Confessions of a Quail Landlord: Building the "Good Enough" Home

As the warmth of spring began to break through the bite of our first winter in the pines, I knew it was time to move the quail outside. Let’s be honest: birds stink. Keeping a dozen quail in our sunroom was making the whole house smell. I debated for a long time how to house them. One option was ordering a hutch online, but they can cost up to $400 (why isn’t there a larger market for quail hutches?). I also considered having someone build one or even repurposing an old outdoor playhouse—an idea I still want to try—but I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy the materials myself.

So off I went to Home Depot with my niece and two young kids in tow. I sat in the parking lot with a notebook and a crayon and sketched a design. After a very long trip through the store—my kids can attest to that—I left ready to build. My goal was to avoid any return trips, which is always a challenge. There are always hiccups; for me, it was the screw lengths. I luckily found some longer screws left over from a previous project, but in other parts of the build, even my shortest screws were too long.

Also, I hate boxes…they are the worst. 

As time went on, I could see my idea coming to life. It wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but I did it. I made something that would get at least five of my quail out of the house. By the time I finished the bottom trays, attached the door latch, and moved the hutch into place, the sun was setting. I debated waiting until morning to move the birds, but the excitement of a finished project won out. I chose my younger group of adults and introduced them to their new home. I sat for a good hour just watching them, seemingly paralyzed by the fresh air.

That was the first night I ever had animals outside while I slept. It was nerve-wracking, and the next day I was terrified to check if they were still alive. To my relief, they were! About a week later, I built a bigger and better version. Now all my quail live outside. They’ve survived multiple nights without a single death—well, not from being outside, anyway (one was being a bully, so he had to go).

The point is, don’t let the fear of perfection or failure stop you from doing what needs to get done. You can still get those stinky quail out of your house with an ugly hutch!