Best surface for raising quail

Micket

Chirping
Aug 9, 2022
61
74
73
After a lot of research I've decided to use sand as the main coop surface for my quail
This Is due it's ability to absorb the wet droppings rather than straw or wood shavings which tend to lump
Can I ask members what is there preferance
 
Welcome to BYC! :frow

Sand doesn't dry out in my location nor does it compost well. And once it does dry out it still has all the stuff from the poo juice left behind. I hate it!

Many here (my location) use wire bottom cages.. with platforms set up for the nesting box and to rest the feet on.. and also of course a pan set up with sand for bathing in.

How big is your set up? How many birds are you keeping in it?
 
At the moment I am busy preparing the coop which is roughly 10' square
By the same height
At this point it's for 8 quail chick's about 4wks old
 
I'm one of few who used sand; it's fine if you live in a dry climate and the whole thing is covered from the occasional rain, but you will have to sift it occasionally. My aviary was 30 sqft and I sifted it every week or every other week for 10-12 quail. I think mulch is more popular, or just a plain dirt floor that's been tilled so they can dig around.
 
A quick look at new coop
IMG_20220810_120914.jpg
 
I've raised my quail on sand, straw, outdoors on the ground. I don't use wire bottom, never have. I found sand was great but messy and needs scooping like cat litter. Temperature is rough with sand if you are somewhere that the temp gets cool. I'm in Canada so I've moved my quail into an unheated shed for the winter and use a mix of dug up topsoil and straw. I use deep litter method and will need to sprinkle new straw as it gets matted up. I use a small rake to mix it up then top with fresh straw. I'll get about two month of that then need to haul away a couple buckets to the compost. I've got on average 15 quail in a 10' x 4' pen for the indoor pen. Given that you've got an open to yours, be ready for rain or snow to come in and create moisture and possibly freeze. I move mine out in the spring to an outdoor pen and they cope well with the weather changes. For winter they prefer to burrow down into deep nests that insulate them when they sleep. The deep straw works great and I keep a bin with sand for bathing.

Trial and error to see what you like best and the amount of work you want to put in for cleaning. I originally had an indoor vermicomposter as my base and would like to build the indoor coop next year to support that again.

Kudos to you for giving them a great ground surface - you'll have happy birds!
 
I had trouble with dry poop balls developing on their feet usin sand. They step in wet poop then dry sand and the sand becomes embedded. Then they do it again, another layer forms and it grows and grows.
 

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