used dried coffee

[Tikvah]

I read somewhere that used tried coffee dregs can be used in a quail sand bath. Has anyone tried it and are there any drawbacks. Health issues or anything... I'm currently using chinchilla clay but it creates so much dust and lasts just a few hours. I thought if I used both together the coffee dregs might add some substance to the clay and prevent it flying everywhere.

 

[Flock Master64]

You could use peat moss or sand

 

[CaloosaBirds]

I haven't used coffee grinds, but I would be worried they'd eat it (because they will.)

I go to my local ACE and buy bags of topsoil and a bag of playsand. I mainly use the topsoil for them, but sprinkle a half cup or so of the sand on top. Then, when it gets full of shavings or dries too much, I dump it (in my garden) and refill with more.

 

[lomine]

I would also worry about them eating a lot of it. Caffeine is not good for animals. I buy bags of sand (never play sand) from the hardware store to replenish my cages. I just dump it in because my cages are all on the ground.

 

[CaloosaBirds]

Why not the playsand?

 

[lomine]

I've read in multiple places that ingesting play sand can cause impacted crop so I avoid it. It's because it's so fine.

 

[Binki]

I heard that chinchilla show sand is dust free? I've never tried it. I don't think the coffee idea is ideal - I feel the quail would eat some and as another poster mentioned, caffeine is bad for animals let alone those as tiny as a quail.

I've had them bathe in their food box which has bigger pellets, not crumbles lol so anything they bathe in will be thrown everywhere. I cut little cardboard boxes to have three high walls and about a two inch front wall they can hop into, seal any hole spots with duct tape of necessary and you have a sandbox with less waste and you can throw it away when it gets poopy usually once a month or so for me. You can also line it with newspaper to make it last longer.

 

[jojackc]

I buy the paver sand in size medium. They usually have it in three sizes. I then mix it 50/50 with peat moss. I then put them in those pink medical containers that they give you at the hospital just in case you might puke. My wife is an RN so I get them for free when ever I need them. But its not often. Since they are plastic they are easy to wash.

 

[CaloosaBirds]

Interesting on the playsand! Thank you Iomine. I never use very much, I use mostly topsoil, but the sand seems to help break down the sometimes larger clumps of dirt. (I fill a plastic shoebox container...cheap at dollar stores!...about 1/3rd full of topsoil, then add maybe 1/4-1/2 cup playsand sprinkled on top.) I have been using this mix for several years (I wanted something that was inexpensive and that would be of benefit to my FL sand-filled garden) and have never had a bird with impacted crop. They are always so excited they jump in and it's mixed in with the dirt in seconds.

 

[lomine]

And you may never have a problem. It may be one of those things that's very uncommon but I figured why chance it. If I have to buy sand anyway might as well get the paving sand.