FINCHforum

Icearstorm wrote: MisterGribs

So you have to collect eggs for a week or so to have enough for large omelette? That sounds like a bit of a hassle XD

SCATT or Ivermectin may work for some of the other problems. I've used Ivermectin for my finches, and haven't had a problem. I'm not sure how well it would work for flukes.

I really need to finish my thoughts before I post; too often I'll think of something else and edit for the next twenty minutes... Did you get the section about Sevin dust I added to my previous message?

With just one hen, yes, pretty much. She lays twice a day, sometimes three. We don't eat eggs that often though, because of the way the chickens in the affordable egg farms're treated. I am a bird nut and drag my heels over 1.29 for a dozen eggs if I think it's going into a chicken abuser's pocket, so I eat almost entirely fruits and veggies. A carton of eggs will last us a week with heavy use, lol.

I hadn't gotten it, but I do often go back and read over posts on here so I can absorb information. I'm sure I would have seen it eventually. I'm really considering the scatt product, it seems great if it's safe enough for finches and strong enough for a quail.

MisterGribs

I'm using a combination of pine shavings and newspaper pellets for my quail. My only trouble thus far was with one of the hens when I brought her home--poop balls like you wouldn't believe all over her little toes (they were being kept in a very dirty aviary at the pet store.) I experienced what you have with your girl, though, which was that she was alright with the warm water. We definitely bonded over the course of a couple days of foot baths.

It definitely sounds like your roo has more attitude than all three of mine combined. My sassiest quail is a hen! And even she has settled down since she hit maturity and started laying (FINALLY!) Guess I should be very grateful that my boys are well behaved.

Celeris wrote: MisterGribs

I'm using a combination of pine shavings and newspaper pellets for my quail. My only trouble thus far was with one of the hens when I brought her home--poop balls like you wouldn't believe all over her little toes (they were being kept in a very dirty aviary at the pet store.) I experienced what you have with your girl, though, which was that she was alright with the warm water. We definitely bonded over the course of a couple days of foot baths.

It definitely sounds like your roo has more attitude than all three of mine combined. My sassiest quail is a hen! And even she has settled down since she hit maturity and started laying (FINALLY!) Guess I should be very grateful that my boys are well behaved.

Gotta love someone who gives you a daily foot spa!! Lol.

I'll buy her some shavings to mix in the newspaper bits. I'd like to phase out the newspaper, it makes my white hen grey.

MisterGribs

I haven't noticed any color transfer with the newspaper pellets, but I can imagine it being an issue with the newspaper itself. I briefly entertained the idea of using shredded junk mail as bedding, but the notion of inks bleeding/the birds attempting to eat the pieces turned me off in a hurry. I've used the pellets with hedgehogs, the finches, and now the quail. I liked aspen shavings better than pine, but ended up proving quite allergic to it. When it comes to cost, the pine shavings can't be beat, though--the $3 bag I bought at Walmart for the quail brooder is just finally down to a mere handful after the Great Cage Cleaning the other day. (First time I've cleaned all four cages at once. It was almost enough to make me swear off birds. XD)

Celeris wrote: MisterGribs

I haven't noticed any color transfer with the newspaper pellets, but I can imagine it being an issue with the newspaper itself. I briefly entertained the idea of using shredded junk mail as bedding, but the notion of inks bleeding/the birds attempting to eat the pieces turned me off in a hurry. I've used the pellets with hedgehogs, the finches, and now the quail. I liked aspen shavings better than pine, but ended up proving quite allergic to it. When it comes to cost, the pine shavings can't be beat, though--the $3 bag I bought at Walmart for the quail brooder is just finally down to a mere handful after the Great Cage Cleaning the other day. (First time I've cleaned all four cages at once. It was almost enough to make me swear off birds. XD)

The finches are so much neater and cleaner, lol.I change the quail daily! So far, no newspaper eating has gone on, for sure. I also wanted to share with you: Did you know you can just walk your quail like a dog? I've been taking Hulahulabarb out a lot and he loves it. I wonder if you could walk the whole flock t once. xD

Would they follow you like ducklings?

lovezebs wrote: Would they follow you like ducklings?

I wonder! Hulahulabarb always walks in front.

Hey there,

You have to train him as to who's the leader of the flock...
Should we start calling you the Quail Whisperer

MisterGribs wrote: The finches are so much neater and cleaner, lol.I change the quail daily! So far, no newspaper eating has gone on, for sure. I also wanted to share with you: Did you know you can just walk your quail like a dog? I've been taking Hulahulabarb out a lot and he loves it. I wonder if you could walk the whole flock t once. xD

My finches are far neater, too! I always gave them such a hard time for making such a mess, but the quail have shown them up. I'm seeing why some people keep them in terrariums... Using a cage or a hutch makes it easy for the little rascals to kick food, bedding, and poop EVERYWHERE. My shop vac now resides in the quail room/my office full time and, if I'm home, I vacuum multiple times daily.

