ground vs wire flight pens

[btmsx]

I see alot of wire bottom flight pens on the forums. I am building my flight pens this weekend and need to know why not build it on the ground? The bobs could dust and get small stones from the ground. Of course I would have food and water up off the ground. I have a few more questions you guys can help with me with please. does my house need to be enclosed and if so do I have the entry - exit hole on the ground or up so they have to fly to a landing to get in? Is it a good idea to put some roosting poles in the house? How old do my birds need to be before I can do away with a heater? I live in south carolina and the coldist winter we get is maybe 20 deg. and that is only once in a while for short periods of time. Do I need to put nesting boxes in the house? I have seen others on here put a male and female in their own small cages. I am raising for sale to local hunting preserves who are going to give me $3.50 ea for bobwhite. How old do they need to be to sell? I have about 200 in a heated brooder now, with outside access so they come and go as they please. they are 6 weeks old. I am moving them into the new flight pen I am builing. I have about 300 more 1 week old that I am moving into the empty brooder. I have been buying eggs and incubating them but want to have my own layers. I know I just flooded yall with questions but I also know I will have a lot more. Everyone on here seems very knowledgable about different types of birds and I know I can trust yalls judgements. Thank you so much in advance. Mike

[quailfarm7]

Hunting preserves want the birds to be strong and mature. You can sell, quail mature at 16 weeks. The nice thing about the pens on the ground is that you can keep the cost lower and you can make it think with more cover. The bad thing about the ground is if you have any chance of water standing in your pens that can carry disease. In PA where we live we raise everything on wire which is more expensive, but is better for disease transmission. You can see some of our wire pens on our website www.straubsgamefarm.com go to the gallery page.

[sugar run gamebirds]

we have our quail pens on the ground with cover.helps the birds use to cover and taking off from cover.their colors are different also if  you have them in cover and grass.you just have to keep up on the pen.we have not had any problem with disease yet.but we keep up on our pens.our fencing is buried 2 foot in the ground and we  run electric around the outside for predators.it is really up to you whatever is easier for you.



     Lenny
Sugar Run Gamebirds

[btmsx]

Thank you for your replies. I have 33 acres surrounded by 5300 acres of sumpter ntl forest. We have a wild covey that came up wend to the edge of the yard but still in the woods. We could hear them but not see them. They are calling to the 45 6 weekers in the brooder. They call the bobwhite but ours just run to the end of the open cage part and peep at them. I am going to bury my wire but I dont think I have to worry about outside diesese.

[Jake Levi]

Why dont you think you have to worry about 'outside' disease ?? I'm curious. There are many airborne as well as groundborne illnesses birds can contract.  Molds and funguses alone take a healthy toll every year. Myself I choose to put the flight pen up just to put off their possible contagions from the ground, plenty of time for that once they are older and have stronger systems.

I'm not criticizing, there are as many ways to do it as there are people doing it. I think electric around the pen is needed whether up or down. Its helps to put a couple wires on the top, and around the pen to keep predators at bay. Besides coons and possums I also have a large black bear population here, supposedly highest in the state. They learn healthy respect for hot wires.