Simple Habitat Cheats for Happy Coturnix Quail

Bedding
The key to good bedding is finding something with small enough particles that the quail can organically turn over as they scratch around. Large flake pine shavings are too large and will lead to poop that spreads over the flakes and then stick to their feet, so it is best with something smaller such as the fine premium shavings. Chopped straw is even lighter and fluffier and will aid in quicker drying and turning over of the waste and also may require less frequent replacement because it stays drier. The “premium chopped straw” I use is on the expensive side, so in the fall, I add chopped fallen leaves and pine straw, which make great supplemental bedding for the quail.

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Hidey-huts
Broken terracotta pots can be used as hiding places for the quail either upside down or turned on their side, depending on the shape of the broken part. The birds seem to prefer the ones that are more enclosed. I used to get devastated when my large pots would break until I found they could be repurposed in the quail hutch. One rosetta quail found it so homey that she went broody and hatched out her own chicks.

If you don’t have any broken pots on hand, plastic pots can be used as well either turned on their side or by cutting out an entrance hole cut out. Another option is boards lifted up on blocks and cinder blocks on their side. Quail can become territorial, so providing multiple hideouts will reduce the fighting over spots.

Sand/Dust Bath
Quail love to take dust baths, and while there are recipes for dust mixes online, the easiest is construction grade sand. The bag itself can be cut open and placed right into the habitat. If you are worried about the safety of the packaging material or are acquiring your sand in bulk, you can use a planter tray or other small bin to create the dust bath. While the quail do poop in the bath, they will fling the sand out of the container in the process of bathing before they fully soil it.

Treats
This treat suggestion is going to come off as very unsanitary to some people, but I promise the quail love it, and it’s simply a natural process. In the summer, I place large over-ripened or over-grown chunks of zucchini and cucumbers in the hutch. Whatever the quail do not eat are left to decompose and attract black soldier fly to lay larva on. Later, when flipping and topping off bedding, the larva are exposed, and the quail have an amazing protein treat. If you have seen how much a bag of dried black soldier fly larva costs, you will understand this is a luxury for the birds. Short version– I let vegetables rot in their habitat. Polished up version for the blog — the natural process of decomposition attracts beneficial insects for the quail’s consumption. Black soldier fly resemble wasps, but they are harmless and will not pester you.

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