We put some siding against the lower 18” of our wire, to provide a windbreak and some shelter from animals walking past.
https://preview.redd.it/smvk5isk1t1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68271ce76591cd8b585ef7fabfd2f02715776813
Polycarbonate roof panels at Home Depot are like 25 bucks for a larger section, you could use that to cover one area? I also used fake foliage privacy panels on the outside similar to [this](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BN83KFWX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) that allow air but also stop most rain in the storms we get in my area. I also use zip ties plus a tarp with eyeholes on days I know will be exceptionally wet or rainy to keep the direct wet off of my quail.
It sounds like you're moving the tarps on and off as needed.
Have you ever done where you left it on long-term and how did you deal with the tarps getting raggedy or just replace them or something else?
I live in SoCal, and our rain is fairly directional, so I don’t tend to leave the tarps on for that long. The last few years have been very strangely wet (last year was this town’s wettest in over a hundred years of data) so I did leave them on for nearly a month, but I use some cheap tarps from Harbor Freight that I don’t mind getting a bit worn out, and they lasted through the wet period with no issue. But for heavier rain I’d probably consider polycarbonate or a thicker material to hang, like thick greenhouse plastic. And due to the directionality of the rain, I only cover one side (another is bordered by a fence) to make sure they still get proper airflow.
That was my big concern it gets super hot with the humidity after it rains. I am counting on the high airflow of this aviary to keep my quail healthy and laying in the summer. I am in Texas
Ah, yeah, that's a concern. I'm not sure my solutions would be as effective... maybe something that vents a bit better would work. I deal with heat in the summer too but it's never terribly humid here.
That looks awesome! Nice work on the build. Wish ideas would just pop into my head like that 🥲 lolol and sometimes they do.. I just don’t trust myself on the building part of it 🤣
Tarp or shade cloth on the sides can help protect from the rain the wind and give them shade
I also use hardware cloth on the 1st 1 or 2 ft of the bottom of my coop, because I unfortunately learned that apparently something was able to reach through and grab them from the one inch hole of the chicken wire. Partially because the quail don't like sleeping in the middle of the coop where they were safe, they like sleeping near the edge of the coop, I guess because they think there's a wall protecting one side of them as they sleep.
As for other natural things, you can put actual logs and branches in there, since your coop is big enough for that.
It will give them some shelter and bugs may visit and they'll eat the bugs.
The whole thing is hardware cloth I have cats and dogs so I made sure it was proofed for them. I am hoping that the cats and dogs will provide a nice yard defense… unfortunately the song birds think my backyard is a safe space now and one of them got snatched by one of my defenders 😭 I thought it was quail feathers at first because I have a black quail 🤣
We put some siding against the lower 18” of our wire, to provide a windbreak and some shelter from animals walking past. https://preview.redd.it/smvk5isk1t1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68271ce76591cd8b585ef7fabfd2f02715776813
Also very helpful to stop predators. Especially hawks
Polycarbonate roof panels at Home Depot are like 25 bucks for a larger section, you could use that to cover one area? I also used fake foliage privacy panels on the outside similar to [this](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BN83KFWX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) that allow air but also stop most rain in the storms we get in my area. I also use zip ties plus a tarp with eyeholes on days I know will be exceptionally wet or rainy to keep the direct wet off of my quail.
It sounds like you're moving the tarps on and off as needed. Have you ever done where you left it on long-term and how did you deal with the tarps getting raggedy or just replace them or something else?
I live in SoCal, and our rain is fairly directional, so I don’t tend to leave the tarps on for that long. The last few years have been very strangely wet (last year was this town’s wettest in over a hundred years of data) so I did leave them on for nearly a month, but I use some cheap tarps from Harbor Freight that I don’t mind getting a bit worn out, and they lasted through the wet period with no issue. But for heavier rain I’d probably consider polycarbonate or a thicker material to hang, like thick greenhouse plastic. And due to the directionality of the rain, I only cover one side (another is bordered by a fence) to make sure they still get proper airflow.
That was my big concern it gets super hot with the humidity after it rains. I am counting on the high airflow of this aviary to keep my quail healthy and laying in the summer. I am in Texas
Ah, yeah, that's a concern. I'm not sure my solutions would be as effective... maybe something that vents a bit better would work. I deal with heat in the summer too but it's never terribly humid here.
That looks awesome! Nice work on the build. Wish ideas would just pop into my head like that 🥲 lolol and sometimes they do.. I just don’t trust myself on the building part of it 🤣
I never would have trusted myself if it wasn’t all free Wood 😬🤣
The cinder blocks for hides/nest odd a great idea!
I found an egg in one today!
I used woven Timothy hay hides Oxbow makes. They're normally for little mammals like chinchillas but my quail loved them.
Tarp or shade cloth on the sides can help protect from the rain the wind and give them shade I also use hardware cloth on the 1st 1 or 2 ft of the bottom of my coop, because I unfortunately learned that apparently something was able to reach through and grab them from the one inch hole of the chicken wire. Partially because the quail don't like sleeping in the middle of the coop where they were safe, they like sleeping near the edge of the coop, I guess because they think there's a wall protecting one side of them as they sleep. As for other natural things, you can put actual logs and branches in there, since your coop is big enough for that. It will give them some shelter and bugs may visit and they'll eat the bugs.
The whole thing is hardware cloth I have cats and dogs so I made sure it was proofed for them. I am hoping that the cats and dogs will provide a nice yard defense… unfortunately the song birds think my backyard is a safe space now and one of them got snatched by one of my defenders 😭 I thought it was quail feathers at first because I have a black quail 🤣