crushed(power) wood pellet better than non crushed for button quail?

[Coconut233]

Dear all! I'm new to this community and would like to have some advice on the bedding for my button quails

I have so far decided to use wood pellet as it is the cheapest option(also not smelly at all) for me to raise my button quails
i will also be adding DE to the bedding as well.
I do keep them indoor more as pet(also for eggs loll)

my question is would it be better for me to water the wood pellet down to a powderish consistency(of course i will make sure they are dry before using them) or just stay with the whole wood pellet. I think it would be better for me to scoop out the poop if the pellets are powderized, also might be easier for the chicks to walk on? but I am afraid if there's any downside for doing that(might get too dusty? less effective/absorbent?).

thank you all in advance!

 

[cavemanrich]

I do not keep button quail, but have kept pigeons in the past. I used hay as my bedding.
So now to the wood pellets.. I use those in my Kitty litter box. I do not suggest watering,,,,drying,, and making a powder. I also suggest you refrain from using DE. Especially if you will be keeping them indoors. DE is not a good thing for "human lungs" to inhale. Read some more about that and make that decision yourself.
So now about DE. Yes I do have it,,, and use it, but this is where it is used. The floor of my coop, and the base of my loft inside garage. I first spread a very thin layer on bottom. (DE) I then spread an approximate ½ inch of Sweet PDZ, on top of that. After that I place layer of hay. These layers keep the DE from getting airborne so my concern with breathing that dust are minimal.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Nabiki]

I don't think that wood pellets are the best option for button quail. Full sized coturnix will powder it down on their own, but I'm not sure about buttons. I keep mine on pine shavings.

It's not a good idea to add DE to their bedding. If you like, you can add a very small amount to their dirt/sand bath to help control mites, but that's it.

 

[maycwindu]

Echoing the others on this: don't add DE to bedding, just a little bit to their bath bowl is all that's needed. I accidentally dumped too much into their bath yesterday, and wow, it was like a bomb went off. I had to duck out of there, and my quail are outdoors!

By all means you can give the intact pellets a try, maybe half the bedding be intact pellets, and half be broken down pellets, and get a sense for what works best for them and for you. Personally, I give my stall pellets a light rinse, let dry, then add them to the bedding - that way the pellets are mostly intact but break down easily, and are still very absorbent. Mind, I have coturnix so it's possible this bedding is more suited to them than buttons.

I do add a few handfuls of pine shavings in a pile, mostly for enjoyment of the quail. They love spreading the pile around.

 

[vall]

I don't think that wood pellets are the best option for button quail. Full sized coturnix will powder it down on their own, but I'm not sure about buttons. I keep mine on pine shavings.

It's not a good idea to add DE to their bedding. If you like, you can add a very small amount to their dirt/sand bath to help control mites, but that's it.

Coturnix do ok on the pellets? I have some for the litter box but I've never used it for quail because I figured their feet would slip. Like walking on cobblestones.

 

[Nabiki]

Coturnix do ok on the pellets? I have some for the litter box but I've never used it for quail because I figured their feet would slip. Like walking on cobblestones.

They powder down pretty quickly under he coturnix.

 

[Coconut233]

I do not keep button quail, but have kept pigeons in the past. I used hay as my bedding.
So now to the wood pellets.. I use those in my Kitty litter box. I do not suggest watering,,,,drying,, and making a powder. I also suggest you refrain from using DE. Especially if you will be keeping them indoors. DE is not a good thing for "human lungs" to inhale. Read some more about that and make that decision yourself.
So now about DE. Yes I do have it,,, and use it, but this is where it is used. The floor of my coop, and the base of my loft inside garage. I first spread a very thin layer on bottom. (DE) I then spread an approximate ½ inch of Sweet PDZ, on top of that. After that I place layer of hay. These layers keep the DE from getting airborne so my concern with breathing that dust are minimal.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

thank you! and everyone that has replied! I didnt know it was bad on human lungs since i thought it's food-grade so it must be safe. but noted! i won't put it in the bedding. and yes i tried watering it down but doesn't seems to do the tricki was hoping for. but it did make the quails easier to walk on so that's good.

 

[DvorahChanah]

They powder down pretty quickly under he coturnix.

Are wood pellets the same as horse pellets? If the pellets powder down so quickly, how are they a low dust option??

 

[Nabiki]

Are wood pellets the same as horse pellets? If the pellets powder down so quickly, how are they a low dust option??

I tried them (yes, they are horse pellets), and I wasn't particularly impressed. They broke down quickly and didn't seem any better at odour or dust control than pine shavings. I went back to pine shavings.

 

[DvorahChanah]

I tried them (yes, they are horse pellets), and I wasn't particularly impressed. They broke down quickly and didn't seem any better at odour or dust control than pine shavings. I went back to pine shavings.

My aviary sits on the stone tiles (kind of like terrazzo) of our large balcony. I just read another thread where they cautioned against putting them on smooth floors. It's like walking on marbles. So, now I'm returning one bag. I'll mix a few under their waterers.

I'm wanting to reduce the chances of spontaneous combustion. We have long, dry, sometimes hot summers here. So, now, I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to mix my wood shavings with some of my bagged potting soil? It's mostly but not completely peat moss, or maybe coir. I have to look at the bag again. Organic so no fertlizer pellets mixed in.