quail enclosure completed

Starting picture, the holes are access to
the nest boxes for the chickens

Well I finished it today, I even got the shelf above the quail run completed.  I want to get this out in the open first thing, it is for the chicken coop.  Spending as little as possible is the name of the game.  I figure it cost me about $25 to build this with all the hardware included.  I used lots of scraps and all the hinges and latches I buy off of the discount table at the local feed store.  I just buy them whenever they show up, figuring I will need them eventually.  Since it is for the chicken coop, things just have to be close.  I don't do redos in the chicken coop.  I beat with a hammer, I push and add a couple extra screws.  The only concession I made was I screwed everything together.  I did not use a nail gun.  I probably should have used the staple gun on the wire mesh, but it was raining and I would have had to bring out the compressor.  The chickens did not like me disturbing them, they cluck and fuss the whole time I am working in the coop.  You get used to that and it becomes more relaxing than annoying, until the rooster starts crowing inside the coop!  It is very loud, I finally had to shoo him out of the coop so I could think.

I went to grab the quail and place them in their new home.  All was not well.  One of the quail was laying on its side sleeping and the other quail was laying next to it.  So I grabbed for the sleeping quail.  It wasn't asleep.  It was cold and dead!

completed quail enclosure with
storage above it for chicken feeders and
extras

Annmarie had picked up and held one yesterday.  I truly do not believe that the dead one was the one she held yesterday.  I really don't.  So now we only have one lonely quail left.  I still need to add the chicken wire above the enclosure so the chickens don't start roosting on it.  It is fairly steep, I think I will hold off and see if the chickens start using it to sleep on.  If they don't then it will save me some extra work.













 






I had to add a door holder, I ended up using two boards that each pivot.  The first one pivots out to hold the door and the little one pivots down to hold the first one in place.  As you can see I had to use some shims for the door handles.  I had the handles in the shed, leftover from some 50s kitchen remodel.  They never threw anything away.  So now all I need to do is clean out the baby chick enclosure.  I am going to place an order for new baby chicks on Monday at the feed store!  It will take them a week to get the chicks in. I have settled on 12 Brahmas and 6 leghorns.  I may not be able to get the leghorns.  If not I am going to shoot for a white egg layer.  May just get more Polish hens, but they are a smaller breed.  All depends on what I can order.

nifty door opener holder