Dust bath

[MrsPbio]

I'm in Florida, which means sand is everywhere. I just go outside and get some from my backyard. I pick the sand spurs out, large organic debris, etc. yeah it's a bit dusty, but they love love love it! They eat any bugs that may be in it too. Our yard is 100% organic, so I'm not concerned about chemicals. The only down side is the fact that my 'white' quail isn't really very white now, with all the dust! oh well.

 

[MrsPbio]

Oooh... sorry. Mine are still small... maybe 4 weeks? (Just getting their head feathers in. I was hesitant until i saw them trying to take a dust-bath in their chick-starter. Even the puffiest smallest one jumped right in the pie pan of sand I put in, rolling all around, fluffing, scratching, having a grand old time.

 

[chickwatcher1]

You've peaked my interest...I have to admit, I've never heard of using wood stove ashes...but, we do heat using wood..so have a ton of ashes (in the winter time). You said that it contains Vitamin K, Calcium and Magnesium, where did you find that info out? So you don't mix anything in with the ashes when you put them in the pens?


We have a sandy soil here, so what I've typically done in the past is just get out a shovel and loosen a "bath" area by turning a 18" diameter hole about 6-8" deep. It's funny to see several birds bathing at once and digging down to create little nest pockets for them selves. I do add just a bit of food grade DE when I'm turning the bath...seems to work fine. But tossing ashes into that mix too might even be better.


Always interested in doing things that improve the lifestyle of the quail. Healthy birds equals more eggs, higher hatch rates, and better growth...so regardless of going to sale or just my own freezer camp...want them happy!

Piqued my interest, too!