About Quail Pens

Quail pens (for game bird breeding) are necessary for an assortment of different reasons and purposes, whether it's for breeding quail, transporting your quail to different locations, or raising quail birds for eating purposes. There are a lot of different reasons why quail pens exist. Smaller quail pens can be purchased (such as holding pens and recall pens), but you can also build them on your own if you are so inclined.

  1. Identification

    • If you want to construct your own quail pen, you will need tools and materials including heavy duty pliers, one inch of wire mesh, gloves, wire connectors and cutters, mesh galvanized steel wire, one inch of a poultry screen, some concrete, game bird nets, a door, galvanized sheets, PVC piping (ten feet long), a reinforcing bar (rebar), PVC connectors and bailing wire.

    Types

    • A few common types of quail pens (for pheasants, bobwhite quails, etc) are quail breeding pens, quail recovery pens, holding pens, recall pens and quail flight pens. If you are looking to produce birds that are good at flying, flight pens are perhaps a good idea because they the pens are narrow, long and provide ample exercise space for the quail.

    Function

    • Quail pens are generally about 30 inches wide, 120 feet long, and 12 feet in height. About a fifth of the quail pen area is typically enclosed for brooding. In the brooding area you will find feeders, waterers and a heating source. Quail are maintained in the brooding section until they are approximately six weeks old.

    Considerations

    • One of the drawbacks to raising quail in quail pens is that it increases the chances of quail losing their feathers because of other birds picking at them. Quails that lose their feathers are referred to as "bare backs." When quails are raised in quail pens, bare backs are more common because the activity of the birds is encouraged by exposure to light. Producers try to combat this by decreasing the compactness and density of the birds in the pens to about one bird per square foot.

    Theories/Speculation

    • There are many places to purchase smaller quail pens (such as holding pens or recall pens) over the internet. Some good places to buy reliable quail pens online include Fleming Outdoors, Home and Barn Basics, Lion Country Supply and many others. Another good place to check for quail pens is eBay.com, the online auction website.