This is genius thank you so much for posting. I have a bunch of the hatching time cages as well but i want to get them outside! I have a carport that i can put up and move the birds into. This will hang nicely.
This just helped convince my wife for one in our backyard. I love the roll out. One thing I would suggest for anyone just putting one outside is to put a rod uou can take out at the bottom of the rollout so nothing steals eggs before you get there .
I was looking at what I had available at the house and was about to build a hutch with rack. I decided to browse another time for ideas and yours popped up. I have all the parts I need laying around except zip ties and the tighter ribbed shelf. Your video changed my design. I am adding your video to my playlist library of other interesting content. Your straight forward approach is good timely information. Thank You!
Glad we could help! After your build, if you changed anything I’d like to know. I’m always looking for better ways of doing things. Thanks for watching!
I have the Hatching Time cages, but need more cages for additional quail and don't want to pay a large amount for additional HT cages. Love this idea over building simple wire screen cages, as the coating of the shelving will be better for the quail's feet. Great idea! Thanks for sharing with everyone.
Great idea! Nice cage... May I suggest that you buy UV black ties for outdoor applications, some are just colored black but sunlight will make them brittle quickly.
I had a bunch of 1” shelving that I bought a Habitat for humanity for only $20👀 yup so, I built the cage 80” long and I had some leftover 1/2” hardware cloth. I put inside on the floor then, wrapped the outside as best as possible to help keep rodents n such out but still allowing access. I’ve seen other pictures where a rat chewed through some hardware cloth but have never experienced that myself. Thanks for the great videos
Preditory proof? We just lost all but one set of breeders to something big. Not sure what, but our cages were totally distroyed, and the Quail strewened all over the yard. If whatever it was, it just ran through like a mack truck. Didn't eat any of the birds. I'm still feeling like a bad bird mom. We heard nothing and they were inside the garage.
Thanks for watching Diana! Sorry to hear about your quail. Sounds to me that maybe a dog caused the mayhem. Honestly I can’t say these hutches are predator proof, because I haven’t tested them in the open.
This is ingenious!! Going to go watch your stacking video. Just subbed to you as well. Love anything that's effective, simple, and practical on your wallet.
Thanks so much for the great video. I’m almost finished with mine. Ours wasn’t as cut and dried because I bought shelving off of marketplace not realizing that it comes in all widths and lengths. We had to work at it a little harder but it looks amazing.
I am nearing retirement. Before finding my ideal place have been planning for ways to b more independent. Started with backyard chickens in our HOA community😬. Then onto rabbits and now learning about quail. U made this look so much easier than I anticipated. Just subbed. Thanks very much.
Very nice and I have some of this shelving already. This would be a great project. I happened to shoot a quail this morning and it was very tasty. So now I can hang this from my chicken coop rafters and eat the boys and pickle some eggs too.
Thank you, but I’m far from brilliant. Lol. I’m just tired of getting ripped off from hutches that are expensive and just terrible. Thanks for watching Connie!
@@squarecountyhomestead Will do! I found your build playlist. I'm going to watch those and go forward. I am curious to know how you care for them during the winter, do you have a video or two on that topic? ty
I have used this design for a couple months now. Problem 1 quail still end up falling on the bottom as the legs drop through. The second issue is the quail seem more disturbed by opening the hutch. I actually designed a pin to keep the hutch doors secure then predators managed to kill 7 more quail. The doors were just as easy to push in as pull out. I used two bungee to span from ends to center door allowing them to open when the pin is removed but prevent the doors being pushed. I have managed to keep the rest of the quail but they still drop through the bottom rack entirely too much. I fear more quail being hurt by this design. Everything works well except the floor design.
@@squarecountyhomestead yes not out just through legs but they hit the bottom hard. I reduced the gap and the angle of the floor did not help. I had one of the quail do this and break its wing. If it was one quail I would just say it’s a fluke. It is all of the quail missing a rung or not able to maintain a grip. I have decent sized Coturnix.
I am updating today July 27 24. I have lost my 5th bird to this design. The bird fell and got trapped in the front resulting in breaking its leg. Happened after morning check and evening check. I was in the yard there were no predators present. It was one of my largest birds. I really had high hopes for this design but I am going to build a traditional hutch. I have the more expensive black Coturnix quail so having a 4th of my birds injured or killed by an avoidable issue is catastrophic. Not to mention expensive. Another note I have had no eggs since using this design and it’s now been 3 months in this environment. I truly do not know how you’re not having injuries to birds. I bought the bottom rack just for this project so I lost that money. Eggs were 6 bucks a piece. Raised them from babies and all loss has been related to this design. It’s inhumane
Thanks for watching Mandi!! Yea u have to flip the floor with lip down, because of the support wire that runs longways would stop the eggs from rolling.
