Quails are of exceptional nutritional value, and this applies to the meat of these little birds and their speckled eggs. It turns out that growing them at home is easy, but first we need a cage, which we will try to describe.
Cages for quails can be net, from plywood and even plastictherefore, the choice of housing for quail should be taken very scrupulously, primarily based on the characteristics of the comfortable living of these small birds.
Fifty quail they will feel comfortable in a cage with an area of one square meter, with egg production up to 48 pieces per day.
When making self-made cages for quails, be sure to use the drawings provided free of charge below and keep to the recommended sizes, everything has been tested in practice for a long time and implemented in the lives of thousands of connoisseurs of small birds.
A photo
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What should be the cell?
Consider a cage made according to the standard scheme and optimally suitable for the needs of quails. The sale of such cells occurs in many bird markets and has the following dimensions and design:
- back wall must be 18 centimeters high;
- front wall - 20 centimeters high;
- grid cell for the lower part 12 by 12 mm with a wire diameter of 0.9-2.0 mm;
- for optimal egg assembly bottom tilt angle should be 10 °;
- egg cage, with obligatory lateral sides, acts on 10 centimeters;
Blueprints
We bring version of the cage for quail, which is specially designed for self-production, also read a few photos of finished designs.
Here are a few other sizes, which however, do not differ much from the standard sizes indicated above.
How to do it yourself?
Assembly of the finished cage will take about two hours. But for this we carefully carry out all the blanks.
Main stocking has dimensions 105 by 70 centimeters. From its waste side walls are 30 to 30 centimeters.
Now we fold the main workpiece in the following sizes:
- front wall 16 centimeters high;
- back wall 14 centimeters high;
- side wall width, as mentioned above, is 30 centimeters;
- the rest of the workpiece use to refer to the egg collector.
Using plastic clamps or wire (the first option is preferable), fasten the side walls. Next comes the end of the egg box, which takes into account that its height must be not less than 3 centimeters.
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The door is cut from above, and it can be the width across the entire upper surface, for greater convenience.
In order to obtain right angles on the bends of the net, and not their rounded off analogs, we use with bends two edged boards 5 centimeters thick, which are connected by loops. The grid for the cells of quails is pushed in the gap that formed between the boards, measure the required bend size and fold the boards.
Cell supportsbesides the bottom, its end walls also serve. They provide the space needed to insert a litter tray. It is made of fiberboard, plywood or wooden slats.
Required for him requirement - systematic treatment with an antiseptic solution in order to further avoid the unpleasant smell of saltpeter formed by quail droppings.
Plywood or wood
On this option in short, because, as a rule, specialists in breeding quails use self-made wire cages. Here main material is plywood, only the bottom is made, as in the first case, from wire.
Cage for quail plywood has the following dimensions:
- back wall 18 centimeters high;
- front wall has a height of 20 centimeters;
- floor has a slope of 10 °.
All material is initially impregnated with antiseptic, you can also use a varnished surface.
Where to buy and how to choose?
If you buy a grid for cells and make it yourself, then the cost will be the price of 1 square meter. m grid.
Be sure to pay attention:
- main material in the process of cell selection, it is metal and galvanized mesh;
- location of feeders and drinkers - behind the front wall, and the size of the net should be such that the bird in the process of absorbing feed and water can easily stick its head into it, but no more;
- the height of the cell should be no more than 20 centimetersThis is caused by the fact that the quail loves to jump up sharply, and in the process of keeping it in captivity it can smash or injure its head on the upper part of the cage;
- tray must be installed in the cagewhere eggs will roll, this is because quail eggs lay directly on the floor;
- in exactly the same way it is necessary that the litter tray is installed in the cageotherwise the eggs will be dirty and the risk of infectious diseases in birds will increase.
Host note
- It is advisable to use two bunker-type feeders that are attached to the front wall, the drinkers are attached to the end walls.
- Under the bottom of the cell is desirable to spread newspapers, because the particles of litter will fall down when the pan is cleaned and disinfected, and the newspaper will "collect" them.
- To get rid of the unpleasant smell of saltpeter, the pallet is cleaned once or twice daily, a means of eliminating the smell of litter, is an elementary cat litter.
- Can use two pallets, one of which "works" and the other is dried.
- To minimize the problem of dust from dry feed, there are two ways to the first - this is feeding with wet mash, second - installation of dust collectors or anthers, which are moistened and installed above the cage, thus it is possible to solve the problem of dry air, which is not desirable for quails.
- To increase the number of quails contained install the battery cells, in this case, the doors should open in front, and the lowest cell is located not less than 1 meter from the floor - this bird is afraid of drafts.
Interesting Facts
At present, the quail boom, which peaked in the 1990s, has significantly lost. However, the usefulness of quail meat and eggs did not diminish at all. Quail meat At all times it was a delicacy, baked quail was served to the royal table.
Quail eggs in terms of the content of individual mineral substances are significantly superior to chicken. In particular, the magnesium content in them is three times more, and the iron is almost a third.
And Specialists appreciate them because of their high iron content.which is an important element of the hematopoietic system, stimulates the metabolism inside the cell and is part of various enzymes.
The same applies to the content of vitamins, here the main asset of a quail egg is the fact that vitamin A in them is twice as much as in chicken eggs.
