My quail like a paddling pool to keep cool!!

[jak2002003]

My Chinese Painted Quails were panting and clearly a bit uncomfortable in the heat in the afternoons.

Right now the weather is hot … 38 today, as its the hot dry season here..

My quails live in large planted aviary with my songbirds, and on the aviary floor is a large shallow terracotta plant pot saucer filled with water. My other birds use this as their bird bath. The quails usually just drink from it.

But today they are happily walking about in the water. This is a new behaviour I have not seem with them. Its so cute, they are like little children playing in the water. Once they cool down they come out and go about their usual business. Then later will go back in again. It really works as they are not even panting anymore. Clever little things have learnt an easy way to keep cool. Wish I had a swimming pool too!!

Anyone else seen their quails relaxing in shallow water?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Not just quail. All poultry love a cool foot bath in hot weather. There are a lot of blood vessels in the legs and that helps lower the whole body temperature.

In hot weather, I used to provide big rubber feed tubs full of water with a frozen water bottle floating in it to keep the water cool. I now only raise a heat loving breed so I only do that when it gets well above 100F/38C.

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

That sounds so cute! I hope you can get a pic to post. i saw some wild gambels quail in the ditch last year, they were running from me when i startled them, they flew and landed in the ditch (wide pond like area) and swam around, decided it was too far to swim and turned back to shore. It was the cutest thing ever. Never have noticed them swimming for fun though. I live in a hot desert and I know they go to our alfalfa fields and orchards to stay cool.

 

[igorsMistress]

I live in the desert as well and my chickens do enjoy a cool foot soak. I'll be sure to give the quail a bath too this summer!

 

[Ebony Rose]

My quail like to wade in their water bowl too. I've started putting ice cubes in their water and they **love** that!