Newbie Quail Mummy (to be) - Also a few questions on enrichment

[Toadstool]

Hello All!

I'm new to Quail, in fact I'm new to birds as a whole Please be kind as I am learning and want to do my best to provide a loving home for them.

I'm collecting my first ever Coturnix on the 8th of May, I'm very excited. I'm keeping them mainly as pets and have a large double tier hutch with a ramp, if they don't use it (I've been told that some learn) then I'm happy to split the hutch into two and increase my numbers. At the moment they will be getting roughly 17-18sqft between the 6 of them (5:1) so I'm hoping they will be happy and have enough personal space.

The hutch is raised off the ground and will be situated on a solid concrete path. It has a solid wood base but as its a bit thinner than I would like I've lined it underneath as well as the back of the hutch with 1/4" wire mesh. It's also been painted in safe paint for additional weather protection.

I'm in the UK and have a very closed in back garden so the biggest predators I have to contend with are any rats cats and foxes (although I've never caught a fox on my cameras, I'm not ruling the possibility out.)
I've installed some solar fairy lights that have a back up battery for duller days and will provide additional hours of light as the darker months come. If I need to add more I have another set on hand.
I'm also constructing a cover from a transparent tarp with additional ventilation holes that I can use on miserable wet days without cutting out too much of the natural light.

I will be lining the floors with lino, newspaper and then pine shavings as bedding which I hope will make it easy to roll the mess up for composting.

I do have a few questions that I hope people will be happy to share advice and experiences on

Enrichment - as I'm keeping them as pets I'd like to do what I can to keep them entertained. They will have access to a run on the lawn when I'm in my garden as well as a sand bath in the hutch. I was curious about things such as quail safe plants, if they can have natural objects like pinecones, if anyone has any experience in providing little toys like willow balls, and tunnels?

I have a large number of branches which have been stripped of leaves from a Bay tree as well as a Myrtle and I wanted to know if these would be safe for them to hide under?

I have fine grit containing oyster shells but are there other ways of introducing calcium? I know my snails had cuttlefish and I didn't know if these are also an option for them?


Apologies for the long post and questions

 

[Ravenlover]

Hello All!

I'm new to Quail, in fact I'm new to birds as a whole Please be kind as I am learning and want to do my best to provide a loving home for them.

I'm collecting my first ever Coturnix on the 8th of May, I'm very excited. I'm keeping them mainly as pets and have a large double tier hutch with a ramp, if they don't use it (I've been told that some learn) then I'm happy to split the hutch into two and increase my numbers. At the moment they will be getting roughly 17-18sqft between the 6 of them (5:1) so I'm hoping they will be happy and have enough personal space.

The hutch is raised off the ground and will be situated on a solid concrete path. It has a solid wood base but as its a bit thinner than I would like I've lined it underneath as well as the back of the hutch with 1/4" wire mesh. It's also been painted in safe paint for additional weather protection.

View attachment 2640370

I'm in the UK and have a very closed in back garden so the biggest predators I have to contend with are any rats cats and foxes (although I've never caught a fox on my cameras, I'm not ruling the possibility out.)
I've installed some solar fairy lights that have a back up battery for duller days and will provide additional hours of light as the darker months come. If I need to add more I have another set on hand.
I'm also constructing a cover from a transparent tarp with additional ventilation holes that I can use on miserable wet days without cutting out too much of the natural light.

View attachment 2640371

I will be lining the floors with lino, newspaper and then pine shavings as bedding which I hope will make it easy to roll the mess up for composting.

I do have a few questions that I hope people will be happy to share advice and experiences on

Enrichment - as I'm keeping them as pets I'd like to do what I can to keep them entertained. They will have access to a run on the lawn when I'm in my garden as well as a sand bath in the hutch. I was curious about things such as quail safe plants, if they can have natural objects like pinecones, if anyone has any experience in providing little toys like willow balls, and tunnels?

I have a large number of branches which have been stripped of leaves from a Bay tree as well as a Myrtle and I wanted to know if these would be safe for them to hide under?

I have fine grit containing oyster shells but are there other ways of introducing calcium? I know my snails had cuttlefish and I didn't know if these are also an option for them?


Apologies for the long post and questions

Wooooo love it ! Nice name and welcome to , nice touch with lights @FloorCandy douse something like that and the quail eat the bugs when they turn on at night lol

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Hello All!

I'm new to Quail, in fact I'm new to birds as a whole Please be kind as I am learning and want to do my best to provide a loving home for them.

I'm collecting my first ever Coturnix on the 8th of May, I'm very excited. I'm keeping them mainly as pets and have a large double tier hutch with a ramp, if they don't use it (I've been told that some learn) then I'm happy to split the hutch into two and increase my numbers. At the moment they will be getting roughly 17-18sqft between the 6 of them (5:1) so I'm hoping they will be happy and have enough personal space.

The hutch is raised off the ground and will be situated on a solid concrete path. It has a solid wood base but as its a bit thinner than I would like I've lined it underneath as well as the back of the hutch with 1/4" wire mesh. It's also been painted in safe paint for additional weather protection.

View attachment 2640370

I'm in the UK and have a very closed in back garden so the biggest predators I have to contend with are any rats cats and foxes (although I've never caught a fox on my cameras, I'm not ruling the possibility out.)
I've installed some solar fairy lights that have a back up battery for duller days and will provide additional hours of light as the darker months come. If I need to add more I have another set on hand.
I'm also constructing a cover from a transparent tarp with additional ventilation holes that I can use on miserable wet days without cutting out too much of the natural light.

View attachment 2640371

I will be lining the floors with lino, newspaper and then pine shavings as bedding which I hope will make it easy to roll the mess up for composting.

I do have a few questions that I hope people will be happy to share advice and experiences on

Enrichment - as I'm keeping them as pets I'd like to do what I can to keep them entertained. They will have access to a run on the lawn when I'm in my garden as well as a sand bath in the hutch. I was curious about things such as quail safe plants, if they can have natural objects like pinecones, if anyone has any experience in providing little toys like willow balls, and tunnels?

I have a large number of branches which have been stripped of leaves from a Bay tree as well as a Myrtle and I wanted to know if these would be safe for them to hide under?

I have fine grit containing oyster shells but are there other ways of introducing calcium? I know my snails had cuttlefish and I didn't know if these are also an option for them?


Apologies for the long post and questions

A sand, or if it’s not too messy, dry dirt bath is great to offer! You can hide seeds like millet or small insects like mealworms inside it for more digging fun. You may find that the sand bath becomes a sort of nesting box as they like to lay in a cozy, dry environment.
Tunnels and hiding spaces are great for quail, they love having cover such a branches, hollow bricks, pieces of wood, really anything where they can hide from a perceived predator. Bricks or flat rough slates can help them file down their beaks and nails if they are living on soft substrate all the time, I keep one by the feeder and one as the floor of their sand bath, lots of pecking and scratching to keep their claws healthy.

Quail don’t really have the mind or patience for too complex puzzles and get their best enrichment from fairly simple things like buried seeds, a head of lettuce or some uprooted dandelions (IME, their favorite greens, very healthy!) to pick at. Finely chopped greens, seeds, or bugs inside a willow ball would be perfect enrichment. They will most likely ignore the pinecones once they realize they’re inedible!

Their own crushed eggshells, chicken eggshells, and oyster grit are the best ways of giving calcium. I know mine would not understand how to eat a cuttlebone, but maybe try it with yours.