Quail Housing Part 3: Tractors. An Interesting Hybrid

 

 

I have covered quail aviaries and cages in Quail Housing Part 1 and Quail Housing Part 2.

Let's move on to tractors, an interesting hybrid of cages and aviaries.  

When we first began keeping quail back in the COVID years before we lived NowHere we kept the quail in tractors.  Tractors are small(ish) structures which move from place to place giving quail an abundant supply of fresh grass.  The quail mow down the grass and weeds and this is a good supplement for them. 

After we moved from the aviary to cages we began to reconsider tractors.  We had learned a LOT more about quail and the technical aspects of their housing needs ~ particularly the height requirement! ~ from our Quail University/Quail 101 investment.  So this time we built tall tractors.  We tried both an A-frame and a standard rectangular construction.  We knew from keeping chicken tractors one of the most dangerous parts of moving a tractor is chicken feet or legs getting caught up under the side.  Quail being much smaller than chickens, we were a bit concerned about running over them or having a number of them escaping.  We discussed putting the quail into a tote bin before moving but catching them can be a headache.  Cletus came up with the idea (from watching a YouTube video, of course) of building a small box into the back of the cage.  It would have a small trap door which could be left open until ready to move and then the quail would be shooed into the box and the trap door closed prior to lifting and moving.  In theory, this was terrific.  In practice it was....adequate.  Quail are resistant to both being caught and staying caught.  

 

We made a couple of tractors and placed wire on the bottoms to protect them from predators.  If you find you need to do this please know you will need to periodically (at least weekly) get the hose out and spray it down to remove built-up poop.  Also, the wire will flatten the grass and they will not be as able to "mow it down" as they would without the wire.

So we removed the wire.  We were pleasantly surprised at how well this worked.  The combination of the construction style, making sure the tractor was placed on ground as level as we could find, putting boards around it where it was not level, and adding electric wire around the base, as well as having four hard-working barn cats, kept predators from being a problem this time.  

Spacing requirements for these were the same as for cages ~ 2-3 birds per square foot ~ but again, we went with the lower population density.  

Having the box available gave the more meek birds a place to run away from the more aggressive birds.  Most of the time they would also lay their eggs in the box, especially if I would be careful about keeping it clean and having pine shavings in there for them. 

Bumblefoot was never an issue when they were in tractors, as long as we would keep them moving around to fresh grass.

One disadvantage to tractors is the rain.  We live in an area with periodic tropical downpours (think 4-6 inches in a short period of time).  When this happened our back yard would flood.  They were decently intelligent about perching on top of the box when this would happen but we would at times find ourselves out trenching around the tractor to divert the water flow. 

Some technical points:

• Putting wheels on one side of the tractor can be helpful when moving/repositioning; however, finding wheels that will stand up to frequent moves can be challenging.  Wheels lift the structure.  Making sure the side where the wheels are placed rests on the ground to keep the quail in and the predators out can also be puzzling.  At one point Cletus designed a wheel base which would go down when it was time to move and retract up when it was parked.  These were not the easiest to make or maneuver.  It is possible to purchase pre-made wheel bases for this.  Again, check out YouTube for great ideas.

 A hand truck will be invaluable whether you have wheels or not.

• Our basic plan was a frame ~ either 2 x 2 wood or PVC ~ covered with hardware cloth and then covered with a tarp to protect from the elements.  My favorite way of doing this was to have the tarp come almost to the ground on one side and half-way down on the opposite side.  This protected from wind and rain on one side while allowing good ventilation.

• Make sure your doorway is wide enough to take a tote bin in and out! Life will be easier if you can bring a new batch of quail into the tractor all at once. 

• I would strongly suggest the doorway have a sill at least 12 inches high.  This keeps them from darting out when you open the door.  Also make sure they cannot get trapped between the sill and the door.  Remember, quail are masters at finding creative ways to die.  

• Feeders and waterers can be on a brick on the ground or hanging.  

• Make sure there are no openings where the tractor sits on the ground.  Place bricks or boards as needed to block these places. 

And there you have it.  The three ways we have come up with for quail housing at NowHere.  Some final thoughts:

• Do what works for you on your property.
• If you have a structure with a wire bottom, use coated wire.
• Be willing to change.  If something is a great idea and does not work for you, be willing to change it up.
• Take time to go sit and enjoy your quail.  They are fascinating little creatures!