Any way to make quail less stinky?

[Quail27]

With dogs, if they stink it usually has to do with the food quality.

is there a food I can feed my quail (coturnix) that will lower their stink factor?

I've got them all in the house due to the cold and it is getting rank, even with daily cleanings.

 

[urbaner]

Sounds like you've got one QUAIL of a problem!

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

If you don't mind my asking, where are you living that the outdoors is too cold for them?

 

[shelleyd2008]

In a word, no, just regular cleaning. Make sure they aren't spilling their water, especially if you have them on shavings. Wet, poopy, shavings stink very badly!

If your quail are adults, they would have been fine outside. I have some in the house, but they were too young to go out before it got real cold.

 

[Quail27]

They are 8 weeks old, so adult but not full grown. You think they'd be okay outside?

 

[Quail27]

oh, and I'm in Tennessee. It's currently 30 degrees but has been getting into 14 degrees at night.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Even if they were older, you'd still have to keep them inside, unless there is a way that you can give them heat outside. I've got some inside that are probably 12 weeks old, but they didn't go out before it got cold, so they need to stay in.

Cover their pen completely and put a heat light in it and they should be fine. If you can't do this, you'll need to keep them in. At least till the nighttime lows are in the 50s.

 

[Emilys3guppies]

I'd probably put them out if it's not too bad.

I just put some 7 week olds outside with my more mature birds and they've survived 2 weeks of -15c temps and I even got an egg out of one of them!! Watch their behaviour...you can tell if they are too cold by watching them. The smell won't be noticable if they are outdoors, or even just out of the house and into the garage or a shed. The cooler air won't make the poop smell so bad.

 

[Quail27]

Okay, well I couldn't take it anymore, so I put them out this morning.
There are 18 quail in a 46 x 25 hutch. It is completely enclosed. I put plastic on the front door to keep out the wind. I'm hoping that since they'll be so close together and it's all enclosed that they will be fine.
I saved my favorites inside just in case.
I might make me a mean person, but I only have one room where they could be in and it is the room I sleep in. I couldn't handle the smell or the noise one second longer!