COTURNIX QUAIL SAND BATH - Do Your Coturnix Quail Need One?

Summary

In this Kuternix Corner video, Terry addresses the benefits of providing sand baths for quail. He shares his weekly practice and explains how sand baths help keep feathers clean, prevent mites and lice, and provide grit for digestion. Terry also discusses the calming effect on quail behavior and offers practical tips on setting up a sand bath using readily available materials. He advises starting sand baths once quail are fully feathered, typically around three weeks old, to avoid health risks for younger chicks.

Takeaways

• 🚿 Terry provides sand baths for his quail on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
• 🦆 Sand baths help keep quail feathers clean and free from mites and lice.
• 🐦 Quails may eat sand to provide grit for their crop to grind food, which is beneficial if their feed isn't water-soluble.
• 🧊 Regular sand baths can reduce aggressive behavior in quails, making them calmer.
• 🏪 Play sand from big box stores is suitable for quail sand baths.
• 📦 Plastic wash tubs or wooden boxes can be used as containers for the sand bath.
• 🍽 Terry uses about two large cups of sand per container for the sand bath.
• 🧹 Be prepared for sand to be kicked around, which can be easily cleaned up.
• 🌳 Some people add wood ash or diet matrix earth to the sand to help control mites and lice, but ensure it's food grade and not overused.
• 🏡 For outdoor aviaries, a small kiddie pool can serve as a full-time sand bath with drainage holes to prevent water buildup.
• 🛁 After sand bathing, quails shake off and preen themselves, which is another way to keep them busy and reduce aggressive behaviors.
• 📝 Terry suggests starting to supply sand baths for quails once they are fully feathered, around three weeks old, to avoid potential issues with very young chicks.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about providing sand baths for quail and the benefits associated with it.

Why does Terry make a video on this topic?

Terry makes the video because he has received several questions on social media about whether and how he uses sand baths for his quail.

How often does Terry provide sand baths for his quail?

Terry provides sand baths for his quail on a weekly basis, if not every other week.

What are some benefits of providing a sand bath for quail?

The benefits include keeping the birds' feathers clean, helping them stay free of mites and lice, and providing grit for their crop to help grind up food.

Why does Terry believe that sand baths can reduce aggression in quail?

Terry believes that sand baths can reduce aggression because they give the birds an activity to engage in, such as playing in the sand, which keeps their minds off fighting.

What type of sand does Terry recommend for a sand bath?

Terry recommends using play sand, which can be purchased at big box stores and is typically washed and bleached.

What kind of container does Terry use for the sand bath?

Terry uses plastic wash tubs, which are used for washing dishes in the kitchen sink, or alternatively, a wooden box or even a cardboard box can be used.

How much sand does Terry suggest adding to the container for the sand bath?

Terry suggests adding two large cups of sand per container, noting that the birds will kick the sand around.

Are there any additives that Terry mentions can be added to the sand bath?

Terry mentions that some people add Diets Matrix or wood ash to the sand bath to help kill off mites or lice, but he personally uses wood ash from a fireplace or fire pit.

What is an alternative setup for an outdoor aviary sand bath according to Terry?

For an outdoor aviary, Terry suggests using a small kiddie pool placed in an indentation in the ground and filled with sand and other materials for a full-time sand bath.

At what age should quail start benefiting from a sand bath according to Terry?

Terry suggests that once the quail are fully feathered, around three weeks old, they can benefit from a sand bath, but he advises against it for very young chicks due to the risk of ingesting too much sand.

Outlines

00:00

🐦 Sand Baths for Quail: Benefits and Setup

Terry from Kuternix Corner discusses the importance of providing sand baths for quail. He explains that he supplies sand baths weekly or bi-weekly to his quail, which helps keep their feathers clean, free from mites and lice, and provides grit for digestion. Terry also notes that sand bathing calms the birds and reduces aggressive behavior. He suggests using play sand from big box stores and containers like plastic wash tubs or wooden boxes. Additionally, he mentions the use of wood ash as an additive to deter pests. Terry advises caution with diet matrix earth due to respiratory risks and suggests using it sparingly and only in food-grade quality.

05:01

📅 When to Start Sand Bathing for Quail and Observing Their Behavior

In the second paragraph, Terry continues the discussion on sand baths, emphasizing the behavioral benefits for quail such as preening and staying busy, which helps prevent fighting. He demonstrates how to provide a sand bath using large cups of sand in a container and observes the quail's immediate interest and enjoyment. Terry advises starting sand baths once the birds are fully feathered, typically around three weeks old, to avoid the risk of ingestion issues in very young chicks. He encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for updates on new content and mentions an upcoming live show on both YouTube and the Kuternix Corner Facebook group page.

