Agriculture Reference
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4. Cut the hardware cloth to cover the top, bottom and all sides except the front. The
front side should be one of the long sides for easy access.
5. If you choose to make the top solid — and this can be a good idea as it gives the
quail a feeling of security — use a piece of quarter-inch (0.6 cm) plywood. Be
sure to line the bottom of the plywood with the hardware cloth.
6. Now you have a rectangular box that is 1 foot (30 cm) tall, 1 foot (30 cm) deep,
and 3 feet (90 cm) long, and is covered on all but the front side.
7. To make a doorframe, nail on another upright 2×4 (5×10 cm) about 1 foot (30 cm)
from the end, near the middle of the front of the box.
8. Now make the door from a piece of plywood that will fit into the 1 foot by 1 foot
(30×30 cm) hole between the central 2×4 (5×10 cm) frame and the end of the
box.
9. Use two 2-inch (5 cm) strap hinges on one side of the door to attach it to the frame
at the end of the box, and a hook and eye on the other side to attach the door to
the central 2×4 (5×10 cm) upright.
10. Set the cage down on an old cookie sheet or greenhouse tray to make a manure
tray. It fits under the 2×4 (5×10 cm) base.
11. Cover the remainder of the opening at front of the box next to the door with hard-
ware cloth and you have built a quail cage suitable for three to five quail.
Food
When provided with an adequate, nutritious food source, Coturnix quail are pleasant,
enjoyable birds to have around. Maintaining these birds is inexpensive; they do not eat
much. It's always best to start Coturnix quail on a very high-protein feed. I prefer game
breeder or turkey starter. A 28 percent protein feed is probably ideal, but numbers high-
er than that have also been used with success. I've seen feeds with a protein content as
high as 32 percent provided for these birds. These feeds are not always easily obtain-
able, however, and not absolutely necessary, although preferable.
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