With the advent of the cold season, year-round quail farming requires increased attention and a rational approach from breeders. In southern latitudes with a mild climate, keeping quails in winter is possible in a barn without additional heating. To ensure comfort for heat-loving birds, it is necessary to prepare the room for wintering in advance.
Choosing a poultry house building
An unheated outbuilding in which it is planned to keep quails in the winter must meet a number of requirements. The following conditions must be provided in the poultry house:
- warm;
- constant temperature;
- maintaining optimal air humidity;
- absence of drafts;
- presence of a ventilation system.
It is better to place the barn in an area protected from northern winds. A structure made of boards, modern block building materials, OSB panels with a wooden or concrete floor is suitable. Walls, roofing, floors should not have gaps, cracks or cracks. It is necessary to prevent atmospheric precipitation and groundwater from entering the poultry house.
The development of birds is influenced by the length of daylight hours, the optimal duration of which is 16 hours. The window in the room is usually located on the east side, at a level of 1 meter from the floor. It is also necessary to install electricity in the barn and place sources of artificial lighting at the rate of 40 watts per 20 square meters.
Preparing the premises for winter
First of all, the barn is inspected and cleaned. If necessary, rotten boards are replaced, cracks are caulked, cracks are puttied, and surfaces are treated with disinfectant solutions against mold and mildew.
Before placing quails in an unheated poultry house, it is necessary to thoroughly insulate the walls, ceiling and floor. The work is carried out in the following order:
- Cover the surfaces with a layer of vapor barrier or membrane material.
- Install a sheathing of wooden beams.
- Synthetic insulation with high thermal insulation properties is placed in the cells.
- Cover with a layer of vapor barrier material.
- Cover the surfaces with finishing materials.
To preserve heat, it is recommended to insulate the door and vestibule. In some cases, they are limited to external insulation.The optimal temperature for keeping quails is +18 °C. Lower limit of permissible value: +15 °C. In unfavorable conditions, birds will not lay eggs and gain weight. The critical indicator at which quail mortality begins is considered to be a temperature of +5 °C and below.
It is possible to keep quails in a poultry house on the floor, but more often farmers install cages, which allow additional heat retention. With the floor method, the territory is limited by constructing a corral. A layer of bedding made of peat, sawdust or hay is placed on the floor.
The cages are placed at a height of 50 centimeters from the floor. The design is 100x100x30 centimeters and holds 15-20 heads. If there are fewer birds, install a partition. A layer of bedding 5-10 centimeters thick is also placed in the cages, and foam rubber is fixed to the ceiling.
In regions where street thermometers drop below -10 °C, it is recommended to install room heating devices for keeping quails.
Establishing ventilation
The ventilation system avoids the accumulation of gases and maintains an optimal humidity level of 70%. There are several ways to make ventilation in a poultry house.
The simplest one is to install the supply and exhaust pipes. An air supply pipe with a diameter of 10 centimeters is installed near the front door at a height of 0.2 meters from the floor. The outflow pipe is placed under the ceiling in the opposite corner of the room. The pipe openings are covered with linings with valves. Cold air coming from below pushes the exhaust warm air to the top.
A ceiling ventilation system is considered more efficient. A pipe with ventilation holes and a built-in fan is installed under the ceiling of the shed.Fresh air enters the poultry house, and exhaust air is discharged outside.
