solar lighting

[pottingshedder]

Hi, can anyone advise me on solar lighting/heating for a very small (former rabbit hutch) coop-run combo? I've only got seven quail and don't want to fry them, just take the chill off and maybe get some eggs a little sooner. Thanks! Pottingshedder
PS pix of my setup (and quail...) on http://pottingshedder.wordpress.com

[Emma]

Welcome to the forum Pottingshedder.

I know a few people on the forum have lighting systems set up for their birds so i'm sure someone will be along with a better answer. I don't mean to have a go (but its going to look like that as this is your first post!!) but i'm really not a fan of providing light to force winter laying. The birds do have a laying break for a reason and to me it just seems fair to let them have it. My thought aside, my birds start to lay in Feb without extra light or heat, so you've not got a massive wait ahead really.

[Kim]

I love your blog! Welcome from the US

[Keelan]

I have to agree with QTpie, i thought your blog was fantastic

<Keelan>

[andoy]

I wouldn't bother with trying to provide any heating with solar panels (you'd need a lot of solar panels to provide enough heat for the quail to even notice a +0.5C increase in temperature). I live in London also and my quail are very happy in this cold weather as long as they are kept dry and away from the cold winds.

Lighting with solar panels is feasible. My limited experience of lighting is that they can lay with even a weak supplement of light, but the younger the birds the more prolific they tend to be at laying. I've had young birds laying with no additional light in early December. I try to replace my birds at 6 months.

[sam]

my young birds are laying now outside with no extra heat or light. dorset

[pottingshedder]

Hi Emma, and everyone,
Many thanks for your encouraging responses to a fumbling first timer.
Actually I agree with Emma about not lighting to force laying all winter, but the quail look so cold with the frost on the ground around the run, even though I tuck them in under tarpaulin each night. Easter (when I was told to expect my first eggs) seemed so far off. However, eggs naturally in February is much better news and I'm pleased to hear the Dorset lot are laying happily despite the cold. How are they housed? My neighbour's six young bantams — three weeks older than my quail — produced their first eggs on New Year's Day, much to her (and probably their) surprise.
Meanwhile my quail have spurned my painstakingly built-on nesting box. So I've put down a thick layer of sawdust and straw, but where will they lay? Have I got the housing wrong?
Pottingshedder

[andoy]

I bought expensive houses for both my quail and ducks and both types of birds have refused to use their houses of their own accord.

I just put a few old cardboard boxes on their side and toss some straw all over my aviary. My quail seem to prefer light shelters or sitting in the open (sometimes forming a little circle with all birds facing outward).

[Emma]

Try not to worry about the cold, they're really much hardier than you think. Mine all ignore nest boxes too, and when we had snow back in march they were poking their heads out to try and reach as much as possible! They will lay whereever they happen to be when an egg comes (i've seen them walk along and an egg drop out without so much as a squat!). I have a few who will lay in the "bed" section of their hutches, and for those in:
this house I put down that pink tray of shavings (actually for a dust bath not a laying tray!), most lay in there but some in the upstairs box and some on the concrete.

Your housing looks perfect - quail are just a little dim

[sam]

the birds laying in dorset are in boring rabbit hutches and they lay all over the place, gives egg hunt new meaning lol. i just line with newspaper, shavings then straw on top.they sleep all over aswell not just in the cosy bed box. i do cover at if i remember.