Keywords

💡Sand Bath

A sand bath is a natural behavior exhibited by certain birds, including quails, where they roll or dust themselves in sand. In the video, Terry discusses the importance of providing a sand bath for quails, emphasizing its role in maintaining feather cleanliness, preventing mites and lice, and providing a form of enrichment that can reduce aggressive behaviors.

💡Quail

Quails are a type of bird often kept for their eggs or as pets. The video focuses on the care of quails, specifically the use of sand baths as part of their husbandry. Terry mentions that he supplies sand baths to his quails, which helps in their overall well-being and behavior.

💡Feathers

Feathers are a key part of a bird's anatomy, serving for flight, insulation, and appearance. In the context of the video, Terry explains that sand baths help keep quails' feathers clean, which is crucial for their health and comfort. The script mentions that sand baths can also help with feather preening.

💡Mites and Lice

Mites and lice are small parasites that can infest birds, causing discomfort and health problems. Terry notes that one of the benefits of sand baths is that they can help keep quails free from these parasites, contributing to their overall health.

💡Grit

Grit is small stones or sand that some birds ingest to help grind up their food in the crop, an organ in their digestive system. In the script, Terry explains that quails may eat sand from the bath, which serves as grit, especially beneficial if their feed is not water-soluble.

💡Play Sand

Play sand is a type of sand typically used in children's sandboxes, known for being clean and safe. Terry mentions that he uses play sand for his quails' sand baths, suggesting it is an easily accessible and suitable option for this purpose.

💡Plastic Wash Tubs

Plastic wash tubs are containers used for washing dishes, but in the video, Terry repurposes them as containers for the sand bath. He describes how these tubs can be a cost-effective and practical way to provide a sand bath for quails.

💡Wood Ash

Wood ash is the residue from burning wood and can have various uses, including as a natural additive in animal care. Terry suggests using wood ash in the sand bath, as it seems to be liked by the birds and may have benefits, though he does not specify them in the script.

💡Diet Matrix Earth

Diet Matrix Earth is a product that some people add to sand baths, with the idea of helping to kill off mites or lice. Terry mentions it in the script but does not use it himself, cautioning that it should be food grade and not used excessively to avoid respiratory issues.

💡Aviary

An aviary is an enclosure for keeping birds, typically outdoors. Terry discusses the possibility of setting up a full-time sand bath in an aviary using a kiddie pool, which would provide a more natural setting for the quails to engage in sand bathing behavior.

💡Preening

Preening is the behavior of birds in which they clean and arrange their feathers. Terry observes that after sand bathing, quails will preen themselves, which is another way of cleaning their feathers and keeping themselves occupied, reducing aggressive behaviors.

Highlights

Terry introduces the topic of sand baths for quail and their benefits.

Sand baths are provided on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Sand baths help keep quail feathers clean and free of mites and lice.

Quail may eat sand to supply grit for their crop, aiding in food digestion.

Regular sand baths can reduce quail's aggressive behavior.

Play sand from big box stores is recommended for sand baths.

Plastic wash tubs or wooden boxes can be used as containers for sand.

Sand baths can be messy, but the benefits for the birds are worth it.

Wood ash can be added to sand to deter mites and lice.

Diet matrix earth can be used as an additive but must be food grade and used sparingly.

For outdoor aviaries, a kiddie pool can serve as a permanent sand bath.

Drilling holes in the pool bottom helps with water drainage.

After sand bathing, quail shake off and preen, which is good for feather cleanliness.

Sand baths are introduced to fully feathered quail, typically around three weeks old.

Young chicks should avoid sand baths due to the risk of ingesting too much sand.

Terry encourages viewers to subscribe and engage with the channel for updates.

An upcoming live show on Kuternix Corner is teased for future content.

