Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Mine huddle up in the hutch where it's warm.
Sounds like a good idea with phone charger power Boris. I guess it turns a little more gently at that voltage?

BRB, the fan will turn as it was designed for the voltage it was designed for. if you want a gentler one, then buy a fan designed to run slower or get a fan with larger blades. this will make it quieter and more even flow.
Reducing the voltage will slow a fan, (if it's a DC fan) but it will require more current to run it, and the windings may not support such a load.
Reducing the voltage of an AC fan will just end up blowing up the fan... its speed will remain constant no matter the voltage, until it breaks...

Not right off hand sure what the computer power supply put out or even if the fan powers from there. I will have to check. I have an old 486 stored away and an old pentium with a burnt system board.

It will be 12VDC if it's a PC fan.
Fans are not expensive though. So you can buy one the right size and power for under $10

my problem was finding a 12V phone charger - most of the ones I found range from 5v to 8v , this one is an old nokia one and its 12v

if you were more local I'd give you one... I guess I could post it.
A wallwart from Jaycar shouldn't be too pricey

[edit]
Just got a price... wallwarts from $20... more than I had thought...
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productResults.asp?whichpage=1&pagesize=10&keywords=plugpack&form=KEYWORD

Well I just got my first egg since the couple that were already cooking when I bought the birds!
So they must have settled in.
Again it appeared to be abandoned.
But at least they're laying again after a 4 day drought.

cool KP.....I think quail....is a great addition to an AP system, for people wanting to add a few extra's. Might have to see about getting some after this summer

Ok it's been two weeks since my third egg. The droughts appear to be increasing in length
what am I doing wrong?
Is it the enclosure, the temperature, their bedding, the feed, they just don't like me? What?
A couple are missing feathers on the back of their necks.
They jump and run like crazy now when I open their cage to add food or water.
I'm feeding them a mix recommended by a fellow at the market. He calls it his 'pig mix' it has corn and other stuff ground up, and they sure do eat enough of it!
I'm at my wits end.

Also.
I have some sheetmetal with 2inch bends along one edge. I would like to make new cages with sloping floors such that thf eggs roll out for collection. Any ideas? I'll draw it up and post later. What angle? How high should I make the cage. Are there any other concerns?

What are you talking about Kuda photos we love photos

They have to have the calcium. Pig mix? Mine ate other things including scratch but I think you need the layer mix or game bird mix.

Kuda try feeding them Turkey starter - mine are on it and Im getting 3 eggs every 2 days from each female . Ive added crushed up shell grit for extra calcium

I take it the sheet metal is a flat sheet with no holes in it - Ive got mine on cage mesh flooring with poop trays underneath , Ive found it much better for them cause the poop and food doesnt get stuck to their feet and dry into big hard ball-of-poop-shoes like it did when I had them on a flat surface

I'd use the sheetmetal as a slide out tray so you can take it out & clean it , and have the cage floor an inch or two above that

Dont make the cages too high - they love to jump and smack their heads , I had one that did that and broke its neck a couple weeks ago

Ok cool. How large can the floormesh be? I'd like it to allow the eggs to fall through too.
How high is too high?

I tried using 5mm square mesh but found it too small for the poop to get squished through as they walked on it , now Im using bigger rectangle shaped mesh

just slope the floor at a slight angle dropping forwards to the front of the cage and then leave an egg sized gap along the bottom of the front wall - the quail wont be able to get out but the eggs will ( although they'll fall off the front & break , hmmm )

I've just read my way through this set of posts & read a few bits out to hubby... very very cool.

I'm only just getting started with AP & plan to finish that before starting with quail... but I wonder if you all have thought about or created systems for producing food for quail? I understand that they like to be insectivorous & that some other small birds breed much better when their nutrition is optimal (ie. finches eating termites).

??