Grass in the enclosure?

[quailmama 82012]

So I've heard that quail like grass and I want to have a natural feel in there cage in Hope's of more broody hen's, that's not the only reason, but it's a good one. I will have my cage on the ground and the idea is that every week I'll move it into a new grassy area and they'll have a less pooey place to walk. And I'll probably clean out the ground when they're not there. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Kat2141]

I have never dealt with quail but I know my chickens love grass. It makes sense to move the cage as often as needed to keep it clean for them, if you don't free-range or have a run for them.

 

[Nabiki]

I move my birds around regularly. I have two open bottom pens. During the winter they get my freshly hoed up garden beds to ferilize and debug, during the summer they get to move around and kill my weeds.

 

[mixedUPturk]

So I've heard that quail like grass and I want to have a natural feel in there cage in Hope's of more broody hen's, that's not the only reason, but it's a good one. I will have my cage on the ground and the idea is that every week I'll move it into a new grassy area and they'll have a less pooey place to walk. And I'll probably clean out the ground when they're not there. Hope this makes sense.

It makes sense! And i understand your reasoning. I have one pen on the ground. Hard to keep clean but workable with moving it alot. They poop more than chickens. Hot poop so it kills the grass. Predators become the issue then. If you dont have an apron dug into the ground then they can dig underneath it pretty quickly. I have cats who keep the mice at bay and dogs who mostly keep the larger things at bay and so thats how it works for me.

 

[quailmama 82012]

Great thanks, Do you mow, or do the chickens take care of that for you?

 

[Nabiki]

When I keep the quail on the garden beds, I hoe up the dirt every couple of days. That buries the poop and works it into the soil to compost.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Great thanks, Do you mow, or do the chickens take care of that for you?

Too much grass for them to mow it here

 

[Kat2141]

Great thanks, Do you mow, or do the chickens take care of that for you?

We have our chickens in a 40x60 "pasture" and since we only have 9 girls, we do mow it on occasion. It's big enough that they don't get it down to dirt.