Quail on Deep Litter - Why it Works

[flg8r]

I took a few more pictures for you, maybe it would give you a better idea. A little bit of hay does get through but the vast majority of it stays put. Even what falls stays right under the cage. If it's really close to your pool though, a ledge or lip around it is a good idea.

First, super cuteness of quail excited over new, fluffy hay, there are three hiding!



With the door open. There is hay near the edge, but very little comes out. It gets stomped down. (Two of the quail above are buried right in the middle.)



Side view of the other coop that opens from the top, so all the hay is up against wire on the sides. That's about 3" deep there but only the top inch is loose.

 

[PinkBee]

I took a few more pictures for you, maybe it would give you a better idea. A little bit of hay does get through but the vast majority of it stays put. Even what falls stays right under the cage. If it's really close to your pool though, a ledge or lip around it is a good idea.

First, super cuteness of quail excited over new, fluffy hay, there are three hiding!



With the door open. There is hay near the edge, but very little comes out. It gets stomped down. (Two of the quail above are buried right in the middle.)



Side view of the other coop that opens from the top, so all the hay is up against wire on the sides. That's about 3" deep there but only the top inch is loose.

Definitely cute! And, all you did was add more hay, leaving the rest, not mucking out anything, and it's not smelling and the birds look really happy!(?)

This also shows me, that rather than using 1x6 boards, I could probably get away with using 1x4s go around the bottom. I wonder if this would be better or not.

THANK YOU for the pictures! (I love pictures.)

Oh, one other thing, how is finding eggs?

 

[flg8r]

In one part of one cage, it was pretty poopy on the surface (where the birds like to hang out a lot) so I stirred that up a bit but yes just basically added more all around. They mash a few inches down to an inch or less so I keep adding more and they stomp it down a bit. The like to dig little nests all the way down to the newspaper as well. I think 1x4's would be good. Finding eggs does take a bit longer, especially when the hay is fluffy, but I've found they will all lay them in one spot now - I find little nests with 4-5 eggs in them. No one sits on them but I think it's funny they do it.

 

[marksouth]

I have a new bedding since I've moved to deep bed. I have a bag on my lawnmower and ran over a pile of leaves and then emptied the bag and ran over it again. I repeated this four times until the leaves were mulched up to the size i wanted, the girls love pecking around in it and its free.

 

[gameguy]

Now that's a good idea!

 

[USAmma]

QuailSong, after seeing some foot problems in my quail, I just recently (as in yesterday) filled their enclosure with sawdust and some fallen dry leaves. The problem is that I live in the desert and dry leaves and other natural litter is hard to come by. Would straw be okay? What other things do you suggest that I can easily (and cheaply) buy at the farm supply store?

 

[sniper338]

I may have to work towards this... I just have wire cages... im gonna have to figure out how to close in the bottom to hold the litter good.... ive noticed I started getting bloody feet on my birds ...

 

[bdfive]

I have so enjoyed this thread and learned a lot. I have Peafowl, 2 Miniature Australian Shepherd dogs and 2 feral cats I trapped and had spayed/neutered that are now pretty tame. Recently I was gifted 12 White Quail 2 to 3 weeks old. They are presently in a cage on our closed in back porch. I'm trying to decide how I want to house them and would love to give them 1 of the nice aviaries we've built for the young Peafowl. Problem is snakes getting through the 1" by 2" welded wire. I'm assuming one that could get through could swallow a full grown Quail? I can add some smaller hardware cloth at the ground going up 2 or 3 feet but won't a snake crawl above that to find an opening large enough to enter? Hmmm, smaller snakes would go after the eggs. The enclosure is about 8 feet wide and 24 feet long with half of it being roofed and walled. I found I like walking into the pens with my Peafowl and want to do the same with my Quail. I don't enjoy trying to bond with them reaching in a cage. As I write this I wonder if I could have Peafowl chicks and the grown Quail together as long as space is adequate. Has anyone tried this? I DO HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: Wouldn't adding seed or other food to the deep litter draw mice and rats? Here in south central Texas I know it will draw ants, some being fire ants. I use Diatomaceous Earth on the deep litter floor in the Peachick house (10 ' by 12') but still see ants. I know it takes a few days for the DE to kill bugs so maybe those I see just aren't dead yet. I'd love it if the Quail would eat ants but don't think anything eats fire ants due to their sting. Sorry, feel like I'm rambling on but always so much to consider before moving forward with plans. Would so appreciate any input regarding my concerns. Want to add that I'm waging war on the fire ants soon. To keep the Peafowl, dogs and cats out of the poison I'm making appropriate sized circular fences with fence or cage wire to set over treated mounds.

 

[quailswiss]

Attracting ants, that sounds great! my quail eat them like popcorn!

The seeds and stuff just get eaten. Besides, mice can't get in if you use the right screening.

 

[bdfive]

Attracting ants, that sounds great! my quail eat them like popcorn!

The seeds and stuff just get eaten. Besides, mice can't get in if you use the right screening.

Doubt your quail are eating fire ants....it might be the other way around.

Yep! right screening is the problem. All my pens are larger screening.