Dirt baths and hay floors

[rjrinehart]

What kind of dirt it best for quails? And any certain hay? Or just the same that we feed the horses?

 

[QuailCo Eggs]

I use a fine sand for my dirt baths and it works great for my quail that are in cages. But my quail in fly pens don't touch the sand and prefer the standard dirt that is on the ground. I keep my birds right on the dirt floor. But beware of various diseases that quail can catch through the dirt. The biggest problem my birds encounter by having a dirt floor is Coccidiosis.

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal track of animals caused by coccidian protozoa. The disease spreads from one animal to another by contact with infected feces or ingestion of infected tissue. Diarrhea, which may become bloody in severe cases, is the primary symptom.

One of the most beneficial greens I feed my quail is fresh green alfalfa. THEY LOVE THE LEAVES and there is a lot of nutrition in it for them. Sometimes I will put a bunch on the floor and let them peck at it until the leaves are gone.

Hope this helps!


Chad

 

[rjrinehart]

I use a fine sand for my dirt baths and it works great for my quail that are in cages. But my quail in fly pens don't touch the sand and prefer the standard dirt that is on the ground. I keep my birds right on the dirt floor. But beware of various diseases that quail can catch through the dirt. The biggest problem my birds encounter by having a dirt floor is Coccidiosis.

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal track of animals caused by coccidian protozoa. The disease spreads from one animal to another by contact with infected feces or ingestion of infected tissue. Diarrhea, which may become bloody in severe cases, is the primary symptom.

One of the most beneficial greens I feed my quail is fresh green alfalfa. THEY LOVE THE LEAVES and there is a lot of nutrition in it for them. Sometimes I will put a bunch on the floor and let them peck at it until the leaves are gone.

Hope this helps!



Chad

Thank you!
If I have a wire bottom cage that is going to be on legs what do you recommend I put the dirt into. And do i just get dirt from my yard?

 

[QuailCo Eggs]

Thank you!
If I have a wire bottom cage that is going to be on legs what do you recommend I put the dirt into. And do i just get dirt from my yard?

Build a box that has three sides taller than the fourth side with the top left open. Maybe make the short side 4 inches tall so the sand is 4 inches thick. When they bath, they will spill a lot out through the wire bottoms and the taller sides will help keep the sand in the box (but they are still going to spill). I don't use dirt for my bath boxes that are in my cages. I go to the local Home Depot or Lowes and buy the finest sand you can find and use that.

Chad

 

[Dani xxx]

I use chinchilla sand for my sand bath in a plastic cat litter tray and I use straw all cut short like wood shavings in there house and I have grasses in pots that they love to hide under