How to Build Quail Pens

One quail pen does not meet all the needs of a game bird owner. Whether transporting these game birds for dog training, breeding quail for release, or raising eating birds, quail need different pens for different purposes. Here are some ideas for building your pens.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Small mesh galvanized steel wire
• Wire cutters
• Wire connectors
• Heavy-duty pliers
• Leather gloves
• Bailing wire
• Concrete
• 2-inch PVC piping, 10-foot lengths
• Rebar
• PVC connectors and glue
• 1-inch wire mesh
• 1-inch poultry screen
• Game bird netting
• Door
• Same materials as for breeding pen
• Solid galvanized sheets

Build a Quail Breeding Pen

1. Purchase or cut galvanized wire in the following sizes: 4 pieces 10-by-24 inches and 2 pieces 10 inches squares. This makes a cage large enough to hold 4 quail.

2. Place three sides of the quail pen side by side along the 24-inch length. Bind the quail pen roof and two sides together with wire, forming a rectangle without a bottom.

3. Add one 10-inch piece at one end, placing the 10-inch side at the roof, and wire shut the top and down 7 inches on the two sides. Wire the other square at the other end, but only at the top of the pen for a door.

4. Bend the unwired portion of the sides in to create a sloped bottom of the cage. Attach the bottom of the cage, bending the ends to conform to the sides. Leave the end piece square so the pen sits with a downward slope.

5. Build multiple breeding pens using the right side of one cage as the left side of the next cage. Use bailing wire around the bottom of the cage for extra support.

Build a Quail Flight Pen

1. Design a simple flight pen as a long, narrow building with a shed roof, enclosed sides and entrances at both ends.

2. Attach the flight pen to the quail coop bird entrance. A 15-foot wide and 30-foot long pen can hold up to 300 birds. Build a door at the end opposite the coop.

3. Pour a concrete footer, several inches wide, 12 inches deep and the length of the pen. Place rebar every 10 feet to slip the PVC side pipes over. Make two lines of stakes, 15 feet apart. Slip the pipes over the stakes.

4. Connect the two sides with a third PVC pipe creating a Quonset style frame. Along the bottom 3 feet of the frame, attach 1-inch wire mesh, buried 6 inches into the ground and up the three sides.

5. Attach poultry screen for the 3 feet above the mesh. Place game bird netting over the top and attach.

6. Install a door on the opposite end of the coop for easy entry.

Build a Quail Recovery Pen

1. Build a rectangular wire mesh box, 24-inches long, 18-inches wide and 10-inches high for up to 25 quail.

2. Cut a 6-inch circle on one long side of the rectangle, toward the side and not in the center. Make a 12-inch long wire mesh cone with a 6-inch wide large end and a 2 1/2 inch opening on the small end. Insert the cone in the hole with the small end in and attach.

3. Surround the other half of the cage with solid galvanized sheets as extra protection from predators. The quail still need to see the entrance.

4. Make a square lift door on the top or opposite side for easy bird retrieval.

Tips & Warnings

• Build a raising pen just like one designed for pheasants. Refer to the eHow titled "How to Build Pens for Pheasants."

• Add water troughs to every quail pen design.

• Obtain all necessary permits and licenses before owning game birds.

Resources

• Buy gamebird netting from McMurray Hatchery.