[Jamesquail]

Hello everyone,

I recently bought some quail and am enjoying keeping them. Before I got them, I heard they can be messy and that certainly seems to be true!

I keep them in a shed in a hutch with a run. At the moment they rarely go in the hutch, the run has some trays of grass, sand bath, few other items to entertain them. I have put cardboard on the bottom of the run.

I clean them out each week, this involves me trying to catch them in the run (which is a challenge) and put them in the hutch. They don’t seem to really enjoy this and neither do i!! I then take out the cardboard and replace it.

I wonder if anyone has any tips of how to make cleaning them out easier and hopefully less stressful for them. Whether there is something else  I can put on the bottom of the run or if I should take them out each time and put them in a box.

Thanks for your help. Any tips would be much appreciated.

[New shoot]

Hi and welcome.

How about training them to like the hutch by feeding treats in there.  With chickens, a lot of people use corn in a tub which can be rattled to get their attention.  I’ve never kept quail, but if they get to like a treat, I am sure they would respond.

After getting them into the hutch a few times just to eat, you could then shut the door after they ran in and clean them out without the drama.