Properly constructed quail cages are a necessity. The meat and eggs of these birds are nutritious and healthy, and therefore are popular among consumers. To provide birds with increased egg production, it is necessary to create comfortable living conditions for quails that are close to natural ones. Cages can be purchased or made by yourself.
Calculation of cell sizes
Quail is a bird from the pheasant genus, the order Galliformes.It is small in size, lives in nature, and is extremely difficult to tame at home. Therefore, keeping birds in cages is considered the most effective way to achieve good productivity.
Sizes must be calculated based on the total number of livestock. To raise and breed quails you need a full-fledged family. It should consist of 5-7 females and one male. If the purpose of keeping quails is solely to obtain eggs, then up to 25 birds are placed in one cage. For fattening for meat, the conditions are similar, but the owner should take into account that there is a high probability of fights among males. For such cases, an isolation ward for violent roosters should be provided.
Before you make cages yourself, you need to have an idea of the size of this bird, then calculate the area. The average weight of a male is 140 g, and a female is 180 g, with a body length of 12 cm. The planting density of quails should be up to 100 cm2.
Approximate cage sizes for parent quails:
- for 10 heads – 30x75 cm;
- for 20 heads – 40x90 cm;
- for 30 heads – 45x150 cm;
- for 50 heads – 75x150 cm.
Before starting work, it is necessary to complete an approximate drawing in order to understand the scope of the work ahead. In some cases, a temporary option is made - single-tier cages made of frameless mesh, designed for twenty heads. You can build multi-tiered structures for forty birds or more.
Mandatory requirements
Any species of animals and birds that people keep to produce meat, milk, eggs require special conditions. You need to familiarize yourself with them in advance in order to be prepared for possible difficulties.Among the requirements for structures for quails, and in general for their maintenance, are the following:
- air humidity in the room where birds are kept should be within 18-20 °C;
- the room should be bright, warm and ventilated if necessary;
- inaccessibility to rodents and predators;
- feeders and drinkers are placed outside the cage walls;
- Only the bird's head should pass between the bars;
- the height of the structure is no more than 20 cm to prevent sudden jumps, as a result of which birds are often injured;
- for egg-laying birds, a tray for rolling eggs should be placed on the floor;
- A litter tray should be placed under the mesh floor - this greatly simplifies the cleaning process.
If necessary, cages must be equipped with an additional light source and heating. If any errors in care are made, the bird’s plumage will be the first to signal this, and egg production will sharply decrease. Therefore, the production of cells must be approached responsibly.
Selection of location
For quails, even minimal comfort will be enough. The place chosen to place the quails should not be in direct sunlight. Otherwise, the bird may suffer heatstroke or sunstroke, which will negatively affect its health and productivity.
The optimal air temperature at which quails feel comfortable is from 16 to 24 °C. At low temperatures, you should use heating devices. The noisy environment around them has a very bad effect on birds.They are susceptible to stress, which negatively affects egg production. Therefore, you should not place a cage with birds in the same barn with other animals, especially those that behave very restlessly. It's better to find a quiet room.
How to make a cage with your own hands at home
Any design must include:
- frame;
- door;
- floor;
- chute for rolling eggs;
- a tray for collecting garbage and litter;
- feeder and drinking bowl.
For manufacturing, it is necessary to determine in advance the materials that are suitable for keeping quails.
Wooden
To make a homemade wooden cage, you will need to purchase slats. You can make a frame from them. The floor needs to be tilted forward. Its end should extend beyond the frame and end with some kind of limiter. Laying hen eggs will roll there.
You can make a pallet from a sheet of galvanized iron and line the inside of the cage with it. Make the necessary holes for drinking bowls and feeders. Build a bolt on the door.
Made from metal mesh
A cage made of metal mesh has a number of advantages. It can be used to make a multi-tiered structure. Step-by-step instruction:
- Bend the mesh sheet in several places to form a rectangle. The device must provide for a floor slope, a gutter, and a limiter.
- Make the ends from chipboard or a sheet of plywood, attach the mesh using corners.
- In the place where the door should be, cut out a piece of wire and attach it to the curtains.
- After the holes for the drinker and feeder are cut, you need to carefully clean the burrs.
The material should be chosen dense and rigid so that the structure will last for a long time.
From plastic boxes
Quails can be temporarily placed in plastic boxes. To do this, you need to prepare containers of the same size. Saw off the legs on the drawers, use the bottom one as a pallet. The remaining containers should be connected with wire. Cut holes for the drinker and feeder. The door is made on the ceiling by cutting a hole in the bottom of the top drawer. Quail eggs should be collected in a timely manner or a chute should be built to roll them down.
From plywood
It’s easy to make a cage from plywood or a sheet of chipboard. Cut out the ceiling, end, and side walls from plywood. Cut holes for the door and drinking bowl with feeder. Treat with an antiseptic for safe keeping of birds. Attach the parts to each other with screws and corners. Next, cut out the floor, taking into account the angle of inclination.
From a profile for plasterboard
From a drywall profile you can build a cage rack for 100 or more heads. The rack contains from 3 cells, which are placed on top of each other. However, initially you need to complete a diagram or drawing.
You will need a three-centimeter profile for drywall (under the frame), as well as an eight-centimeter profile for feeders. A frame is made from a three-centimeter profile, which is connected with screws. The rest of the structure is made of metal mesh.
