If you have leftover lumber lying about, how about building a pen for Coturnix quail laying hens? Quail are allowed by HOA’s all over the US and are such sweet backyard egg layers that they are worth trying! ZERO local stores sell quail coops so they must be homemade. Take a peek at the detailed pics from our scrap wood quail coop project:
Scrap Wood Quail Coop
Coturnix quail are small birds, about the size of a sweet potato who weigh 8 to 15 ounces. Each bird needs a minimum of 1/2 square foot of coop space, with 1 square foot of coop space considered roomy. They form cuddly coveys who feel more secure when kept in small groups. This means quail coops are generally small: 2×3 and 2×4 feet are common sizes. (That size will house 6 to 12 quail.) Quail coops happen to be a fantastic project for using up scrap wood pieces!
Completed Scrap Wood Quail Coop Inspiration Pics:
Take a peek at the scrap wood hutch we built for backyard quail keeping with some handy tips below:
Start with the Roof
Your quail coop will need a roof that reliably sheds rain and keeps the birds dry. If you can source a piece of metal or a pack of shingles, this available material tends to dictate the maximum size of your coop. Since quail do best when there is 1 male for every 3 to 5 hens (or 2 males with 10 hens in a single pen), multiple small quail coops are more ideal than one large cage. Don’t pass up a small metal roofing scrap! Our metal roof scrap measured 25.75 by 45.75 inches (2.14 x 3.81 feet) and made a coop so large, we could not reach all the way to the back and had to add a second door!
Some Pressure Treated Scrap Required
You will need to use pressure treated wood for the legs and anywhere your quail coop will touch the ground. The pressure treated wood will last the longest if it is painted and then set atop garden pavers. Consider your own comfort, and how much stooping may be required to clean a squat coop, when deciding on a height. Our coop has legs 36XX inches long and the coop floor is at countertop height. If you’re going to buy any material, opt for pressure treated lumber for the legs!
Use Up Old Fence Pickets & Planks
Cedar and pressure treated fence planks are wonderful for building quail coops. The common 5.5 inch wide planks are slightly larger than the 4 inch tall quail who will sleep up against them, providing excellent overnight predator protection. (Everything eats quail, including raccoons, opossums, snakes, and rats.) Dry cedar planks will not harm quail if they are used to build the coop. You only need to avoid using fresh cedar shavings as bedding for birds.
Clever Construction
Some of your lumber pieces, mis-matched hinges, and unique hardware are going to add charm and character to your quail coop. Your shortest scraps and leftover trim can be fashioned into cute window or barn door details.
Raccoon Proofing
Raccoons can open most types of simple latches but they cannot open carabiners. Whatever latch you select for your coop, ensure you can use a carabiner to “lock” it. Two leftover thread eye bolts and a carabiner that fits through them is really all you need!
Recipe for a Scrap Wood Quail Coop:
Here are the 12 quick bullet points you need to know to successfully build a functional home for Coturnix quail with additional helpful images:
• Start with the roof materials first. Fence planks as shingles work! Quail need 1/2 square foot per bird minimum.
• A flat roof should have a slight pitch towards the back so rain water drains away from the door you need to open to give the quail dry feed. Add a second small egg collecting access door towards the rear if the coop will be deeper than arm’s length (24-26 inches for women, 27-29 inches for men.)
• Quail leap upward when startled, killing themselves by striking the underside of the coop roof. The interior height must be less than 30 inches or you must create a walk-in, aviary style pen taller than 60 inches. 30 to 60 inches is the “kill height zone” so go smaller or larger than this on the interior.
• Use pressure treated wood for the legs and any parts of the coop that touch the ground.
• Use 1/4 inch hardware cloth for all the sides, doors, windows and ventilation areas of the coop. Rats can reach through 1/2 inch hardware cloth to kill quail.
• The bottom of the coop can be 1/2 inch hardware cloth to allow poops to fall through but rats and raccoons will rip off quail toes and legs through the wire. Building a poop catch tray an inch underneath the coop floor creates an obstacle that stops predators. Chicken wire on this bottom shelf is fine to use since it will help hold a washable metal tray in place.
• At least 2 walls of the quail coop should have hardware cloth ventilation in warm climates, like the US southern states. (Up to 4 walls of ventilating hardware cloth may be needed in tropical climates.) Far northern states and cold climates may only need 1 large ventilation wall. A solid wall facing the direction storms tend to come from may keep the birds more comfortable.
• If a coop has 3 or 4 hardware cloth sides, provide the quail with a run-in hide to escape rain. Click to view scrap wood quail hide designs & ideas.
• Use exterior grade decking screws and exterior grade hinges, latches, and hardware. (We use Everbuilt brand from Home Depot on our chicken & quail coops.)
• All door latches must be raccoon proof. They will spend multiple nights puzzling with your latch until they figure it out. Use carabiners to lock all coop doors because it is the only thing raccoons cannot open.
• Use exterior grade latex paint. A quail coop with 3 solid walls, an 8 square feet interior space, with 36 inch tall legs requires 2 quarts to paint the inside and outside all one color.
• Quail move towards the setting sun and then sleep where they were standing when the light disappeared, right up against the coop wall. A band of wood trim taller than them is the best predator protection, followed by 1/4 inch hardware cloth.
Potential Money Maker
Big box stores do not carry quail coops at all, not even Tractor Supply. Quail coops must be handmade. If you have a never-ending source of leftover roofing materials and pressure treated scraps, small rectangular quail coops are easy to make. They also sell very quickly on Facebook marketplace!
Need Building Plans Instead?
Click to view our page of FREE Quail Coop Building Plans or check out the White Cottage Quail Coop build plans available from our website shop or on Etsy.
You Might Also Enjoy Reading:
How Many Quail Do We Need? (use your chicken egg use to calculate quail hens needed!)
Coturnix Quail Keeping for Kids
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