Removing poop off quail feet?

[remcbride]

I don't have any quail at this time. But, I do like that when soneone has a problem or situation and posts it here, there is someone that is going to, if not solve it at least they will point them in the right direction.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

I acquired two buttons a few months ago and used the bedding I had on hand, alfalfa hay. Overnight one of the birds had a poop ball on a toe. I found a solution on Youtube. One quail fancier puts her birds in a wire bottomed birdcage and sets that cage in a tray of warm water. As the birds walk across the wire, the friction and warm water loosen the poop balls. My buttons are in a terarrium. I don't have a wire birdcage for them, so I never tried this. A different bedding -- pine pellets -- ended my problem.

 

[Terri O]

Perhaps instead of using dirt try sand, they love it, my Roo gets down in it even on his side and tosses it everywhere and then has big shake and repeats, must video it someday and post.

I would love to use sand Howie...but I dont have any here! What I do have is Lots and Lots of nice fine compost mixed with dirt. They love it too and do the same as yours with sand. I dont really have a problem with "poop" balls too often. (and when I do I use the pliers!)
TerriO

 

[HowieNZ]

Quote:
I would love to use sand Howie...but I dont have any here! What I do have is Lots and Lots of nice fine compost mixed with dirt. They love it too and do the same as yours with sand. I dont really have a problem with "poop" balls too often. (and when I do I use the pliers!)
TerriO

I am privileged to have the beach only 10 minutes away, take the dog for a walk and a bucket, anyway hopefully you have the problem sorted now

 

[Reedgirl20]

I get my sand at Lowe's.....under $3 for fifty pounds.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

I wish I was as lucky as you guys.
The beach is about two - three hours away, and the sand here is really expensive in store. ($10 for a bag of 10kg of kids play sand).
Thankfully I'm not having any more poop ball problems.

 

[marksouth]

If you are near a construction site there is usually a pile of sand, and with a smile from you they will usually let you have a bucket or so. But that usually only works once.

 

[Penny Hen]

If you are near a construction site there is usually a pile of sand, and with a smile from you they will usually let you have a bucket or so. But that usually only works once.

The nice thing about sand if it ever get real grungy you and put it into a bucked and pour hot water in and stir it up and then pour it out in a pile to dry out again and everything that was dissoluble washes out.

 

[Terri O]

THANKS! That is good to know! TerriO

 

[missyloupoppet]

This happened to two of my 4 day old buttons also. I had them in an inside brooder, which is always clean as a whistle. I think they walked through my chick starter and then through their mash and/or some poo and the balls just grew. It happened very fast. And I knew from past experience with a three week old (it happened once before), how hard the ball or balls get, how long it takes to soak them off and how stressful it was for the chick. I was at my wits end wondering what to do. Then I saw the suggestion above about the pliers - but I knew they would be way too big for these tiny little ones, so tried a pair of flat end tweezers. I squeezed very carefully and very slowly just until they cracked. I did not use the tip but went down a bit on the tweezers so that the ends could not clip anything off. On one I needed to do it again going the other way because the entire ball did not come off all at once. Although my hands were shaking, the babies did not get too upset and yes, once the balls cracked, they were really easy to remove. No blood, no trauma, no wet chicks - happy ending. Although rarely an hour passes before I check everyone and everything, somehow I missed it and yes, I felt like a bad mama also.