Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Flight Pens
Remember these birds like to fly, and if you haven't pinioned them, it is best to provide
them with a facility with either flight netting over the top or a solid tops of board or tin
that will allow them to exercise their wings.
Flight pens can be made as simple or as complex as you wish. First decide how tall
you want them to be. If you are keeping quail and do not plan on going into the pens
very often, you can get by with 4-foot-high (1.2 m) structures, though 6-foot-high (1.8
m) would work better. A 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) pen works best for other game birds. Pens
can be easily made by purchasing 8-foot (2.5 m) treated landscape timbers for the end
supports. I recommend using treated lumber for all parts, as the pens will be exposed to
the elements.
Determine how wide and long you wish to make the pens, based on how many birds
you have, and then set your 8-foot (2.5 m) landscape timbers approximately 8 feet (2.5
m) apart, spreading them out as long and as wide as you wish the pen to be and using as
many timbers as are needed. For example, a final flight pen of 16 feet by 24 feet (5 × 7
m) would require 12 landscape timbers. You'd need four for each side, and four down
the middle. You need the timbers down the middle to provide support for the wire top
covering.
A flight pen with 2-foot metal panels around the base and netting over the top is held up
by landscape timbers.