I've heard people talking about walking quail! I'd honestly be willing to try it with most of mine... One of my pairs develops some massive anxiety for a couple times after every time I clean the cage, though, so something tells me that they'd be less than thrilled with being harnessed. XD Have you posted a picture of Hulahulabarb in his harness yet? Sounds adorable!

Celeris wrote:

MisterGribs wrote: The finches are so much neater and cleaner, lol.I change the quail daily! So far, no newspaper eating has gone on, for sure. I also wanted to share with you: Did you know you can just walk your quail like a dog? I've been taking Hulahulabarb out a lot and he loves it. I wonder if you could walk the whole flock t once. xD

My finches are far neater, too! I always gave them such a hard time for making such a mess, but the quail have shown them up. I'm seeing why some people keep them in terrariums... Using a cage or a hutch makes it easy for the little rascals to kick food, bedding, and poop EVERYWHERE. My shop vac now resides in the quail room/my office full time and, if I'm home, I vacuum multiple times daily.

I've heard people talking about walking quail! I'd honestly be willing to try it with most of mine... One of my pairs develops some massive anxiety for a couple times after every time I clean the cage, though, so something tells me that they'd be less than thrilled with being harnessed. XD Have you posted a picture of Hulahulabarb in his harness yet? Sounds adorable!

I have posted pictures, but I can't remember where, so... here!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wjzf6qnl71rka ... 2.mp4?dl=0

Our quail are -disgustingly- tame and fearless, except Hulahulabarb is afraid of cars. Which is a good thing, if he ever gets loose to go after those irresistible wild ladies.
The imprinting thing is the best, if you don't mind irritable pubescent roos challenging for dominance occasionally.

Me thinks that's the wrong picture, lol.

lovezebs wrote: Me thinks that's the wrong picture, lol.

Whoops, how embarassing! My dropbox doesn't show video previews.

Here, I hope it's the right video this time.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hj6bmjin9b7q ... r.mp4?dl=0

MisterGribs

Hey there! How are things in Quail Land?

I rehomed one of my boys today. After a couple months together, he decided last Sunday that his mate needed to die. I caught him before he'd done any damage, but I was red hot after watching him grab her by the face and throw her to the ground repeatedly. I put out "ads" in the local quail community for him and had a taker within 48 hours. (I'd already tried this guy with one of my other hens, who made it clear his advances weren't welcome. And my third hen is quite happy with her mate.) The gal who took him said she wanted to try him with her hen (who's been alone for months.) I was definitely a bit sad to see the little guy go, but he decided to pull this RIGHT as I started contemplating downsizing a bit. (Husband and I are looking at getting a dog again and I want the ability to keep the birds safe behind a closed door until I can assess whether a new pooch is trainable in regards to my feathered babies. But the giant quail rack is preventing me from moving the finch flight at the moment.) I've also got a hen who has tweaked her hip somehow. I'm just trying to confine her to a smaller space and hope she heals, but not having any way to brace it or prevent movement has me baffled. I wish I knew how she did it!

Celeris Hey, it's been a while!

Everything is going good here, I could not be happier with my two quail. The hen, Diglett, still fiercely loathes Hulahulabarb because he has never learned how to be a gentleman. Both of them have stopped sleeping in the bed with us, but the rooster is my constant companion and goes everywhere with me. Now that his challenging phase is over, he is such a sweetheart and never pecks or chases me anymore,nhe sits on my feet and picks all the pills off of my socks for me, lol. He's also very vocal and makes lots of sounds, he comes when he's called, and occasionally iffers me some of his food. I love hkm, and I'll really miss him when he's gone.

I'm sorry to hear about your male! I wonder what went wrong? With coturnix, just one female is not enough, but I don't know about buttons. Hulahulabarb does chase diglett everywhere, and still grabs her by the top of her head, her ear, or even her eyelid for a grib during mating. Because of this, she hates him. We have allowed them to have supervised contact in which Hulahulabarb is not allowed to chase her, and she isn't allowed to run. We just hold them there until they both stop freaking out, and then we let them mate while protecting Diglett's head. Hopefully he learns to stop grabbing her there.

Diglett has bumble foot, still. Tiny specks now, but if I don't treat them they will continue to grow. I am waiting for epsom salts in the mail, and learned to bandage a ting struggling dinosaur foot.
Her head feathers have come back, but her lower back is naked from over mating, and I just CANNOT seem to keep her white. I have tried everything I could find that was safe for her, and she's still beige. I switchdd from newspaper to wood shavings, and coildn't be more pleased, but she still is stained. I hope it will end once she molts.

In the mean time, I have some babies in eggs of theirs in the incubator, and one woeful, abandoned finch egg that's about to pip any time.

EDIT: As for your injured hen, you could try an oversized chick chair maybe? What have you tried already?