Is an all-sand run acceptable for quail?

[enigmachick]

I have read much about course river sand for chicken coops and runs, I am wondering if there's any reason the same thing wouldn't work for quail? I was planning on using DL but since my run will be on concrete and I don't have a ton of room for compost I'm rethinking to sand for a run with daily or weekly sand sifting. My plan is an Eglu (the small guinea pig version, since quail wouldn't need the roosting bars or enormous run) on a raised bed filled with sand (on a concrete patio) for the run and aspen shavings or paper shavings for the indoor coop.

I've never kept quail before so I'm not sure exactly what to expect from their needs and behaviors, do they go into the coop at night or can they be trained to do this or will they just hang in the run all the time? I live in a suburban neighborhood and we definitely have raccoons, I'd vastly rather have them locked in the coop at night to prevent the chance of raccoons getting at them.

Please let me know if I'm off-base anywhere! This place is such a great resource.

 

[FloorCandy]

I used it all last summer (2020) but I found deep litter was easier to deal with, layer it up for a few months and then shovel it all out and start again. The sand needed to be sifted every other day. I switched to deep litter because sand doesn’t offer warmth in winter, and I never went back to full sand. I just have plastic bins with door holes now, that I put sand into for them. They seem to generally prefer dirt and chips over sand, I don’t have to clean the sand very often and there’s rarely more than 1 in it at a time.

 

[Oliver88]

I have read much about course river sand for chicken coops and runs, I am wondering if there's any reason the same thing wouldn't work for quail? I was planning on using DL but since my run will be on concrete and I don't have a ton of room for compost I'm rethinking to sand for a run with daily or weekly sand sifting. My plan is an Eglu (the small guinea pig version, since quail wouldn't need the roosting bars or enormous run) on a raised bed filled with sand (on a concrete patio) for the run and aspen shavings or paper shavings for the indoor coop.

I've never kept quail before so I'm not sure exactly what to expect from their needs and behaviors, do they go into the coop at night or can they be trained to do this or will they just hang in the run all the time? I live in a suburban neighborhood and we definitely have raccoons, I'd vastly rather have them locked in the coop at night to prevent the chance of raccoons getting at them.

Please let me know if I'm off-base anywhere! This place is such a great resource.

Some of it depends on species, as they come from different habitats and have different needs, but for my button quails sand is definitely something they enjoy, but I do also try to have different things in there for them to have a bit of variety like wood chips that they seem to enjoy as well...

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

I used it all last summer (2020) but I found deep litter was easier to deal with later it up for a few months and then shovel it all out and start again. The sand needed to be sifted every other day. I switched to deep litter because sand doesn’t offer warmth in winter, and I never went back to full sand. I just have plastic bins with door holes now that I put sand onto for them. They seem to generally prefer dirt and chips over sand, I don’t have to clean the sand very often and there’s rarely more than 1 in it at a time.

Same experience here. Deep litter is easier than sand and probably preferred by quail. They love sand, but putting out a box of it from time to time is easier to manage than having a permanent sand pit. My pens all have DL and only one pen has a permanent sand pit. It's a lot more work and they only seem to be interested in it right after you've sifted and cleaned it for them anyway. Deep litter is more forgiving and can wait until you're ready to refresh it.

 

[WIchickMama]

With the DL, how often do you clean it? Do any of you have a partial wire floor? (Thinking raised enclosures not ground ones). If you don't have sand, is the dirt or peat moss or woodchips enough for them to bathe in?

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

The true deep litter system doesn't require cleaning. I'd say what I use is more of a deep bedding system. Yours would be similar if you're starting it over concrete.

I have several pens. Two of them are on the ground, but I still scoop out the bedding about once a month and replenish with new wood chips, shredded dried leaves and grass cuttings. That goes into a dry bin until I have enough to fill a revolving composter compartment, Then it gets put in, wet down, kept moist and turned daily until ready to use in the garden, about 3 weeks minimum.

As far as how often for you, I think you'll have to play it by ear. It will depend on how many birds you have and your square footage. It also depends on whether it gets wet. Once it gets wet, it's ready for the composter regardless of how much I've collected. The smell of wet bedding can be quite strong for a few days.

In any case, I LOVE the mulch quails produce. I also have gardening friends (and my mom) who can't wait for me to share the wealth with them too.

 

[InterestingChickens]

I've never kept quail before so I'm not sure exactly what to expect from their needs and behaviors, do they go into the coop at night or can they be trained to do this or will they just hang in the run all the time?

From my understandings it is best to provide quail an area where they can get out of the weather and lay their eggs. They may not use this space to lay eggs as they are not fussy with places to lay, but best to provide this as shelter in bad weather and a place where they may want to lay. Most of the time quail will happily sleep out in the run.

 

[enigmachick]

The true deep litter system doesn't require cleaning. I'd say what I use is more of a deep bedding system. Yours would be similar if you're starting it over concrete.

I have several pens. Two of them are on the ground, but I still scoop out the bedding about once a month and replenish with new wood chips, shredded dried leaves and grass cuttings. That goes into a dry bin until I have enough to fill a revolving composter compartment, Then it gets put in, wet down, kept moist and turned daily until ready to use in the garden, about 3 weeks minimum.

As far as how often for you, I think you'll have to play it by ear. It will depend on how many birds you have and your square footage. It also depends on whether it gets wet. Once it gets wet, it's ready for the composter regardless of how much I've collected. The smell of wet bedding can be quite strong for a few days.

In any case, I LOVE the mulch quails produce. I also have gardening friends (and my mom) who can't wait for me to share the wealth with them too.

See I love the idea of this, but my yard is not set up well to handle large amounts of compost, Im not sure how much of a constant issue that could end up being. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up trying both or half and half and see what works better with the raised bed on concrete

 

[enigmachick]

I used it all last summer (2020) but I found deep litter was easier to deal with, layer it up for a few months and then shovel it all out and start again. The sand needed to be sifted every other day. I switched to deep litter because sand doesn’t offer warmth in winter, and I never went back to full sand. I just have plastic bins with door holes now, that I put sand into for them. They seem to generally prefer dirt and chips over sand, I don’t have to clean the sand very often and there’s rarely more than 1 in it at a time.

Do you think a layer of gravel with sand over and then litter would work? I'm thinking maybe it would be a way to do the DL method and yet have the drainage of sand? I want happy healthy little peeps

 

[FloorCandy]

Do you think a layer of gravel with sand over and then litter would work? I'm thinking maybe it would be a way to do the DL method and yet have the drainage of sand? I want happy healthy little peeps

I just put gravel topped with sand down when I shoveled out my pens a couple weeks ago. I put fresh chips on top, I was having drainage problems after recent flooding.