Question about Quail Pens

[Melissa F]

So yesterday I got 15 quail chicks on a whim, thinking I would convert my "duck hutch" into a pen and add a little run to it. But I spent this morning browsing the Quail Pen thread and noticed that not many seem to have an outdoor run. Do quail not like or need access to grass?

 

[dc3085]

Gamebirds come from areas with dry sandy soil, kept over grass or wet soil, disease or worms can easily ensue. For that reason we all keep them either over wire or dry well drained sand. Quail don't need any extra nutrition beyond what they will get from being fed Gamebird food. Anything else you give them is basically a treat. They can be fed scraps like chickens but they are picky eaters. If you feed them anything aside from gamebird food you'll need to provide digestive grit to aid in their digestion. Oyster shells do not count as grit they are only for calcium.