Raising quail in winter looks different for every homestead, but our routine has settled into something simple. The keyword raising quail in winter belongs right here because this season always brings questions about drafts, bedding, and how these tiny birds handle cold. Our flock lives in a large walk-in aviary with a metal roof and tin sides, and they spend every month of the year in the same space. Winter care becomes less about adding new equipment and more about adjusting what we already have so they stay warm and steady.
I think people underestimate how cold hardy quail really are. Coturnix can handle far more winter weather than their size suggests. What they cannot handle is wet bedding or icy wind blowing across the ground where they live. Once I understood that difference, everything became easier. The below photo is our exact aviary setup. Nothing fancy. Nothing that needs daily fussing. Just a space arranged so the birds can tuck themselves in when the temperature swings, which happens often in Oklahoma.
The kind of cold our quail actually deal with
Oklahoma winters never follow a neat pattern. One week feels calm and mild. The next week drops into the teens with sudden wind that cuts across the pasture. The aviary takes the full force of that breeze if I leave it open at ground level, so that is the first area I change each winter.
Our metal roof never worries me. It keeps snow and sleet off the bedding. The real work happens a few feet up from the soil. The tin sides block the lower wind well enough that the birds can settle into their routine. The upper part of the aviary stays open year round, and I prefer it that way because it keeps air moving without chilling them. Ventilation has never been an issue. Moisture never builds. The birds breathe clean air, and the hay stays drier than you would expect.
Cold spells come and go here, but they never stay long enough to justify heaters or lights. I want a setup that works without extra steps, and this one has proven itself through several winters now.
Here is a video from when we first put the pen up in the spring of 2024. We modified it from this large metal chicken pen. We reinforced the frame with wood, then added tin for the sides and roof. We used hardware cloth to help with predator proofing. Nothing has gotten to our quail and it doens’t even look the least bit worn after two winters.
Why I keep the top open and the bottom protected
Aviary quail behave differently from birds kept in small cages. They run, dig, hide, and build their own spots inside the hay piles and brush. They feel safest near the ground, and that is exactly where wind can cause the most trouble.
If you look at the photos, you can see how the tin panels wrap around the lower half of the aviary. Those panels are the reason we never deal with frostbit toes or birds shivering in a corner. The wind stays above their level, even on the worst days. I can stand inside the aviary during a cold front and feel the air still around my legs while the breeze moves above my shoulders. That is the balance I want for them.
The open top gives them plenty of ventilation so moisture never takes hold. Closed coops trap damp air, and damp air chills birds faster than cold air ever will. With our setup, the air stays dry and the bedding stays workable through the entire season.
Hay bedding that becomes its own shelter
I use hay in winter for one main reason. The birds know exactly what to do with it. The moment I spread a fresh layer, they start tunneling and packing it around the stumps and limbs. They build their own nests inside it. I do not create formal shelters for them because they do a better job than I ever could.
If you look at the close up photos, you can see how they wedge themselves under branches and inside hay mounds. Those little pockets stay warm because the hay traps their body heat. It takes far less space than people expect for quail to make a warm spot. Once they decide where the best corner is, they return to it every night.
I refresh the hay as needed through winter. Not a deep clean, not a perfect pile. I add more when it begins to flatten or when dampness shows around the water area. Hay is forgiving. It is easy to toss a new layer on top and let them rearrange it however they want.
Natural shelters that quail prefer over anything you could buy
Our aviary has stumps, limbs, dried plants, and overturned pots. Those things stay in place year round, but they matter most in winter. The birds use them as wind blocks and hiding spots. They wedge themselves between branches or burrow next to the base of the old tree trunk. These natural structures make winter care easier because the birds choose their own microclimates. I can spread hay around these features and they take over from there.
Every winter I think about whether I should build a small house or insulated box. Then I watch the birds ignore every neat idea in favor of the messy hay nest they made themselves. They trust the setup more than anything I could design, so I leave the system alone.
How we handle water in freezing weather
I use a rubber bowl in winter because it makes frozen mornings simple. I can flip the ice out without wrestling with a plastic container. On very cold days, I check it more often, but usually a morning and late afternoon check is enough. The bowl thaws a little each time I break the ice, and the birds drink steadily.
When temperatures warm, I switch back to the automatic waterer. I have learned not to fight winter water systems. A rubber bowl is the most dependable solution for our climate.
Why we skip heat and supplemental light
People often ask about adding heat for quail, but we do not use any. Heaters worry me more than cold air does. Anything that plugs in brings risk, and quail do not need heat in our climate. They need dry bedding and steady shelter from wind. Once those are in place, they stay warm on their own.
Lights are the same. Winter slows their laying. That is natural. I do not push them back into production before they are ready. I take the winter egg break as part of the rhythm of keeping animals. If I needed winter eggs, I could add a small light on a timer, but for now the natural cycle works well for us.
Raising Quail in winter for a flock of 40
A larger flock teaches you more about winter behavior than a small one ever could. With forty quail in the aviary, I see patterns repeat every year.
The birds covey tighter when the temperature drops. They move less in the early morning. They stay tucked in their hay nests longer. Once the sun hits the metal roof, they wake up and scatter across the space. They scratch, dig, and explore the branches. On windy days, they stay lower and close to the walls. I can tell by midday which corners they trust most during that particular cold spell.
Winter also makes them more confident as a group. A flock that size feels steady, and they seem calmer in cold months than warm ones. I think the cooler weather takes the edge off the squabbles. They spend less time worrying about heat stress and more time focused on finding the best hay pockets.
Keeping the aviary clean without disrupting their shelters
Winter cleaning looks different from summer cleaning. I do not rake everything out. I do not disturb their hay mounds unless something smells wrong or becomes wet. I add new hay to the top and let them settle it. I pull out the parts near the water bowl when it becomes damp. Winter is not the time to strip everything down to bare ground. They rely on the insulation they already built.
The only regular chore is checking for soggy spots. Once the birds start tunneling in the hay, it stays surprisingly dry, but I stay ahead of the areas near the water and the high traffic spots along the edges.
What winter stress looks like and how to prevent it
I look for a few signs each winter. They are simple, but they tell me how the flock is handling the season.
If the birds stop moving as a group and begin pacing along the wire, the wind might be hitting them at ground level. That means the tin side needs reinforcement.
If they huddle in a tight pile long after sunrise, the bedding might be too flat or thin. I add fresh hay and they spread out again.
If any bird separates itself from the group, I watch it for the next few hours. Cold weather brings small stress points. Those are easy to fix when you see them early.
Most winters pass with none of these issues. The aviary stays predictable, and the birds keep their same habits day after day.
The part of winter care people tend to overlook
Ground moisture. Wind gets all the attention, but moisture makes winter more complicated. Once the soil becomes damp, the cold settles into it and pulls heat from the birds. Our tin sides and roof help manage this, but the hay is what makes the biggest difference. Hay lifts their feet off the cold soil and gives them something dry to sit on.
I can always see the change in their posture after I refresh the bedding. They sit taller. They relax into the base of a stump or press into the branches. A dry floor is the whole foundation of winter quail care.
Raising quail in winter does not need to be complicated
I have tried more complicated systems in the past. They never made winter any easier. Our aviary works because we let it remain an aviary. The birds choose where they want to sleep. They choose how to build their nests. They choose how deep to bury themselves in the hay. The metal roof protects them. The tin walls break the wind. Everything else is their own instinctive design.
Quail thrive in winter when we focus on the basics. Dry bedding. Calm floors. Good airflow above them. Steady feed. Water they can use. That is the whole list in this climate.
Check out our comprehensive guide to raising quail for more infor.
