AniaOnion
Chirping
I've seen people ask about raising quail indoors, or reducing smell in coops.
I actually have my coop with 4 birds, in my bedroom. Before I had to move back in with my folks, I had them in my apartment. How can I handle it? I've actually figured out how to create a nearly completely smell free coop. The trick? Red-Wriggler Composting Worms!
For the original coop I build, and for the one I had to make quickly to replace the one that broke in the move, the trick was to actually have the bottom be actual soil. I then added the red wriggler worms to the soil. These voracious worms are used by people to compost kitchen waste. They're so voracious that they usually manage to keep things going without allowing stuff the time to really stink. It's the same basic concept here. The worms compost the fallen food, as well as the poop. They do so fast enough to keep it from stinking up.
The final touch is to plant the soil. I like to grow clover sprouts for my girls to graze on in addition to their usual food. I've also added a little bushy tree-type plant, that they sometimes use for cover. I find having plants adds to the smell reduction but it's not necessary.
Once a day, I'll grab a mini rake and rake the topsoil to mix any waste into the ground, and voila! The added bonus is that the worms provide additional protein for the birds.
The picture is of my current set-up.
I actually have my coop with 4 birds, in my bedroom. Before I had to move back in with my folks, I had them in my apartment. How can I handle it? I've actually figured out how to create a nearly completely smell free coop. The trick? Red-Wriggler Composting Worms!
For the original coop I build, and for the one I had to make quickly to replace the one that broke in the move, the trick was to actually have the bottom be actual soil. I then added the red wriggler worms to the soil. These voracious worms are used by people to compost kitchen waste. They're so voracious that they usually manage to keep things going without allowing stuff the time to really stink. It's the same basic concept here. The worms compost the fallen food, as well as the poop. They do so fast enough to keep it from stinking up.
The final touch is to plant the soil. I like to grow clover sprouts for my girls to graze on in addition to their usual food. I've also added a little bushy tree-type plant, that they sometimes use for cover. I find having plants adds to the smell reduction but it's not necessary.
Once a day, I'll grab a mini rake and rake the topsoil to mix any waste into the ground, and voila! The added bonus is that the worms provide additional protein for the birds.
The picture is of my current set-up.