Thanks for watching Karen! Yea after 10 years they could possibly fail. Our rabbit hutches are built the same way. So we’re on year 5 with same zip ties. But clamps are definitely another option.
I too can only find the 5/8" instead of the 1/2" for the top and floor. Do you think it would work to put a layer of hardware cloth inside the cage on the bottom until the get fully grown and their feet are bigger?
Great question Kimberly! I think the stores now call it 5/8” but the gap is 1/2”. But yes you could definitely add some smaller hardware cloth. But I would recommend a coated or even the plastic style. Thanks for watching!
@Square County Homestead super excited! I got a ton of shelving on marketplace last week, and I hit up harbor freight for zipties yesterday. I'm ready to get building! Instead of hanging mine from the wall/ceiling, I am going to hang them in a shelving unit with clips and use the shelves to hold the poop trays.
Very good video! Subscribed! I'm wanting to make these but have only been able to find shelving with 5/8" spacing instead of 1/2". Too wide, or do you think it would work?
Thanks for watching MaryAnne! Honestly I despise the Hatching Time cages! I can be honest because I’m not part of the big RU-vid channels. And we’re not sponsored by anyone. I’m wanting to do a comparison video soon. Those hatching time cages are hard to keep clean, u can’t see your quail, feeders allow a lot of waste etc.
@@squarecountyhomestead Thank you gor your reply. I thought I was the only one having issues with it. I look forward to your video. BTW, just found your channel and loved it. I subscribed last night and will be going through your videos to learn all I can. Blessings to you & your family 🕊
Every one I hear that the 1/2 x 1” wire is best. How do your quail do on this wire. I like your cage minus the roll out because I’ve had snakes get in a cage one time and ate my babies I had pigeons at the time so I don’t want to leave any unnecessary gaps. I know a roll out would be better but I’m concerned about snakes getting in. Anyway thanks for video I think this is the way I’m going to go. One more question do you stack them
Thanks for watching Wild Rose Ranch! Yes our quail do excellent on this system. Yes we stack them. Click on our quail playlist and there’s a whole series on these cages.
I haven’t raised quail but am about to start. I have room in my chicken coop for a quail cage. My question is, would the droppings from the quail be detrimental to the chickens?
Thanks for watching Amy Reed! No the droppings wouldn’t hurt, but quail poop ALOT! Watch our quail playlist and we show how to build poop catchers, feeders and waterers.
@@squarecountyhomestead Thanks for the quick reply! My first brood is at 2.5 weeks old now. I've got your cages set up and ready for tenants. Love the design.
Thanks for watching Gina! Great question! I’m gonna have another video on that. We upload a new video every Saturday. But u can put anything underneath to catch the poop.
Thanks for watching bc1425! There’s a support bar that runs the length of shelf. It would more than likely stop the eggs from rolling. That’s why we had to flip it over the way we did.
Oh this is great! I can't wait for your next videos on how to stack and make the trays. Let me ask you, if I had it on shelves and wanted to go from grow out cage to the egg roll out is that possible if it is sitting on the base?
@@squarecountyhomestead We are going to try it on the enclosed porch so it would be up against the brick wall of the house, but I think we will probably have to move it into the yard due to the dust they would make in the screen porch.
I think you could just add a spacer (wood block) between end caps and cage floor on front side. Then add thicker spacer just under floor on wall side. This would give the floor an angle.
Thanks for watching Leilani K!! There is a raised support bar that runs the length of panel. If u turn it up the eggs would more than likely hang up on that bar instead of rolling down.
@@squarecountyhomestead - I was just going to ask the same question so thanks for the response. Love the honest, practical, common sense videos. You got a like and subscribe from me. Keep up the good work!
@@squarecountyhomestead for real, I just built a 3-foot one and I'm going to knock out a couple more this weekend. I have a feeling I'm going to end up with a collection of pieces of shelving to use like legos to build or modify cages as needs change, kinda like the pieces of half inch PVC that I use when I need a new grow light stand.
@@squarecountyhomestead and also it will break down flat if you need to. You could raise meat birds part of the year until the freezer is full and then just flatten out the cages until you need them again.
