Gun Dog Forum

Hello,

I built a johnny house 4x4x6....but i'm losing 1 or 2 quail everyday.....the are only about 20 quail in the house.....it looks like the just pecking each other to death

i really need to speak with someone that has alot of experience with running these johnny houses. I have only had the birds in the house for 4 days. I am waiting a week to release any for dog work in the hopes that i can recall them.

If there is someone that has alot of experience running these johnny houses please hit me up privitaly. I have alot of questions

Thanks all

What are you feeding them?

and you may also invest in some quail bits that will help on the pecking but many times pecking can be from them not having the right food

If ours feel too crowded they will start pecking at each other. So we split them up at that point if needed. We also throw in a couple heads of lettuce each week- break it apart a bit for them. They peck at that instead of each other and that also keeps them hydrated in cold weather when water freezes, etc. Kristi

With only 20 in a house that big, it should not be happening. I think you just have some mean quail! Not all pen quail are equal.

We run 30 to 40 in the same size pen with no problems with pecking. I don't get it, and I have been doing it for 40 years.

Do they have a 1 x 6 at the top so they can look out the wire? The lettuce is a good idea, as is the small horse brick-sized mineral block. The 3 lb or whatever it is, the brown one, it will last years.

Neil

They have a 2x2 perch that sticks out the front of the pen and that is were i have placed the feeder. Its is toward the top of the pen so they have to fly up to eat...Should i put the feeder down below? And yes about half way up both sides they have flat 2x4's that they can sit on and look outside.....maybe out of the 25 that i bought those were weak ones. Do you use a electronic call to call them back?

http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewto ... =89&t=6613

this is the johnny house that i built. The only difference is the i only have wire on the perch and the left side and i enclosed the otherside for a a little more of a wind break (very windy in nebraska) but there are places for them to sit up on both sides.

I have the feeder sitting in the perch part and the waterer on the floor of the house....should i have them both on the floor? Will they fly up there regardless?

I have never done this before so since you have been doing this for 40 years any tips would help

Gonna use some of the birds on saturday for the first time. They will have been in the pen for 8 days by then...is that long enough for them to come back?

thanks for helping me out

I'm not a pen raised bird guy but I know this time of year game bird farms have to separate the breeding roosters to keep them from fighting,,,, could it be just the time of year being breeding season and all?

Could some of the dominate birds be keeping the weaker birds from getting to the food? You may want to keep the food lower so that all the birds can get to it.

Nitrex

R-Heaton wrote:I'm not a pen raised bird guy but I know this time of year game bird farms have to separate the breeding roosters to keep them from fighting,,,, could it be just the time of year being breeding season and all?

Due to the time of the year I was going to suggest this as a possible reason. How old are the birds? I would give them the lettuce of something green but do be careful with store bought lettuce as some of it could be burnt with dry ice or even a chemical to keep it fresh. Throw away the other leaves.

Ezzy

What is your male to female ratio? Could be breeding season problem.
mm

i would first put the feeder down add a minrale block or freash greens for them to peck @ keep your bobs to hen ratio about 3 hens to every bob to many bobs will make BIG fights in the pen i keep 40 to 50 birds and no problems good food fresh greens no problems

Keep pleanty of clean water also, greens, I also have a scratch pan (gravel), minerals, ratios, time of year: All things to consider.

Are these birds fighting or are you just finding them dead? Some times the birds just don't travel well or were sick and just happen to die at your place.

You have to many birds for that small of space.I only keep 10 to 12 in my 4 by 4 j house.The standard for spacing is 1 sq ft per bird.You can put more in but you are going to end up with a bunch of birds with no tail feathers. It helps if you let them out every day.Here is a good link If you have any questions on game birds.
http://www.thatquailplace.com/smf/

Can anyone tell me what this mineral block you guys use is and where I can get one.
mm

are you using a game bird feed? that should have what the birds need for protein and such

also http://www.nationalband.com/bit.htm

and yes this time of the year if you ahve to many males in with the females can do sme harm

or as suggested if they aren't peck
how are the other birds acting

do they look normal or are they not looking right they could be stressed and need meds

some places have their birds on constant meds and when sold obviously the new water doesn't have the meds the bodies have been accustom to so the moving stress and no meds leads to dead birds

slightly off topic but how far will quail recall?

Thanks all...

I have added a mineral block. And i have no idea my male to female ratio. I bought 25 to start and they came out of a pen with 5800. I have not seen the quail fight i have just found them dead......And yes i am using good feed bought at tractor supply if that matters.....

Is one week long enough for them to be let out with a good chance of them recalling?

Do i need an eletronic call to bring them back? It's like 200 bucks

what is the big deal with adding the greens?

jeff

Do not leave them all out at the same time. You should keep some in the pen to call the others,also the first few times you let them out do not flush or scare them away. Just let them walk out and move around at their own will. After they have been released this way and find their way back a few times then you can release them and the others will call them back.
I know someone that sent his dog to a trainer so he released all of his birds thinking they would just make it on their own and he would not have to tend to feed and water. His pen was several hundred yards from his yard. About a week later he was driving a tractor past his pen and noticed all of the birds came back even through there were no birds in the pen to call them, but these birds were use to getting feed there and had been released many times.

I sent you a PM.

The greens are to give the birds minerals and water they will not get from feed.

I gave this some more thought, first it is late in the year to be recalling birds, they want to mate, and that might make them fight more. But it is more likely they are not fighting, but are just pecking the other birds after they die for the same reason they eat greens. Even though birds will drink from a water dish, they only do so when no other water is available.

The No Mess feeder and waters, available from the same guy that makes the callers are the best.

And once you get them trained, you can't keep them from coming back unless you close the funnel.

Neil

My recall funnel is about 4 inches off the ground, do I need to make something so they don't have to jump up there or will they jump up there to enter? Is there a chance that since it's breeding season they won't come back but instead look for nesting sites? Thanks for all the info.

doubleB,

your birds will realize where their food is so that should keep them coming back. I would make a little ramp leading up to the entrance of your johnny house.