Quail Bedding Issue

[Lurker9372628]

Okay, so when my coturnix roo got bumblefoot I took him to the vet and the vet said that pine shavings were bad for quail and that they cause bumblefoot, so I switched to paper bedding and its a complete nightmare, its super expensive and makes a huge mess!
Today I found my Mearns roo with some paper bedding wrapped around his toe, he got a small cut and the bedding stuck to him, I am so happy I caught this before it turned into something big!

My question is, did the vet lie to me? and what else can I use that doesn’t cause foot issues?

 

[CloneFly]

I've never had problems with pine. I use pine pellets and/or shavings for my quail and they're perfectly fine. Bumble foot is caused by dirty/wet conditions. Bumble foot is a bacterial infection. Pine is perfectly safe for your quail so long as you keep the enclosures dry and clean. If you want a different bedding, I would get some hemp bedding. It's definitely more expensive, but completely safe and more absorbent than most other bedding. (I use it for my chickens and mix it in with my quail as well)

 

[Nabiki]

Bumble foot happens when a foot injury gets infected. It usually happens on wire floors. It can happen on other surfaces, but it usually happens because feces gets into a cut.

As long as you're changing the pine bedding regularly, it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[007Sean]

I wouldn't use that vet, again. Pine shavings do not cause bumble foot. I've used Pine shavings and Aspen shavings for years, no problems at all.
Bumble foot occurs when a cut gets infected.

 

[threeepeat]

Okay, so when my coturnix roo got bumblefoot I took him to the vet and the vet said that pine shavings were bad for quail and that they cause bumblefoot, so I switched to paper bedding and its a complete nightmare, its super expensive and makes a huge mess!
Today I found my Mearns roo with some paper bedding wrapped around his toe, he got a small cut and the bedding stuck to him, I am so happy I caught this before it turned into something big!

My question is, did the vet lie to me? and what else can I use that doesn’t cause foot issues?

I've had no issue with pine shavings so far and I'm not expecting any. I use the fine type. I'm not sure if this is better than course, but fine was recommended somewhere.

A related question is, has anyone tried flax bedding? I've just come across some information that claims it performs better than pine bedding (for quail) in terms of absorbency and in decreasing smell, dust, and also costs much less. (I haven't researched the cost in my area yet.)

 

[ButtonNomies]

If ur using wood shavings and ur quail has Bumble foot then u allowed the shavings to get damp, plus that bird would've had an injury to its foot for the infection to set in. Always add a handful of fresh shavings everyday between clean outs to keep the damp down. Not all vets know everything about every animal kept. If u had gone to a reputable avian vet they would've informed you of how this occurred on wood shavings so u could prevent it from happening again xx

 

[Lurker9372628]

If ur using wood shavings and ur quail has Bumble foot then u allowed the shavings to get damp, plus that bird would've had an injury to its foot for the infection to set in. Always add a handful of fresh shavings everyday between clean outs to keep the damp down. Not all vets know everything about every animal kept. If u had gone to a reputable avian vet they would've informed you of how this occurred on wood shavings so u could prevent it from happening again xx

I did go to an avian vet, I paid 200 dollars for the visit alone!!! All the vet said was I had to change the bedding because pine was bad, nothing about the dampness or anything, that quail was a pet and liked to spill his water a lot and I assumed the bedding would soak it up and it would be fine, I am beyond devastated and furious, not only at my own lack of research but the fact this “vet” lied to me entirely.

 

[Lurker9372628]

I wouldn't use that vet, again. Pine shavings do not cause bumble foot. I've used Pine shavings and Aspen shavings for years, no problems at all.
Bumble foot occurs when a cut gets infected.

I am so devastated that vet lied to me, they also had me soak his feet in warm water and antiseptic at night and told me I had to scratch off the scabs with my finger nail then soak him again!

 

[The Birb King]

Pine shavings should NOT cause bumblefoot if they do then something is wrong. Bumblefoot is normally caused if the birds are walking on too rough ground like sharp rocks or wire flooring. It happens when they get a small cut in their foot and it gets infected.

 

[bus2325]

Pine shavings should NOT cause bumblefoot if they do then something is wrong. Bumblefoot is normally caused if the birds are walking on too rough ground like sharp rocks or wire flooring. It happens when they get a small cut in their foot and it gets infected.

Ahh... bugger.. I was planning to change the floor of my quail pens to wire in order to save on bedding costs. Paper bedding isn't cheap & whilst hemp here is cheaper, the ones sold here look like sharp splinter hazards that are certainly small enough to be swallowed by even day old quail chicks. I am honestly quite intrigued that no one has reported of any small poultry/game birds ingesting these sharp hemp splinters.