Quail Bedding Issue

[The Birb King]

Ahh... bugger.. I was planning to change the floor of my quail pens to wire in order to save on bedding costs. Paper bedding isn't cheap & whilst hemp here is cheaper, the ones sold here look like sharp splinter hazards that are certainly small enough to be swallowed by even day old quail chicks. I am honestly quite intrigued that no one has reported of any small poultry/game birds ingesting these sharp hemp splinters.

You could try using sand. It is easier to clean and is soft for their feet. You could also try hay or straw but I think that would be harder to clean.

 

[threeepeat]

Ahh... bugger.. I was planning to change the floor of my quail pens to wire in order to save on bedding costs. Paper bedding isn't cheap & whilst hemp here is cheaper, the ones sold here look like sharp splinter hazards that are certainly small enough to be swallowed by even day old quail chicks. I am honestly quite intrigued that no one has reported of any small poultry/game birds ingesting these sharp hemp splinters.

I still think there is something worth exploring with flax straw bedding. I know that it's unconventional, but it seems to be emerging as a superior alternative to wood shavings.

I have yet to try it, so I can't vouch for it. However, I'm trying to source it now and I will share my experiences. I do recommend researching it and trialing it if you can.

Promoted benefits:

- Dust free
- 4x more absorbency than wood shavings (= less manure smell and change beding less often)
- Costs less than wood shavings
- Can use 1/2 as much the material as wood shavings
- Contains nitrogen (compost friendly)
- PH neutral (compost friendly) (Pine needles can create acidic soil. I'm not sure if pine wood shavings also create acidic soil.)

It's still the early research stages for me, but I pulled the above info from this link:

https://www.flaxfarm.ca

I first heard of flax bedding being superior for quail from a video from the Netherlands. Paradise Quail breeder, Klaus Marshall. If interested in hearing about his firsthand experience using flax bedding, just go to 31:00 in the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/live/RWknUZXdBZw?feature=share

 

[Nabiki]

I still think there is something worth exploring with flax straw bedding. I know that it's unconventional, but it seems to be emerging as a superior alternative to wood shavings.

I have yet to try it, so I can't vouch for it. However, I'm trying to source it now and I will share my experiences. I do recommend researching it and trialing it if you can.

Promoted benefits:

- Dust free
- 4x more absorbency than wood shavings (= less manure smell and change beding less often)
- Costs less than wood shavings
- Can use 1/2 as much the material as wood shavings
- Contains nitrogen (compost friendly)
- PH neutral (compost friendly) (Pine needles can create acidic soil. I'm not sure if pine wood shavings also create acidic soil.)

It's still the early research stages for me, but I pulled the above info from this link:

https://www.flaxfarm.ca

I first heard of flax bedding being superior for quail from a video from the Netherlands. Paradise Quail breeder, Klaus Marshall. If interested in hearing about his firsthand experience using flax bedding, just go to 31:00 in the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/live/RWknUZXdBZw?feature=share

This sounds very interesting, but just a note, pine needles to not, in fact, produce acidic soil. They do take a while to break down, but there have been tests done to the soul under pine trees with years of composted pine needles without finding acidic soil.

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

Your vet isnt completely wrong but also isn't right, if they are getting damp it could cause an infection but that's not because you're using pine shavings. It could also happen with your paper bedding, if it were to get damp. If the shavings are getting wet due to your quail spilling their water then it's the drinker you need to fix and not the shavings.

If it is a classic drinker, raise it to the height of the smallest bird's back by using bricks or hanging it. This will solve your problem and the quail will stop spilling it.

I'm not a fan of wire cages but it's a personal preference, they are very easy to clean and cheap as anything to maintain. I get 20kg of shavings for £8 and it lasts me a while, just make sure it's changed regularly enough and drinkers aren't spilling.

 

[threeepeat]

This sounds very interesting, but just a note, pine needles to not, in fact, produce acidic soil. They do take a while to break down, but there have been tests done to the soul under pine trees with years of composted pine needles without finding acidic soil.

I'm happy to hear this as I'm surrounded by pine trees. I've just been going by what I believe Bill Mollison had said in one of his early talks. It does now require further investigation.

I suspect there is still some truth to it, and it's likely a good idea to be aware of the relative concentration/ density of your needles, and the relative time they may require to break down. Still, it is absolutely great to know that they can likely be composted and reach a neutral PH.