Breeding and rearing quails is, first of all, very profitable. Dietary meat, eggs, or the sale of the birds themselves are all of interest. Naturally, for their content you need to create a certain environment. Since the bird is small enough, a small quail cage will be enough to hold several individuals at once. Most often, the place of placement of houses for birds becomes balconies in apartments, a porch or attics in private houses.
Placement requirements
One of the main requirements for quail cages is its reliability. It should not have gaps, otherwise fragile birds can get hurt. In addition, the material from which the cage should be made must be practical so that it is easy to disinfect and clean.
An important factor will also be the right place for housing. The room should be heated, there should be no drafts. Install quail cages at a small elevation, at least 30-40 cm from the floor. It is also important to take care of ventilation in the room where the birds are kept, otherwise a bad smell will come from there. In addition, the absence of such a system will harm the quail itself.
Cell placement and dimensions for the individual
Most suitable for placing cells is a place along the wall. If the room does not allow them to be placed in this way, then you can put them like book shelves in the library - the back wall to each other. Naturally, between the rows you must not forget to leave a passage for the person who will look after them.
To date, it is generally accepted that the size of the quail cage is an area of 100-120 square meters. see. This place is enough to contain one adult. However, people who already have experience in breeding birds recommend increasing these sizes to 150-170 square meters. see. Thus, on 1 square. m will settle about 75 adult quails.
Another effective way to place adult quails is to set up cells in tiers. However, it must be remembered that for each cage it is necessary to equip a feeding trough, a drinking bowl, an egg collector and a tray for collecting litter.
Standard Size Cell
In order to simplify bird care, you do not need to make the cage too large. The quail cage should be designed so as not to injure the bird when it tries to jump out of the home. In order to save the maximum amount of space, the front wall of the product serves as both a wall and a door, therefore it is attached to hinges, wire, etc. It is also important to understand that the dimensions of the dwelling will depend on what breed and why it is grown quail. Design may also vary depending on these indicators. However, despite this, there is a certain standard by which the box can be assembled.
- The number of quail in one cage can reach 30 goals.
- The length of the dwelling is 100 cm.
- Width - 40 cm.
- The height of the cell is from 20 to 25 cm.
- It is necessary to equip a slight slope for the floor at 8-10 degrees.
- As a floor covering, a mesh with cells of 12x12 mm and a diameter of 2 mm is used.
- The egg collector should protrude by about 10 cm, and must also have side sides.
Cages for chicks
If you look at the photos of quail cells, you can see that they can significantly differ from each other. The thing is that the size, material and equipment for assembly strongly depend on the age of the bird, on the destination, on the method of placement.
The dimensions for the standard adult were shown above. The cage for keeping the chicks will be very different. Firstly, a heating system is mandatory. Because of this, the cell must be conditionally divided into two parts. In one there will be a drinking bowl and a feeder, and in the other - a heater. An ideal place to install this type of cage would be a quiet and warm place with dim light. In order to avoid diseases in young birds, it is very important to clean it often.
Cell types for the purpose of the bird
To successfully make a quail cage with your own hands, you need to understand what the birds will be kept for, since a lot depends on it.
The first type is conventionally called cages for layers. In such cells, usually 6-7 layers and 1 male each live. A distinctive feature in the design of this type of cells was the fact that they must have an inclined bottom. This will allow the laid eggs to slide automatically into the collection tray.
The second type of cage is intended for growing meat breeds of these birds. Since in such dwellings there are females or males that will not be carried, the presence of an egg collector or inclined floor is not necessary at all. The design of cells for such animals is the simplest and least expensive in terms of material means and time.
Quail cages can be single or multi-tiered.
The first type is selected if the space in the room is significantly limited. Naturally, the number of birds will be less. In this case, wood, plastic or metal mesh for quail cages are used as the main materials for the manufacture. This raw material is the most common for creating a home, since there are a large number of complete sets.
Layered structures are relevant only if it is planned to grow a large population close to industrial indicators. Naturally, cells will be installed one on one, in tiers. The number of cells in one rack will directly depend on the height of the room, on the bird's vital system, as well as on the dimensions of the dwelling itself. For the arrangement, wood or metal is used to create both a frame and cells. Below in the photo there is a quail cage from two tiers.
