Removing poop off quail feet?

[SeptemberQuail]

My 4 month old quail are getting poop stuck on their feet, like dried clumps on their toes.
Around two or three of my hens have these balls on their feet which we tried dipping their feet in warm water and it wouldn't come off.
They hated it anyway...
We ended up with two pulled nails on two hens but we managed to stop the bleeding.

Any ways on how to calm them down and get rid of the poop? they're used to being handled, but they don't like getting their feet stroked to remove the poop...

Thanks.

 

[yallapilko]

I put my birds into a glass jug (so they can see out the sides and you can see inside ) and a plate with a weight on top, into which I've put a strong hand dishwashing liquid (e.g. fairy liquid in the UK, don't know OZ stuff!) and a VERY SMALL ammount of water and leave them to soak for up to 20 minutes. I barely have 1/4 inch of water in the bottom. Then after 20 mins I rinse their feet and repeat the process the next day if necessary. You can also add wood shavings in the bottom to exfoliate whilst they are in there and for them to get a good grip.
The bottom of their bodies does get wet, so you'll need to dry them off so they don't get cold.
Hope that helps.

 

[yallapilko]

Oh, also, whilst you are at it, trim their toe nails, and also up the cleaning regime if its needed (can also happen in a clean environment, so I'm not having a go at you!!!) , so it doesn't happen as much.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

They live outside, so every month we have to move their cage because the floor gets covered with poop and they destroy the grass completely.

This morning when I was tending to them, I found a lot of blood on the large nesting box they all sleep in (it's just a large box where they sleep in to keep warm and they have access to grass and the nesting box) and saw one of my quail's toes bleeding.

She's in a stable condition now though. So I'll need to get rid of all that poop on my other quails feet before any more damage happens.


I'll try that, it sounds like a good idea.
So dish-washing detergent is safe for them to stand in, right? Or could I use soap or body wash?

I don't think I'm allowed to use a glass jug, so is there anything else I could use? Like a plastic ice-cream tub?

 

[yallapilko]

You need to use a container that you can see through, because the quail is contained and may drown if you can't see what is going on.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Why don't you move the cage more often and that way they stay cleaner and your grass doesn't get destroyed and therefor it will grow back quicker and your birds will be healthier.

 

[dc3085]

I recommend finding a spot the cage can stay and putting a few inches of sand down, or keeping them on wire. They shouldn't have any real buildup on their feet or toes at all. That said the above method is about the only method. Soak warm and gently scrub with something soft, then soak and repeat.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

We don't have a lot of space to move the cage around...
When I first got my quail we had some nice long grass with lots of clovers which my first quail loved to eat and play in.

Also, I'm wondering, what would putting sand down do? We can't put them on wire because the cage design wouldn't work that way.
Thanks.

 

[dc3085]

The sand acts like cat litter and dries the poop out. Any that does stick sort of gets sanded off by walking. Also if they walk in their water a lot try adding marbles like you would for chicks so they cant troop around with wet feet through the poop

 

[yallapilko]

I like the idea of sand for a base. I may also give it a try.... It would also avoid the problem of the birds getting worms from the soil. And they love land bathing too.