Aviary set up and companions??

[Anonymous]

Hi all, i could do with a bit of advice here if you will

I am building an aviary and have green cheek conures going in there, so first will they be ok together ?

Secondly this is the flight, i would add there nesting area under the parrots inner room, it will be around 4 foot long x 2.5 foot deep and 2 foot high.

There is a foraging area to the front but this is risen to about 2 foot, this was just for the parrots but now i think it would be good for the quail, or will it?
I can build a run up to it if need be unless they boink up there.

The floor is all concrete with a run off to wash it down.

Do you think it will be ok to house about 6 quail?

any help and advice is welcome

pics

some pics of the build

 

[Marigold]

That looks fantastic Wayne. I don't know the first thing about conures, but i do know lots of people have quail at floor level in aviaries. It sounds as if you've made a separate cage for the quail, and this wll be about 10 sq.ft in floor area. This would be plenty big enough for up to 10-12 quail I think., working on a fairly generous 1sq.ft. approx. each. I have 6 in a cage 2ft by 3ft and they are quite happy. Commercial quail are kept at much greater concentrations but you won't want to do that, I'm sure. The height would be fine - I'm making new quail cages to go in a small summerhouse ATM, and these will be 15'' high. I presume you're thinking of coturnix?
The only possible problems I can see might arise with your setup are 1) what you would do with the young ones you hope to breed, as it probably wouldn't be wise just to add them as growers to the cage of breeding adults. I think you'd need more than one cage if you hoped to breed more of them, and of course a brooder box for chicks as well. 2) I'm not sure how many males you could have in your breeding group without them fighting. the breeder I got mine from recommended 1 male to 3-5 females, and I've just got the one male in with my 5 hens in the 6sq.ft.cage.
Quail are pretty hardy and can stand cold, but not damp, so your conservatory -type setup would suit them well I should think. If you want them to lay eggs through the winter they need 14 hours of light a day. This is a problem for me as where I keep mine is a long way from mains electricity but it looks as if your setup would allow you to put in lights. I don't know what temperature your conures need, but a bit of extra warmth would enable the quail to go on laying and breeding in the colder months as well.
Please take everything i say with a pinch of salt, Wayne, as I've only had my first quail for 3 months or so and am just finding out about them as I go along! Let's hope someone with more experience will come on and help us both.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that, i havnt built the quail nest yet, but it will be going under the box in the last pic, off the floor aswell, it will be similar to the Conure box with a window meshed over to keep draughts out. The Conures dont need any warmth aslong as they acclimatised, which mine are, but i can always add whatever heating i will be adviced to use.

As you say i have all power to the aviary as the electric is there from when there was a shed and water is the other side of the wall, just need to plumb it into the birdroom which will be at the back of the aviary, if i breed i can breed/hatch them in there where i will have a few Conures breeding.
There wont be any Conure breeding in the flight as they can get aggressive when breeding.

So you dont see any big problems with housing and me keeping them, the main thing was with the foraging area s it is risen, should i make a ramp or will the boink there way up.

 

[Marigold]

Have a look at the pics in the thread Pophole and Quail Numbers, by Dorseted, a few threads down from yours. He's built a 2-storey quail house witha ramp, so if you p.m. him perhaps you could get him to post an update about how well the quail got on with going upstairs. I'd be interested to know how his setup is working out.

 

[Anonymous]

We keep a couple of Quail in our aviary. They have been fine with our other birds and seem to like pottering around in the bottom picking up millet etc that the others have dropped.
I notice you have planted a tree, my parrakeets just annihilate anything like that