How to build a cage?
As in any other work, to make a quail cage on your own, you need to have all the materials, tools, and it is also recommended to complete the drawing. It is important to note that almost all sizes can vary according to individual needs. The only parameters that cannot be changed are the distance from the floor to the top wall, as well as the width. The most common frame assembly material is wood. After that, the structure is tightened on all sides with a galvanized wire mesh. The egg collector, feeder and drinking bowl can be made from a wide variety of materials, even ordinary plastic bottles.
Plywood and plastic housing
You can also assemble a home quail cage from plywood and plastic. Plywood or fiberboard is used as a frame, a metal mesh - as a bottom. The plastic version of the cage will be made of polypropylene and can accommodate up to 50 birds. Keeping in a cage of this type can be both rushing quails and meat breeds.
Cage for 20 goals
Since artificial housing should not hamper the movement of birds, then the size will be larger than standard. Durable plastic is chosen as a reliable drinking bowl, feeder and egg collector. Almost any plastic container can be adapted to these functions. To do this, cut one of the sides according to the size of the cell. You will also need a litter tray. It is recommended to use sheet metal here, since the service life is much longer. The finished cage should resemble a box with dimensions of 30x30x25 cm. We must not forget about ventilation for birds. To provide ventilation, you can equip a recess through which the desired amount of air will flow in. To ensure the desired temperature and lighting, you can use special lamps.
Housing for 50 quails
In order to contain such a livestock of birds, it is necessary to collect a cage of at least 75x150 cm in size if the parent herd is to be kept, and 60x120 cm if it contains meat or egg breeds. The main materials most often used are mixed components that are at hand. In addition, the manufacture of dwellings in several tiers will be relevant here. As a frame, a piece of wood of the right size is used. To equip the ceiling, floor and walls, a mesh is used.
To assemble a home, you will need:
- 8 wooden bars, selected by the size of the cage, as well as 2.5 cm thick;
- a grid with a small cell size and dimensions of 2x2 meters;
- nails and screws for assembling the structure;
- metal corners and awnings.
Making the frame is quite simple. All that is needed is to knock together, the existing wooden beams in the shape of a rectangle. After the frame is ready, you can fix the grid on the sides. To assemble the structure and fasteners of the mesh, you can use both nails and self-tapping screws. It is important to note here that the height of the cages for meat breeds of poultry should be slightly less than the height for bearing breeds.
Mesh cells
The base can be made from metal corners. In this case, you need to have parts with dimensions of 25x25 mm. The connectors of the nets on the sides of the cage should be selected so that the bird's head fits freely into it. Since the birds should not fall out of the cage when walking, the floor net should be with smaller mesh sizes than for the sides and the ceiling.
The sequence of work is as follows:
- Corners are prepared for the frame. It will take 4 metal corners of 300 and 500 mm, as well as 3 copies of 700 mm. Corners are connected, after which wooden blocks are attached with screws. Metal corners can be joined by welding or bolts.
- Next, you need to fix the sidewalls. To do this, use a grid that is attached to the bars using a furniture stapler. It is important to install the brackets so that they are as even as possible, which eliminates the possibility of harming the bird. If there is no stapler, then wire can be used.
- Next, the floor is going at a slope of 7-10 degrees. It is important to note here that the length of the floor should correspond to the length of the egg collector - about 10 cm. The end of the egg collector bends a couple of centimeters.
- Next, you can proceed to fasten the door. Its dimensions should be such that a human hand can safely pass. It is made of mesh, I use canopies for fixation.
- The last point is the assembly of the litter tray. As such an element, a sheet piece of iron is taken, which is attached to the bottom of the cell. To simplify the cleaning process, you can lay a newspaper on the metal.
Finally
If we summarize all of the above, it becomes clear that it is quite simple to assemble a quail cage. This is mainly due to the fact that the birds themselves are small, and therefore their housing is small in size. In addition, you can purchase cages for quail on Avito.