Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Cages
Build small cages for Coturnix quail from quarter-inch (0.6 cm) mesh hardware cloth
and a frame made of 2×4s (5×10 cm). For many years, I have raised them in cages that
are about 1 foot (30 cm) wide, 1 foot (30 cm) tall and 3 feet (90 cm) long. This is a suit-
able home for these animals as they seem to do well in small spaces. In a cage this size,
you can easily fit two trios (two males and four females) of Coturnix quail. They will
live comfortably and reproduce successfully in such a cage.
Provide adult quail with a small cereal-bowl-size pan full of sawdust or sand —
something for them to dust themselves in — plus a round dish feeder suitable for baby
chicks and a small crock bowl for water, and your setup is complete. They do not require
roosts.
Coturnix quail
Building a Cage
Follow the steps below to build quail cages with 2×4s (5×10 cm) and hardware cloth of
quarter-inch (0.6 cm) size.
1.
Cut four 1-foot lengths of 2×4s (5×10 cm) for uprights, four 3-foot lengths of 2×4s
(5×10 cm) for the top and bottom, and four 2×4s (5×10 cm) for the ends to make
the width. (These last four can be either 1 or 2 feet (30 or 60 cm) long, depending
upon how deep you want the pen to be.)
2.
Position the 2×4s (5×10 cm) that will be the bottom pieces so they will rest on
the ground on their narrow (2-inch [5 cm]) sides. This provides you with a nearly
4-inch (10 cm) space for a manure tray under the cage.
3.
Nail all of these pieces together to make a rectangular box.
