If you have old fence pickets, planks, and lumber pieces lying around that measure at least 5 inches long, you’re going to LOVE this easy project! Take a peek at multiple designs and ideas for building scrap wood quail hides:
Scrap Wood Quail Hides
Backyard Coturnix quail need lots of sunlight and fresh air, but this also exposes them to driving rain and chilly winds. To combat this, keepers provide them very simple “hides”, which is a box, tunnel, or small shed-like structure the hens can run under to enjoy protection from rain. They also use these to escape any bullies or over-eager breeding males to find a moment of peace. Quail love having and using the hides in their environments!
Quail Hide Dimensions:
Coturnix quail are about the size of a sweet potato, measuring around 5 inches long by 4 inches tall (when standing upright to look for danger) and up to 3.5 inches wide across the breast. A hide should be a minimum of 6 inches deep with a 5 inch wide opening and 4.5 inches of interior head room. Ideally, the front and back should be open, like a tunnel, so the quail can enter and exit from either end. The solid sides of the hide should face whichever direction rain storms tend to blow in from. (For many US states, storms blow in from the west.)
Simple Design Ideas
These quick-to-assemble quail hides provide the required rain protection and look cute while doing so! There’s no need to make angled cuts; straight edge hides work just fine:
Creative Hide Ideas
If you’d like to go all out for your quail, check out these fun options:
Let’s See the Underside!
Here is a glimpse inside the scrap wood quail hides so you can see how simple the construction is:
Use Up Old Fence Pickets
You’ll notice that most of our hides use cedar or pressure treated fence pickets and planks. These are great materials to use for both quail coops and hides. They are lightweight and at the common 5.5 inch plank width, happen to be the perfect height for protecting quail. While it is advised that you do not use fresh cedar shavings around birds, cedar fence planks, which have been off-gassing their natural essential oils for months, are perfectly safe to use. Cedar boards are bird-safe 3 months after milling. Most new planks for sale at home improvement stores are 1 to 2 months old. Scrap cedar planks that feel dry to the touch are safe. Painting them with latex paint will stop any off-gassing and also makes them bird safe.
Screws or Nails?
You can use both! Small nails in some places may be easiest while screws might work better in other places. You decide what you have, what the piece requires, and what you’d like to use up. Our hides were built using Titebond wood glue and narrow crown finish staples with a pneumatic finish stapler. (Collated finish nails work, too.)
Kid-Friendly Activity
Use up scrap and keep the kids happy with a no-fail, fun project? They’re going to LOVE building these cute little quail houses and hides with you! This is a wonderful beginner project because any mess ups can just be trashed. (Although you may be surprised at what a quail hen enjoys hiding under!) The only “rule” is that sharp nail or screw tips cannot stick through the wood into the hide interior where a quail may scrape herself.
Selling Scrap Wood Quail Hides
If there are a number of families in your area who keep quail, you (or your children) may find a steady market to sell your creations. A nearby quail breeder may be willing to sell them for you, since people will be purchasing fast-growing juveniles from her. Quail need to feel safe if they are to begin laying eggs at 6 weeks old. Offering them on Facebook Marketplace can help you sell a few at once but be aware, you will probably be asked if you build quail coops as well! (Check out our FREE quail coop building plans and our Scrap Wood Quail Coop ideas.)
Not Just for Quail
Small animal hides on Amazon are expensive at $15 to $50 each. Because the trend towards more natural animal keeping is on the rise, you may find a ready market for small animal hides. Guinea pigs, hamsters, bunnies, rodents, and reptiles of all types appreciate houses and hides in their enclosures. Your small scraps now have a fun new use!
You Might Also Enjoy Reading:
How Do Coturnix Quail Eggs Taste?
Free Quail Coop Building Plans
Coturnix Quail Keeping for Kids
Quail *ARE* Allowed by Your HOA
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