Transcripts

hi guys welcome to kuternix corner my

name's terry

and in this video i wanted to um

talk a little bit about the topic of

sand baths for your quail

um i've received quite a few questions

recently on facebook and over here on

the youtube channel

asking if i use a sand bath for my quail

and if i do what are some of the

benefits

so i thought i'd make a real quick video

and

that way this topic's covered for

anybody else that may be asking this

question in the future do i supply sand

baths yes i do

i try to do it on a weekly basis

if not every other week some of the

benefits that you're going to

see from providing a sand bath uh one it

helps to keep

the birds feathers clean it also helps

them stay free of mites and lice

and you may notice that

when you put the sand bass in there they

may actually start eating the sand

and what they're doing is basically

supplying a

grit for the crop to help grind up the

food

which would be very beneficial if the

feed that you're feeding your quail

is not a water soluble feed like the

crumbles that most of us feed

the main reason that i supply a sand

bath is

that i noticed if my birds regularly get

a sand bath they don't seem

to get a little rambunctious

and aggressive it seems to just settle

them down a little bit

gives them time to play in the sand

keeps their mind off of

you know fighting and whatnot so that's

the main reason that i do it

as far as what you need to supply a sand

bath

basically the sand can be purchased at

any big box store

they have a sand called play sand

which i think is sold for like using in

a play box

or a yeah sandbox for kids or whatever

or underneath swing sets and whatnot

so that's what i use um

it's a fairly clean sand

i think the uh i'm pretty sure that the

sand is washed and bleached

but uh anyhow that's the sand that i use

uh you'll also need a container to put

the sand in

and what i use are these little plastic

wash tubs like you put in your kitchen

sink for washing dishes

you could pick them up at you know like

a dollar general store for a buck a

piece

if you can't find them there the big box

stores do sell them they're a little bit

more expensive

but they do have them another

alternative to the plastic wash tub

you could frame up a small uh wooden box

you know put like quarter inch plywood

on the bottom that would work just fine

you could even take a cardboard box and

cut down the sides

and you know put some sand in there and

that'll work just fine for them too

so basically uh what i do is i'll add

like

two large cups of sand

per container and you're going to notice

that your birds are going to kick this

stuff all over the place

if your birds are kept inside you're

going to notice you've got sand all over

on the floor

but to me that's no big deal i can

always vacuum up the floor

as long as it's keeping the birds happy

there are some additives that some

people do add to their sand

i've heard of people using diets matrix

earth in there and i think the

point behind that is that will help kill

off any mites or lice that are

on the birds i myself do not use diet

from a diet to matrix earth

but i do use wood ash

if you've got a fireplace and you burn

actual wood logs and whatnot

or you have a fire pit out back so take

the ash from that you can mix you know a

quarter cup or a half a cup in with that

um in with the sand

and they really seem to like that but if

you are going to use diet matrix earth

make sure that it is a food grade

and that you're not using too much of it

because the diets matrices

can actually cause respiratory issues so

um if your birds are outside in an

aviary

you prefer to keep them more of a

natural setting you could buy one of

those small

kiddie pools i think you can get them as

small as like 36 inches across

dig a little uh indentation in the

ground place the pool in there

and fill that up with your sand and your

other material

for them to have a full time sand bath

it might not also be a bad idea to

if you are going to keep them outside

maybe drill a few holes in the bottom of

the

the pool to uh

you know keep any water that builds up

in there uh it's got a place to drain

out of

so um yeah uh

i one thing you're gonna notice um when

the birds are

done sandbathing they're going to get

out of the box they're going to hop out

of your container

and they're going to shake off the extra

dirt and then you'll see them preening

themselves

it's another habit you know for cleaning

their feathers

but it's also another way of keeping

your birds busy

so they are not you know engaging in uh

fighting or any other aggressive

behaviors so like basically what i do

is i take a cup or two cups of uh

and when i say cup i don't mean like a

measuring cup i'm talking a big tall

um probably a 20 ounce cup of sand

i'll put it in one of these things and

then i will

throw it in with the birds watch out

guys

and you'll see that they will go for it

right away i mean

they just jump right in there um they

look forward to it

every time i do it so

i actually enjoy this day because this

is a good day for me to work out in the

shop

i can watch the birds you know either

sand bathing and whatnot

um as far as when to start supplying a

sand bath for your birds once they're

fully feathered

once the birds are feathered you can you

know chicks probably around three weeks

old

can easily benefit from a sand bath

i wouldn't supply them for really young

chicks

i mean it probably won't hurt them but i

am a little bit concerned

that they may be ingesting too much sand

and possibly getting an impacted crop or

something so

i would stay away from that so guys i

hope this uh

helps out a little bit um with your

questions as far as sand bats and should

you supply them

um if you have any questions post them

in the comment section down below

i try to get in there you know at least

every day maybe every other day

and answer as many questions as i can if

you're not already subscribed to the

channel please do so

uh it helps me out and you'll get

notified of any new and upcoming videos

and i think you gotta hit the bell for

that the notification bell so

guys thanks for joining me today i

appreciate it

we've got a bunch of new stuff coming up

in the future we're actually starting a

new

kutunix corner live show which is going

to air

um probably once a week once we get it

rolling

and it's going to air simultaneously

here on youtube but it's also going to

air

on our facebook group page so you can

see it in either position

and we got a lot of neat ideas for that

show so

um guys thanks again and we will see you

on the next one