hutch for quail

Hi have found this hutch and run on ebay and wonder if it would be good for keeping quail in.


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=170171850761&_trksid=p3984.cWAT.m240.lVI


If so how many quail do you think it would be suitable for.

thanks

sam

Sorry I am not qualified to help as I am a beginner but I do know that there are a number of members who do have hutch and run type set ups.

Just looking at it my only reservation would be how the roof is angled to a point in the middle of the hutch.

But it depends on how high the sides are before it goes into the peak.

And I am useless with cm - I am still working in feet and inches.

If you look in the reference section at Quail housing - there are a number in there.

Hope this helps

I use a hutch. the run is longer but I guess it depends on how many birds you want to keep in it.

Hi Sam,

Legally, you can keep 34 birds in that hutch, each bird having 160cm².

But being realistic, to keep birds in good health and in good condition, they need a minumum of at least 900cm² (this is only 12" x 12" in old money lottie, lol). Using this measurement, you can keep 6 birds. I'm only using the floor space of the hutch itself, as you can not expect the birds to live outside.

Derek.

I keep 8 birds in something a similar size, I have an extra "kennel" designed for rabbits attached to the bottom floor to give them more sleeping area. I've had no problems shutting up the birds overnight in the hutch when its cold (in case they're too silly to put themselves to bed), since they're only up there for about 10 hours in the dark when they're not active anyway.

I have the feeling this is a stupid ques...

I thought quails flew upwards when startled so would need something with a but of height ? (I'm thinking Japanese quail)

Hi,

Japanese are the quite ones, it's the chinese painted quail that like to bang their heads,lol

Derek.

Japs don't boink (in my experience), for CPQ you can pad the top of a hutch to avoid head injuries.

I find it pretty hard to startle my japs, hoovering, things falling near the cages/hutch making loud noises etc don't make them flinch.

Thanks !!
That is very useful - my husband has decided he'll build housing and I'd showed him what I'd been thinking but I was thinking I needed some height. I guess I need to ask for something that looks like http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RABBIT-HUTCH-AND-RUN-4-x-18-hutch-4-x-4-Run-cage_W0QQitemZ250238092278QQihZ015QQcategoryZ63513QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

What sort of flooring is best ? do Japanese quail like having mesh to stand on ? or are they best direct onto the wooden floor ?

Since I can get a bespoke house :-) is there anything I should ask for ?

I'm not a fan of keeping any animal on mesh...so I would say wooden floor.

When its cold, I like to shut my birds up in the hutch to make sure they cuddle up and stay warm, so maybe it'd be worth asking for something to cover the hole where the ramp goes?

My Dad was thinking of making a hutch and run too, however, by the time he'd figured out how much it would cost to make and the amount of time, it worked out cheaper to just buy one.

the only trouble i had with hutches which the birds have a foot or more to jump to put them selfs to bed at night the lazy things cant be botherd so i had to tuck them in