Deep Litter for Quail?

[my sunwolf]

I feel kind of ridiculous for not being able to find info on this in this section of the forum... so I'm posting.

Can you use deep litter for Coturnix quail? I keep hearing that their poop is yicky and it doesn't work. I know that rabbits tend to get sick on deep litter, is it the same for quail? If I did do deep litter, I would still provide a sandbox for them. I just would prefer not to do the wire.

I have also heard people doing 1/2in hardware cloth with bedding over it, would that work?

Thanks for any help quail people!

 

[FenDruadin]

I don't know for sure about deep litter, but I don't see why not. I keep mine on the ground in a 10 x 10 enclosure, and haven't had problems in the several years I've been doing it. They are not densely populated, though, so it's technically not really deep litter... but I never ever change the bedding. Just add carbon material from time to time, usually in the form of dry leaves falling, since the area is wooded, and occasional additions of straw.

You can in fact also keep them on straw over wire, which I do when I have to have them on wire (for instance, when I'm growing out a batch and they're too young to add to the general population). They seem to strongly prefer straw--when I cover some of the wire and leave other parts bare, they spend most of their time on the straw.

Hope that helps!

 

[TwoCrows]

X2

I do not keep my adult quail on wire either. They are in aviaries with litter floors. (grass hay) As long as you are very good with keeping the floor clean and dry as possible, quail do not have to be kept on wire.

However you can also add grass hay to a wire floor. Rabbit hutches make excellent quarters for quail and you can put down any type of hay and it will stay on top of the wire, for the most part. Wood shavings tend to fall thru the cracks too much. Just clean it out as much as needed so they aren't running thru dirty bedding, and they will do fine.

If you are keeping these quail on a dirt floor, you can simply bring in dirt or dig up a corner for them to bathe in. Dirt is the most natural dust bathing material for them and it is free.

 

[myfinefeatheredfriends]

I think floor raising quail is more natural than wire. Manure eventually breaks down and decomposes. I've been floor raising quail for 5 years with no problems.

 

[laseterlass]

The deep litter produces heat. My water bowl only freezes at below 10 degrees. My coturnix love it.

 

[Professor53]

Any one using cat litter to reduce the smell of quail poo?