Coturnix quail getting bold

[el cotucho]

Wen i got my quail i notice tjere were bald to. And i put a couple of dust pans and a box whit grass and they spend so much time there. I notice they grow their feather back and olso a increase of egg production. I hope this help

 

[dimi]

They are definitely picking each other - I noticed recently. I am not sure why. Sometimes they start running around the cage like crazy when I am cleaning up. Looks like they are under the stress and are afraid of me. Sometimes they are fine. I will try to give them more regular sand baths. I previously bought play sand at the Home Depot. Any suggestions on any alternatives?

 

[Sill]

I've used sand, sawdust, wood shavings and shredded paper for them. They use all of it as if it were dust.

 

[SimonGrow]

A dust bath with sand or diatomaceous earth may help. I wonder if your birds may have mites. If they do have mites, diatomaceous earth may help get rid of them. If you are using bedding, make sure you are not using Cedar.

I agree that perhaps they could use some mental stimulation. Perhaps put some branches or something from nature into their cages. It can also be a nutritional issue from lack of certain vitamins or minerals. There are bird supplements out on the market that may help. Are your birds getting enough sunlight or artificial light with enough UV?
Simon

 

[SimonGrow]

Here are some products I use.

 

[nwfl]

I am newish to quail but one of the first things I did was to get some clear plastic shoe boxes and put sand and DE in the boxers and put them in each cage and larger low bins in pens. I clean them out with mesh strainers and every week dump the sand. But, we have a never ending supply of sand here in northwest Florida.

 

[dc3085]

DE is not something we should be breathing, or our birds really, unless there is a good reason for it. DE only serves to kill some external parasites, doesn't do anything else, besides potentially damage respiratory tracts with it's minute but insanely sharp edges. One way DE works on external parasites by lacerating their bodies until they die, you can imagine what it does in your lungs or your birds lungs.