Sulcata enclosure distance from Coturnix (quail) aviary?

[David G.]

I will soon be finished building a rather large aviary for keeping quail (and possibly doves) my next project is to build a Tom style nightbox and cinder block wall for our sulcata.

I don't know what the chances of disease spreading between tortoises and birds are, but they'll never be in direct contact with each other.

Should I keep a minimum distance between their enclosures to be on the safe side?

Ultimately the tortoise will have full roam of the yard when it outlives our dogs. So I will need to build a Sulcata resistant wall around the aviary perimeter. It's predator proof, but sulcatas are more like organic bulldozers.

Maybe I'm overly concerned, but better to find out now than later. Lol

 

[Maggie3fan]

Sulcata and bird poop are NOT a good combination. Birds carry disease that "could" possibly sicken or kill a tort. I also keep birds and I know how the wind carries feathers....I think that's not good either...only my opinion...Mary is caught napping...

 

[David G.]

Sulcata and bird poop are NOT a good combination. Birds carry disease that "could" possibly sicken or kill a tort. I also keep birds and I know how the wind carries feathers....I think that's not good either...only my opinion...Mary is caught napping...

I installed a fine mesh porch screen along with the hardware cloth for the aviary, hopefully that keeps the feathers from flying all over.

I'll be mindful of the quail poop. Using a deep litter method for them inside the aviary, so it should be completely contained. I'll occasionally remove some for the compost pile.

We plan on gardening in raised beds high enough that the tortoise can't reach, but I was going to use the quail compost to fertilize the grass in our sandy yard as well. I'm not sure the decomposition process would make the quail poop any safer.

I'll leave a good gap between enclosures to be on the safe side, and start the tortoise enclosure on the opposite side of the yard.

Thanks!

 

[Tom]

I installed a fine mesh porch screen along with the hardware cloth for the aviary, hopefully that keeps the feathers from flying all over.

I'll be mindful of the quail poop. Using a deep litter method for them inside the aviary, so it should be completely contained. I'll occasionally remove some for the compost pile.

We plan on gardening in raised beds high enough that the tortoise can't reach, but I was going to use the quail compost to fertilize the grass in our sandy yard as well. I'm not sure the decomposition process would make the quail poop any safer.

I'll leave a good gap between enclosures to be on the safe side, and start the tortoise enclosure on the opposite side of the yard.

Thanks!

All of your plans sound good to me. A simple solid barrier on the wall of the quail cage should be all that is needed. If you want to leave a walkway between the quail cage ad the tortoise pen, that would be even better.

The tortoise should to have direct access to the bird feces, but disease potential between quail and a tortoise is minimal.

 

[Tom]

All of your plans sound good to me. A simple solid barrier on the wall of the quail cage should be all that is needed. If you want to leave a walkway between the quail cage ad the tortoise pen, that would be even better.

The tortoise should to have direct access to the bird feces, but disease potential between quail and a tortoise is minimal.

Darn spell check always gets me...

All of your plans sound good to me. A simple solid barrier on the wall of the quail cage should be all that is needed. If you want to leave a walkway between the quail cage and the tortoise pen, that would be even better.

The tortoise should not have direct access to the bird feces, but disease potential between quail and a tortoise is minimal.

 

[David G.]

All of your plans sound good to me. A simple solid barrier on the wall of the quail cage should be all that is needed. If you want to leave a walkway between the quail cage ad the tortoise pen, that would be even better.

The tortoise should to have direct access to the bird feces, but disease potential between quail and a tortoise is minimal.

The pathway is actually exactly what I have planned. I put vinyl coated hardware cloth buried around the perimeter of the aviary. I left a 2 foot overhang for the roof extending beyond the aviary and plan to place 2x2' pavers on the ground below it for a long bench to rest on.

I'll do as you suggest and build the tortoise barrier along the outside of the pavers. I've got some old roofing panels down for now to prevent sand splashing all over the sides of the aviary everytime it rains. Lol