wire for bottom of pens

[birdman182]

i bought some 1 inch by 2 inch wire for the bottom of my quail pen cuz some guy told me too and know they cant walk on it so what should i do

[CHARLIE]

TOLD YOU TO GET SOME 1/2 INCH (RAT WIRE) AND LAY IT ON TOP OF THE OTHER WIRE IF YOU CAN . 1 BY 2 IS WAY TO BIG FOR THE BOTTOM OF A QUAIL PEN
                  CHARLIE

[boone]

you can also get 1/2 x 1/2 inch Black plastic at your garden store .

[Bird Crazed]

For what it is worth... I read that 1/4" should be used for the bottom.  The birds will become spraddle legged.  I believe the source was an article in the Game bird gazzette.

[CharlieHorse]

I know that I have seen where a very few recommend 1/4 inch, but most recommend 1/2 inch which works better/best in my opinion. 1/4 inch will "plug up" with droppings and such to easily, in turn creating unsanitary conditions, also resulting in a lot of unessesary handling and contact with birds if you were to try to keep it cleaned out. The wire should be covered for the first week anyway and I believe that if your birds are going to be spraddle legged it will happen in the first week when they shouldn't be directly on the wire anyway. All of my spraddle legged birds were born that way, it didn't just happen. Of course I could see where 1x2 wire could create alot of problems, heck they would just fall thru that!!!   :lol: