I know that can definitely be true but what if the roof is high enough and we provide enough hiding spots and cover that they could hide under instead of flushing?

It really depends on the quail. I have Coturnix quail and have 2 different aviaries. I have one where there are 1 male to 12 females. (he's quite the stud) and then I have the other one with 2 males and 2 females. They paired up on their own and had no interest at all with being with the other ones. They are currently incubating and raising their own chicks. However, like I said before, it really depends on the quail

 

[Nabiki]

I totally get that, I definitely want a walk in for those purposes and also the aesthetic

That makes a lot of sense! Very cool

So likely a square or rectangle run/aviary thing will work instead of an a-frame because rain tends to go through the sides of my a-frame. Can I do a rectangle tractor so that I can move it around? Do they even eat the grass?

They will happily destroy the grass. Quail do not like change, however, so you don't want to be moving them very often. I move mine from one fallow garden bed to another every 3-4 months. When you move them, expect no eggs for up to two weeks. Mine are pretty calm, so they usually only take a short break of a few days.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

It really depends on the quail. I have Coturnix quail and have 2 different aviaries. I have one where there are 1 male to 12 females. (he's quite the stud) and then I have the other one with 2 males and 2 females. They paired up on their own and had no interest at all with being with the other ones. They are currently incubating and raising their own chicks. However, like I said before, it really depends on the quail

That's adorable, I love when my hens go broody! I can see how it may depend on the male's temperament. I guess we could get the 8 females and 2 males, and get rid of one of the males?

 

[Nabiki]

That's adorable, I love when my hens go broody! I can see how it may depend on the male's temperament. I guess we could get the 8 females and 2 males, and get rid of one of the males?

If you only want eggs, you don't need a male at all. If you want fertile eggs, you want 4-5 hens per roo.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

They will happily destroy the grass. Quail do not like change, however, so you don't want to be moving them very often. I move mine from one fallow garden bed to another every 3-4 months. When you move them, expect no eggs for up to two weeks. Mine are pretty calm, so they usually only take a short break of a few days.

I see! That is very interesting how they stop laying..
Thank you so much for answering all my hundreds of questions lol!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

If you only want eggs, you don't need a male at all. If you want fertile eggs, you want 4-5 hens per roo.

Okay gotcha! Because I do want to eventually hatch some babies if/once we get quail because I noticed that there is no quail breeders near us

 

[Nabiki]

This is what the forum is all about. BYC is a great resource to connect with people that can help you out. I'm just paying back some of the help that I got when I was a beginner!