Aviaries and cages

In short

• Floor aviary: 0.1–0.15 m² per bird. Tiered cage: at least 0.025 m², better 0.033 m² per bird.
• Ceiling low (up to 25 cm) or high (from 1.8 m), and always soft netting under a hard roof. A frightened quail shoots straight up.
• Mesh no larger than 13 mm (½ in) everywhere, including the floor or buried 40 cm deep. The rat is the quail's worst enemy.
• A dry floor and a sand bath matter more than heating.
• Quail cope with cold, but not with draughts, damp or heat above 30 °C (86 °F).

What's inside

Chapters

1. Aviary, cage or movable pen
2. What every kind of housing must have
3. Height and ceiling: low or high
4. A floor aviary for 15 quail
5. The tiered cage
6. Floor, litter and the sand bath
7. Mesh, rats and predators
8. The movable pen on grass
9. Winter and summer
10. Building rules and neighbours
11. Common mistakes
12. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Shopping list for the aviary
• Mesh, capacity and cost calculator
• Sketch of my aviary
• Weekly inspection
• Maintenance through the year