The quail pen needs adequate shelter and good protection from predators. Choose an area that is higher than the surrounding ground with good drainage and does not allow rainwater to collect. If possible, place the quail pen in an area that receives shade during the hottest part of the day. Build a pen with a raised floor, which provides protection from predators and allows droppings to fall down, reducing the chances of disease and parasites.
High floor construction
Step 1
Put down your quail pen. Allow 1 to 1.5 square feet of space per bird. For example, if you have 50 quails, the pen should be between 500 and 750 square feet. A 500 square foot enclosure will measure 10 feet by 50 feet.
Step 2
The edges of your ground rig support at 4-foot intervals, down each side and across the middle. Insert 5-foot sections of 4-inch PVC pipe into the holes, placing 2 feet of pipe in the ground and leaving 3 feet of pipe exposed. Fill the foot holes with ready mix concrete. Use your level to ensure that the PVC pipe is conical on all sides. Allow to dry overnight.
Step 3
Insert 4-foot sections of 3/8-inch metal tubing into the PVC footers along both sides of the pen, with 2 feet of metal tubing exposed above the ground. The metal piping should be off center, allowing enough space on the outside to frame the 2×4 floor on top of the PVC piping. Use a short piece of board to check the locations of the metal tubing. Fill the plastic tube with fast-setting concrete and allow to set overnight.
Step 4
Build the floor frame atop the PVC support tubes, using 2-by-4 boards and two, 4-inch screws. Lay the boards on their sides, with 2-inch sides on top and 4-inch faces. The floorboard joints in the middle of the pen should align with the PVC supports.
Step 5
Cover the floor with 0.5″ x 0.5″ welded wire, attached to the floor support boards with heavy-duty staples.
you bring it out
Step 1
Slide a single, 20-foot by 1.25-inch, 40-gauge polyurethane time potentiometer onto one of the metal electrodes located on the right side of the enclosure. Match the metal pole on the other side of the can, and slip the other end onto that pole, creating an arc. Continue down the entire length of the pencil. Drill through and bolt into place.
Step 2
On one end of the pen, frame the door opening with 2-by-4 boards. Attach the boards to the wood floor using 4-inch galvanized nails. Angle nails through the bottom of the boards 2 by 4 into the floor structure. Install a header board between the side frame to increase strength.
Step 3
Cover the bottom feet of the pen ends and ends with 0.5″ x 0.5″ soldered wire, tying it with wire. Do not cover your door opening.
Step 4
Install 1-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe down the center line of the roof, bolting the pipe into each bracket. Maintain 4-foot intervals between each bracket.
Step 5
Attach 1-inch Schedule 40 PVC tubing around the perimeter of the pen, along the outside, 2 feet from the floor. Bolt to the brackets.
Step 6
Cover the remainder of the pen with 0.5-inch poultry netting, and suspend with metal fasteners, or by weaving nylon fishing line through netting and wire mesh.
Step 7
Use 1-by-2-inch planks to build the door frame. Cover with poultry netting, and fasten the mesh to the frame with staples. Attach two hinges to one side of the door frame with 0.5-inch screws. On the other side of the door frame, install half of your latch lock.
Step 8
Screw your door hinges to your frame using 0.5 inch screws. On the other side of the door opening, attach the other half of the gate latch.
Step 9
Install dust bins, feeders and waterers.
