Please delete this topic moderator. It is pointless now.

[Robotponys]

i just realized something really important! What lamp should i use!? Thanks.

Also the heat pad would be under the aquarium so they wouldn't be able to touch or get it wet.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

Quote:
that hay seems like it would work, but think of this, for 96oz of that stuff you pay 17 bucks, the stuff i got is 56L(i know its off mesurment) it was 11, you go thru it pretty quick.

it will work, maybe not cost effective.


as far as the heat lamp, a basic lamp at home depot/lowes or any home improvement store will work, 120w bulb and a thermometer in the brooder, just keep it at 90 ish, if its to hot, raise the lamp higher.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

also i'm not really sure what you mean by wanting real plants in there, sure grass in nice to nibble on, but anything else you have to worry about sickness(depending on the plant)

 

[Robotponys]

Is the Kaytee bedding good for them?

 

[TheRealTimShady]

i havn't used it or heard of anyone using it, looks to be fine, if its good for small animals then it should be ok, as i said, might not be price effective

 

[Robotponys]

Quote:
I've heard everyone saying that they need some type of plant or hideout. I don't want to put anything big like a hideout in, but the other stuff I have for them isn't going to be big enough when they're older...

 

[Robotponys]

Quote:
that hay seems like it would work, but think of this, for 96oz of that stuff you pay 17 bucks, the stuff i got is 56L(i know its off mesurment) it was 11, you go thru it pretty quick.

it will work, maybe not cost effective.


as far as the heat lamp, a basic lamp at home depot/lowes or any home improvement store will work, 120w bulb and a thermometer in the brooder, just keep it at 90 ish, if its to hot, raise the lamp higher.

What "stuff" did you get? Could you post a link or description? The heat pad has low medium and high settings so I think it would be easier to control because any lamp I would get would fall and possibly crush them

 

[TheRealTimShady]

http://www.amazon.com/Aspen-Bedding-Litter-3200-Cu/dp/B0002AQMKU thats the stuff that i have(only mine from different maker) it covers 3200 Cu" for 11 bucks

 

[chrishel]

I have been using this bedding in my brooder (a rubbermaid storage tote). It seems to work well.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3166875

I change it every 2-3 days. It's more pricey than hay though, but it doesn't get kicked around. Walmart has a similar product for cheaper than Petco. I have bad allergies so hay isn't really a good option for me.

I use the same waterers. I have 6 chicks (3-4 weeks old) and I refill it 3 times a day. I need to really put two of them in there. I tape the waterer to the side of the bin so it doesn't get knocked over. Also, even though there is a notch in the top portion, I don't line up the notch with the bottom portion. It just causes the waterer to drain out too quickly and makes a mess. The water flows fine without the notches lined up.

I started using the waterers about 3 days after hatch. They were drinking the water out of the jar lid with marbles too quickly (and pooing in it) and they seemed to be big enough to not seem to want to drown in the waterer.

I use this as the feeder. It has a bigger hole so the feed goes through easier. They don't seem to kick the food out (although they try).
http://www.petco.com/product/6391/P...TopRated_Bird_2-_-PETCO Fountain Feeders-6391

Again for 6 chicks, I fill it full about every other day. I shake it every time I change the waterer to make sure the food is flowing.

For a heat lamp I use a regular 100 watt light bulb on a swing arm lamp that attaches to a table nearby. Then I can move it up or down each week as the chicks need less heat. I got one at IKEA for about $9. I wouldn't use the heat pad because they can't really get away from it if they are over heated. I use a heat pad in my hospital cage to keep the birds warm if they are sick. I'm not really sure that a heat pad is designed to be on for long term.

I put the light on one end and the food in the middle and the water at the other end of the brooder. I want the water away from the food so it doesn't get wet and the water away from the light so it doesn't evaporate too quickly.

In my brooder, for the first week, I put down one layer of paper towels, then one layer of rubber shelf liner. I changed it every day. After a week, I put one layer of paper towels and about an inch or two of litter. I keep an extra cardboard box with paper towels on the side to put the chicks in when I change their brooder litter.

It sounds like you want to give your quail as natural an environment as possible. I would do that myself, but it's really a lot of work and the brooder is really not big enough to handle the plantings. The quail will poop a lot and there's a lot of cleaning involved. Simple is easier. If you think about it, in the wild, they have a lot more area per bird that we are giving them in our cages/enclosures.

I would suggest you have the chicks for a week, then see if you want to upgrade to something more natural from there.

 

[Robotponys]

Thanks. You know that I'm going to put a small corner of hay on top of the other bedding right?