How do button/king/chinese quail compare to japanese quail?

[Linita]

Hi,

Questions for the button/king/chinese quail keepers here,

I am curious as of why do people keep them?

I wonder what's the deal with these quails, do people just keep them as pets or for decorative purposes? Or do they have farming purposes as well? I don't see what farming purpose they could have, since they're so small and their eggs I've read are tiny.
I am wondering why people keep them.

Also, how do they compare to japanese quail (as indoor pets)? In terms of: noise, dust, smell, tameness, personality?
Are they more or less tame than japanese quail? Are they more or less cuddly?
Are they easier/harder to keep as indoor pets?

Can you keep just two female button quails together? Or does it have to be a couple of male and female? I wouldn't want a male making noises everyday.
Is there in general a demand for these quails? How does it compare to japanese quail? I'll probably hatch more than I can keep, so I need to know before hatching them. Are they difficult to rehome?

Do they get along with tame japanese quails? Or do you have to keep them separate?

 

[muddy75]

People mostly keep them as decorative/indoor pets, they also have use as cleanup duty in the bottom of some larger caged bird enclosures. They are a bit easier to keep indoors than coturnix and they can be tamed if enough time is spent. You can keep bonded males or female groups but they’re typically kept in pairs or trios for breeding. They are much more likely to hatch/brood their own chicks than coturnix. They have little use as “livestock” due to size, but they’re eggs can be eaten and are a good size for feeding some reptiles (small egg-eating snakes, for example).

 

[Nabiki]

Aside from the size difference, Chinese painted quail (king or button) are flightier than coturnix (Japanese). They aren't as messy because they are so much smaller, but just as dusty.

Buttons are usually kept as pets or for decoration. They can be tamed, but it takes a lot of time and attention.

Coturnix quail are calmer and make better pets, but are very messy, so are usually better in an outdoor or aviary environment.

Buttons do well in pairs, either same or mixed sex, unlike coturnix who do better in larger groups with zero or one male.

 

[ButtonNomies]

Buttons aren't technically "quail" they are a different species belonging to hemipodes. They're mainly monogamous but I've found the males can be pretty promiscuous, it's pretty much the females that set their caps at one male, they're quite happy to share with another female tho.
As a rule of thumb it's not reccomended that they're kept with corties. But there have been rare incidences of a button and cortie hatched and raised together living well together.
Taming them is hard work. I'm currently working on breeding in some tameness into a line, to see if it can be done. I've been selecting and keeping 1 chick each hatch to tame up, this way I'm hoping by the end of the season to have a breeding group of tame buttons.
Predominantly they are kept as decorative aviary cleaners. They're pretty much misunderstood (especially the males) because of cortinux. Buttons can very happily live in large mixed groups in an aviary setting with enough room, they can also live quite happily in bachelor groups.
You can eat their eggs but ud need a few for a good scramble. Any of my hatching eggs over a week old get scrambled to supplement their feed or get fed to my dogs as a supplement (their coats are so shiney)
Females are fast to home, males are harder.
because of living under the larger quails shadow.
As indoor pets I've found them to be one of the easiest animals I've ever kept, they're easy to keep clean. Providing proper enclosed dust baths keep the dust levels way down. Feed isn't too expensive and they're so amusing to just sit and watch. Males aren't noisey at all. They "crow" by expanding their crops and sound a bit like a frog followed by 3 pips. I've found it pleasant and not annoying.
I love mine. Completely addicted and hooked. Those that have had large groups of chicks from me or hatched some of my eggs are also completely addicted and hooked on them too.
They are beautiful little souls. But you are right that they have zero "farming" use xx

 

[The Birb King]

Hi,

Questions for the button/king/chinese quail keepers here,

I am curious as of why do people keep them?

I wonder what's the deal with these quails, do people just keep them as pets or for decorative purposes? Or do they have farming purposes as well? I don't see what farming purpose they could have, since they're so small and their eggs I've read are tiny.
I am wondering why people keep them.

Also, how do they compare to japanese quail (as indoor pets)? In terms of: noise, dust, smell, tameness, personality?
Are they more or less tame than japanese quail? Are they more or less cuddly?
Are they easier/harder to keep as indoor pets?

Can you keep just two female button quails together? Or does it have to be a couple of male and female? I wouldn't want a male making noises everyday.
Is there in general a demand for these quails? How does it compare to japanese quail? I'll probably hatch more than I can keep, so I need to know before hatching them. Are they difficult to rehome?

Do they get along with tame japanese quails? Or do you have to keep them separate?

Button quail are mainly just ornamental pets but I enjoy eating the eggs too. I heard they do best in pairs and trios but I have mine in a group and haven't had any issues. They are usually not loud unless they are lonely and calling for a new quail. I have never owned Coturnix but I heard they were more tame than buttons. Buttons can be very tame if handled correctly from chicks.

 

[The Birb King]

Buttons aren't technically "quail" they are a different species belonging to hemipodes.

I think you are getting the true quail "button quail" confused with the wild non- quail "buttonquail".
The wild buttonquail are not related to quail at all. The domestic button quail are the smallest species of true quail. Hopefully that makes sense it is hard to explain...

Buttonquail

Button quail