My new pen, suggestions are welcomed!

GSPaddict · Post by **GSPaddict** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:01 am

Hi eveyone, I am starting with quail and in the process of finishing my new pen. I wanted to show you the end result (the kid couldn't resist showing off) and maybe pickup some ideas. I have 93 quails and 10 grouse. I wonder what I should do in terms of separations in the pen? I was thinking about closing an area for selected breeders and closing another spot for the grouse (I still don't know why I bougth these). Should I keep the males and females apart?

I will also extend the pen outside so they should have plenty of room. They will be able to move in and out. I wonder how I will get them in for the night tough?

Any suggestion is welcomed!

PS : the pen is 12X12

kiddcline · Post by **kiddcline** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:03 am

That's one big pen! Looks good.

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:08 am

That is a thing of beauty. I would put a nipple water system in, that is the best way I have found to keep quail healthy. No poop in the water. And if you have a hose run out to the johnny house the whole watering system is just automatic.

I can tell you one problem you are going to have long term though. After you have run a bunch of bags of feed through those birds, the end result will build up pretty good under the hardware cloth floor. It will reach the level of the hardware cloth, and then you have defeated the whole idea of a hardware cloth floor, which is to keep the poop away from the birds. My johnny house is smaller than yours, and every couple of years I have to pick it up with a bobcat and clean out under it. You might try to think how you are going to deal with that. It is a long term issue, takes a couple of years to become a problem, but eventually, it will.

GSPaddict · Post by **GSPaddict** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:15 am

Yes I figured manure will eventually be a problem. What I tought of doing is shovel just enough to put tarps under the pen. Then once in a while I could pull on the tarps and clean them. No idea if its the best idea tough. I like your idea of automatic waterers. I put enough money in this this year but next year I will definitly upgrade.

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:24 am

I bought a good nipple watering system from Gillis. It sure simplifies things. I also hang the feeders. When the birds are young, I hang them right at floor level, but slowly raise them so they are off the mesh. With the amount of space you have, the room the feeders take up on the floor would not be an issue, but they do stay somewhat cleaner if they are suspended.

GSPaddict · Post by **GSPaddict** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:25 am

Thanks for the advice, I currently put the feeders and waterers on plywood blocks but its not enough, they get dirty really fast

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Thu May 31, 2007 10:32 am

I drilled a hole in one of the rafters, installed an eyebolt, and hang it from a light piece of chain with an S hook. I can move it up and down the chain, down for new and young birds, higher for older. Be careful how quickly you move it up. You don't want to take the food away from birds that can not make the flight or haven't figured out that is where the food is.

winchestermodel50 · Post by **winchestermodel50** » Thu May 31, 2007 7:27 pm

The nipple system is a great suggestion. You can order them through Farm Tech. Get the stainless steel press in drips. You just drill I believe 3]8" holes in 3[4" pvc pipe and press them in. I don't even glue the joints on the pvc as I use a 5 gal plastic bucket gravity feed. It might last a week for the number birds you have. Put a drain down valve that runs out of your shed through a wall and don't put the drips under an elevated loft shelf. I wonder if you could put some wheels on that thing, sitting on patio blocks to keep them from sinking in. I am probably going to do that on mine so I can push it out, scoop it up and push it back. If you put hail screen ledges beneath your vent space, the birds love to sit on those ledges and look out the window all day. It also encourages them to fly. Spilled feed attracts rodents and rodents attract snakes. It's just the way it works. If you use hail screen to make a funnel for the birds to get back in the box, the entrance hole reduced hole needs to be exactly 2 1/4" to keep most predators out and turn the seam up or they will catch their toes in it.

winchestermodel50 · Post by **winchestermodel50** » Thu May 31, 2007 7:54 pm

I have no idea how different species of birds get along in the same enclosure but I know from experience that one should never run out of feed. I had a feeder freeze up one time for a day and a half and every bird in the box was plucked bald on the back of the head and about a third of them were dead and some, partially eaten. That is a big box you have. Especially with an outside run. I would think you could comfortably keep 300 to 400 quail in there. Don't elevate the bottom too much or coons will get underneath and pull the quails toes through the hail screen and tear their legs off. They are destructive critters. I found that Chukar Partridge are particularly easy to raise and require no more flight conditioning than flying up to the window ledge and back down. They are strong flyers and you will get one good flight out of them on release. In my country they are definitely a spin, plant and turn the dog on them a little while later proposition. They tend to go stand on the highest ground around and hawks will usually get them within a few hours.

GSPaddict · Post by **GSPaddict** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:42 am

Here I don't think hawks will be a problem, I never see them around but it doesn't mean they are not there.

Actually If I follow the law, the birds should never be allowed out of the pen ever (aviary flu). However I am still going to train the dog regardless.

Anyone know how a system like this work?

http://www.farmhardware.com/SuperStore/ ... uctID=5133

Is this the nipple system that has been suggested?

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:31 pm

That is still a fount type, although it is a hanging fount. Here is a nipple: http://www.gillisag.com/poultry/lubing.php

Someone was making a nipple just for johnny houses, look on the www.uplandbirddog.com site and you will find an article about it.

Don · Post by **Don** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:04 pm

Nice looking pen! You probally don't need a flight pen outside. Those birds will get more excersize goind down to water and feed than they will in a flight pen. Bird's I've watched in flight pens spend most the time walking around on the ground. They don't flush and fly around much unless provoked.

Sturdy as that floor looks, you might raise the whole building a couple feet and slide green plywood in there. Then when the mess builds up, pull out the plywood and clean it off. Nice setup you have there!

bobman · Post by **bobman** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:53 am

I put mine on pressure treated skids so I could pull it around and clean up under it.

Mine was alot smaller than your pen though, you would have to pull yours with a truck!

GSPaddict · Post by **GSPaddict** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 5:45 pm

Thanks the cleaning advice. I should have planned better from the start but its my first time at quail so I don't know what to expect. Today I built separations with doors, I will post pics soon.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:01 pm

You can still add the skids underneath if you want. Will just make it a few inches taller which isn't bad.

Ezzy

Stump · Post by **Stump** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:34 pm

Id just put a few round fence posts under it . that way when the poo starts to build up you could just pull it over a few feet and stake it again over clean ground.

Don · Post by **Don** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:10 am

GSP. It just occured to me. Those plastic deals with the lights handing over them are brooders aren't they? I built a wooden contraption when I kept quail around; nowhere near as nice as that and probally cost more. was just getting ready to rebuild it but think I;ll burn it insterd now!

GSPaddict · Post by **GSPaddict** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:32 am

Yes they are brooders. Got the idea from here :

http://www.poultryhelp.com/brooders.html

I made 3. Had about 35 quails in each. I am not sure I will use them again for so many quails tough. What I like is that they are very cheap to do and they are draft free. However they got too small fast and cleaning them isn't a lot of fun. They are perfect if you have 10-15 quails in them tough since you can add vinegar to their water and keep it indoors. It won't smell that bad and will be easy to clean. But with 100 quails it was a lot of work. I came up with another setup this weekend wich works a lot better I think. Will post pics as soon as I am done.

GSPaddict · Post by **GSPaddict** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:32 am

I was about the research nipple water systems but something tells me that typing "Nipple" and "Chick" in google is not such a good idea at work

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:32 am

I think you are right. When I was looking (by which I mean when I was looking for a waterer for my johnny house) I think I used nipple and waterer.

tip · Post by **tip** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:40 am

Go to farmtek and type in nipple waterer. That is were I got mine from.

Gun Dog Forum

My new pen, suggestions are welcomed!

My new pen, suggestions are welcomed!

Johnny Box

Johnny Box

nipple waterer