Quail Cage Cleaning Frequency - HELP!

[ARB1007]

Hello all! Newbie here with some cage cleaning questions.

Preface: My Coturnix quails are currently 4 weeks old. I bought the hatching time comfortplast 2 layer cage system and I have not moved my quails into it just yet. I’ve been cleaning their grow-out cages every other day (17Wx11Lx10H with 5 in each) which the bottoms are lined with plastic film and 2 inches of deep litter mix consisting of hemp, paper pellets and sand. I plan on moving them into the layer cages which are in my garage in about 2 weeks. I installed cabinet lighting on the layer cages which have LED daylight bulbs on a timer to ensure they get enough light to lay. I’m also feeding Purina Gamebird Startena for the moment and am undecided on switching when they reach maturity. I’m a clean-freak and am constantly cleaning everything but I don’t want my OCD to interfere with their laying/breeding cycles. I haven’t decided on the number of quails to keep in each section let alone the number to keep overall lol but I am keeping them for eggs and meat. If it helps, I’m in NC for weather-related curiosity. Any advice would be MUCH APPRECIATED!

my questions are...

1. Will I disturb them/keep them from laying if I am always peering in their cage or cleaning it frequently even with the parameters above?

2. How often should I completely clean out the cage? (steam pressure clean) When I do this, I will move the birds from the layer cage into a rabbit cage with sand and litter for them to dust-bathe in while I’m cleaning. I’d like to do this maybe once or twice a week if it doesn’t disturb them from laying.

3. Manure pans will be changed everyday, maybe twice a day. Will this disturb their environment?

Needless to say, I’m probably over-thinking this but I want to be sure I don’t do anything that will stress them to the point where they don’t lay or I creep them out too much with the cleaning and they just drop dead.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sniper338]

Once they are laying the y will lay. You wont disterb them as long as they stay in their cage.

Coturnix quail are messy. Down right poop everywhere.. its best to figure out a cage to reduce having to clean. Bottom trays, etc will become a pita... the only good way is to have a cage water and poop fall to the ground under them. Even then you will shovel it out sometimes. They are just very dirty birds that poop constantly.

 

[702Quails]

The easiest way to keep them clean is to have 1/2" hardware cloth as a floor and poop trays under that. Weekly dust bathes will clean their feathers and feet if they do happen to get messy; it also serves as a relief from the hardware cloth. I only have to clean their poop trays weekly and I vacuum their feathers at that time too. I will remove any clods of poop on a monthly basis. I spray down my cages with an organic bird cage cleaner on a yearly basis.

Many people have gone years without cleaning their cage and there's been no ill effects.

 

[BloomBunny]

There's a nice article on deep litter which is another option to consider.

 

[ARB1007]

Thanks everyone! Can anyone else chime in?

 

[Kiki]

I bother my quail multiple times a day.
Me bothering them does not mess with their laying of eggs.

if you're constantly messing with them they get used to it and it becomes normal for them.

A new home for that I've never heard of the quail cage you are talking about so I'm not sure how you would go about cleaning it.
Do you have pictures of it?

 

[ARB1007]

That’s good to hear! I’m in there constantly poking around lol. Here is a picture of the layer cage.

 

[Kiki]

That’s good to hear! I’m in there constantly poking around lol. Here is a picture of the layer cage.

Thanks.
How many birds are you put in each of those little spaces?

 

[ARB1007]

Thanks.
How many birds are you put in each of those little spaces?

Oh, I’m not sure yet, maybe 4 max? The cage says 10 but there is NO WAY IN HELL I would ever put that many... elbow room is important!

 

[Kiki]

Oh, I’m not sure yet, maybe 4 max? The cage says 10 but there is NO WAY IN HELL I would ever put that many... elbow room is important!

I think I might drop dead if you put ten in there.
DEAD.

The space looks pretty small to me but I can't tell just how small by the picture.
Can you measure one of those areas?