Even though chickens are the most common choice for those looking to keep birds in their backyard, quails are also a great choice. They’re smaller, require less space, and it’s super easy to make your own DIY quail hutch. It doesn’t require any special design skills, and you’ll only need a couple hours!
Supplies
- Saw
- Drill
- Staple gun
- Measuring tape
- 3” and 2” Screws
- Hinges, locks
- Light bulb
- 1/2" Hardware cloth 1/2"x1/2" spaced wire
- Wire cutters
- 3/8 plywood
- Treated 2-2x8x8”
First Step: Cutting the Parts
To start building your diy quail hutch, first you’ll need to cut the pieces to make the frame.
You’ll need:
- Base frame: 2 cuts on the table saw of 2"
- Top frames and sides: 6 cuts at 3/4"
Second Step: Building the Frame
You can attach the pieces by using longer screws (drill pilot holes first to keep the wood from splitting) or using biscuit joiners.
You’ll need:
- The top and bottom frames, the bottom with extra columns
- 3 side frames, one for each side and one to add to the middle (to create the sleeping corner)
- Back and front frames
You are also building a safe corner for the hens to sleep at, so add an extra “column” on the back and front frames, placed roughly at 1/4 of the frame.
Third Step: Add Plywood and Wire
Attach the wire from the inside with a heavy duty staple gun. You’ll add wire to completely cover the bottom frame and one side frame.
On the back frame, add wire only to the biggest section and add plywood on the smaller section. On the frontal frame, you can add wire only on the biggest section, leaving the smaller one free.
Add plywood on the top frame, on one side frame and on the remaining side frame you can add plywood only to half of it, leaving a space for the hens to go through.
Fourth Step: Assembling The Hutch
Assembling the hutch is pretty straightforward: you’ll only need to screw the base with the 3” and use the 2” to connect the corners.
Remember:
Drill the pilot holes first to prevent splitting.
Use hinges to attach the frontal piece, making your hutch easy to open and clean.
Easy access: Remember that we said to leave a small section without wire on the front piece? There you can create a small door on the front by attaching a 1" wood panel, with hinges. You can use this opening to collect eggs easily and hassle-free.
Fifth Step: Finishing Touches
Consider adding a light bulb on the enclosed space to keep the birds warmer at night. After that, your quail hutch is ready to use!
Other tips:
- You can add nesting hay to keep them more comfortable.
- Add a lock to prevent the small door from flying open.
- You can protect the wood by staining or painting it.
- You can add a box of dirt so the birds can take dirt baths.
- Don’t overcrowd your flock: a general rule is to keep 1 bird per square foot, max.
Adaptations
The DIY that we presented here is very simple, but you can make your own adaptations to suit more your backyard. On this photo above, for example, the homeowner decided to make the ceiling with wire instead of plywood and create a separate quail house.
Depending on the size and available supplies, you can make your quail hutch bigger or smaller, and maybe even add more natural elements to it, like make it on the ground, add plants, etc.
- Related:
- The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens
- Make Your Own Chicken Coop With This Simple Guide
- 11 Vegetables You Can Regrow At Home
- Start An Organic Garden In 8 Simple Steps
- Composting your Way to a Healthy Garden
Will you make your own DIY Quail Hutch? Let us know at our Facebook page or in the comments below!
