Do a couple of button quail really smell??

[hebe5]

I am really tempted by button quail and would just want a pair and keep them in a glass vivarium with a screen lid but I'm a little worried about the smell. I've looked at various threads on here and it does seem to be quite conflicted. I was thinking I would fully clean out once a week and poop scoop a few times a day - is that enough to stop them smelling? They would be in my lounge so I don't really want to be smelling a farmyard!!

 

[FloorCandy]

I have 4 Coturnix in a bin cage in my house because the albinos can’t live outdoors. It all depends on the feed. I used to clean out the bin fully, once per week, and sprinkle fresh chips on every couple days in between. They were still a bit stinky. I switched them to Hudson feed gamebird pellets and I can basically mix the bedding twice per week and add extra, and only fully change every other week, and there’s no smell besides the pine bedding smell. It’s really a miraculous difference, I really only need to change it because the bedding gets high and dingy looking. I’d assume a couple buttons will be less messy than 4 Coturnix.

I find many feeds make stinky poops, and often if you read thru all the reviews, you’ll find some commenting on that. Homestead harvest, southern states, and HH feed all make pretty equally smelly poop, but it’s different flavors if you know what I mean. One smells poopy, one smells like rotting fruit, etc.

 

[Nabiki]

Only two won't stink things up much. I have 4 inside, and as long as their pen is large enough and you clean it regularly, they don't smell.

 

[hebe5]

I have 4 Coturnix in a bin cage in my house because the albinos can’t live outdoors. It all depends on the feed. I used to clean out the bin fully, once per week, and sprinkle fresh chips on every couple days in between. They were still a bit stinky. I switched them to Hudson feed gamebird pellets and I can basically mix the bedding twice per week and add extra, and only fully change every other week, and there’s no smell besides the pine bedding smell. It’s really a miraculous difference, I really only need to change it because the bedding gets high and dingy looking. I’d assume a couple buttons will be less messy than 4 Coturnix.

I find many feeds make stinky poops, and often if you read thru all the reviews, you’ll find some commenting on that. Homestead harvest, southern states, and HH feed all make pretty equally smelly poop, but it’s different flavors if you know what I mean. One smells poopy, one smells like rotting fruit, etc.

That's good to hear! I've just looked for Hudson feed gamebird though and I don't think they do it in the UK.

 

[hebe5]

Only two won't stink things up much. I have 4 inside, and as long as their pen is large enough and you clean it regularly, they don't smell.

Much?? Does that mean that they smell a bit whatever you do?

 

[Nabiki]

Much?? Does that mean that they smell a bit whatever you do?

Mine mostly smell like pine shavings. If I don't clean them for just over week, then I start to smell them. As long as I clean them every week, they don't smell.

 

[hebe5]

Mine mostly smell like pine shavings. If I don't clean them for just over week, then I start to smell them. As long as I clean them every week, they don't smell.

Thank you