Introduction
So some of you may be asking the same question that I was a few months ago, ”How do I keep button quail?” Well here’s my 2 cents after starting with mine 2 months ago. Before I start I just want to say a special thanks to @Nabiki for always answering my questions and being so helpful.
Button Quail (king quail)
So you’ve decided you want button quail but don’t know where to start, and why in the world are there different types of button quail? There’s king quail,(which are commonly called button quail) and Australian button quail. King quail are more commonly kept in captivity, and what this article is about. From here on out I will call them Button quail.
Incubation
In my quail journey I had an incubator, so my first step was to order eggs. I ordered them from a breeder on Etsy, who had many different colorations.
Before I ordered eggs I tested my incubator. When the eggs arrived I let them settle for 24 hours and then marked an X on one side and an O on the other. I recommend a sharpie, since I accidentally cracked one trying to use a pencil. If you have a still air incubator the correct temperature is 100.5-101.5 degrees Fahrenheit (around 38 degrees Celsius). For a circulated air incubator it’s 99.5 Fahrenheit,(37.5 degrees Celsius). These few degrees may not seem like a lot, but I did 99.5 for my still air and it delayed the hatch by 2-3 DAYS. The correct humidity is 40%-50% and 60%-70% at lockdown. I turned the eggs by hand 4 times a day up until lock down on day 14. Eggs hatch on day 16 (if you consider the day you put them as day zero). I recommend putting down shelf liner, or something else with some grip to it before they hatch, as this prevents feet problems. If you want to candle them you can use the flashlight on your phone, but don’t keep them out for long and be very careful not to drop them. After candling put them back on the side they were on.
Potential Problems
I had a power outage due to a storm, but thankfully it only lasted 2 hours. If this happens to you here’s what you do : Throw a blanket on the incubator and DON’T OPEN IT!! Even if it’s time to turn them, resist the temptation and leave them alone. If you open the incubator they will quickly lose heat. My eggs took a few days extra due to the wrong temperature and the power outage, so the trick to incubation is Patience, it will be rewarded! On day 18 I finally hatched a baby!
Chicks
When they hatch leave them in the incubator for 24 hours to let them dry. If you think a chick is stuck in it’s egg, wait until 24 hours after they pip and do plenty of research. I rushed and accidentally killed a baby that was shrink-wrapped in it’s egg. Button Quail are only the size of a bumble bee when they hatch! Chicks need to fed game bird starter (which may need to be ground up in a blender), kept between 95-98 degrees Fahrenheit (35-36 degrees Celsius), and given a water dish that they can’t drown in. I used an aquarium with a screen lid as their brooder. Bottle caps can be used as food and water dishes when they are young. I put marbles in the water dish to ensure that they wouldn’t drown.
I kept them on paper towels, which have to be changed daily. Be very careful if you handle them in these first delicate few days. I had 3 healthy babies hatch and 1 who I ended up losing. I believe he had neurological issues, but he tried so hard.
Health problems
Here’s some remedies for common button quail chick health problems. If you have a weak chick, try carefully feeding them raw egg through a syringe. If they have curled feet try straightening their toes and encasing them in a piece of tape, so that it looks like they have webbed feet. If your chick’s feet slip out from under them (spraddle leg), put them in a small flower pot of shot glass so that they’re forced to stand up, but let them out to eat every so often. If a shot glass is used, put something with some traction in the bottom.
Growing up
At one week old they were growing feathers!
At this point bring the temperature down by 5 degrees and do this again every week until they’re at room temperature. Some people keep them in aquariums or hutch-like cages, but I decided to use a 50 gallon plastic tote. I cut a large rectangle in the top, and used a rivet gun to attach hardware cloth. I plan to put a hardware cloth window in the side also. They’re being kept outside so when it gets cool ( approximately under 55 degrees Celsius or 12 degrees Celsius), I turn on their ceramic heat lamp. Now for the fun part, decking out their home! First I put wood shavings on the bottom and gave them baby chicken sized feeders. They also love hides and fake foliage. They were moved into this home when they were 5 weeks old.
Adulthood
At about 8 weeks they are considered adults. Females will start laying eggs. They will still need heat when it gets cold. They will begin eating regular game bird feed. Quail love dust baths and it helps them with their preening. At this age they will stop chirping so much and start making their adult calls. My male quail scream like eagles. They are very flighty so be careful when handling them.
Conclusion
My quail are doing great and it has been really fun keeping them. I hope this article helps someone who’s trying to figure out where to start. If y’all have any suggestions, corrections, or questions please post them in a review or privately message me! If you want to learn more here’s another article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/button-quail-your-guide-to-ethical-care.77178/
Thanks for reading! God bless you and have a great day!
So some of you may be asking the same question that I was a few months ago, ”How do I keep button quail?” Well here’s my 2 cents after starting with mine 2 months ago. Before I start I just want to say a special thanks to @Nabiki for always answering my questions and being so helpful.
Button Quail (king quail)
So you’ve decided you want button quail but don’t know where to start, and why in the world are there different types of button quail? There’s king quail,(which are commonly called button quail) and Australian button quail. King quail are more commonly kept in captivity, and what this article is about. From here on out I will call them Button quail.
Incubation
In my quail journey I had an incubator, so my first step was to order eggs. I ordered them from a breeder on Etsy, who had many different colorations.
Potential Problems
I had a power outage due to a storm, but thankfully it only lasted 2 hours. If this happens to you here’s what you do : Throw a blanket on the incubator and DON’T OPEN IT!! Even if it’s time to turn them, resist the temptation and leave them alone. If you open the incubator they will quickly lose heat. My eggs took a few days extra due to the wrong temperature and the power outage, so the trick to incubation is Patience, it will be rewarded! On day 18 I finally hatched a baby!
Chicks
When they hatch leave them in the incubator for 24 hours to let them dry. If you think a chick is stuck in it’s egg, wait until 24 hours after they pip and do plenty of research. I rushed and accidentally killed a baby that was shrink-wrapped in it’s egg. Button Quail are only the size of a bumble bee when they hatch! Chicks need to fed game bird starter (which may need to be ground up in a blender), kept between 95-98 degrees Fahrenheit (35-36 degrees Celsius), and given a water dish that they can’t drown in. I used an aquarium with a screen lid as their brooder. Bottle caps can be used as food and water dishes when they are young. I put marbles in the water dish to ensure that they wouldn’t drown.
I kept them on paper towels, which have to be changed daily. Be very careful if you handle them in these first delicate few days. I had 3 healthy babies hatch and 1 who I ended up losing. I believe he had neurological issues, but he tried so hard.
Health problems
Here’s some remedies for common button quail chick health problems. If you have a weak chick, try carefully feeding them raw egg through a syringe. If they have curled feet try straightening their toes and encasing them in a piece of tape, so that it looks like they have webbed feet. If your chick’s feet slip out from under them (spraddle leg), put them in a small flower pot of shot glass so that they’re forced to stand up, but let them out to eat every so often. If a shot glass is used, put something with some traction in the bottom.
Growing up
At one week old they were growing feathers!
Adulthood
At about 8 weeks they are considered adults. Females will start laying eggs. They will still need heat when it gets cold. They will begin eating regular game bird feed. Quail love dust baths and it helps them with their preening. At this age they will stop chirping so much and start making their adult calls. My male quail scream like eagles. They are very flighty so be careful when handling them.
Conclusion
My quail are doing great and it has been really fun keeping them. I hope this article helps someone who’s trying to figure out where to start. If y’all have any suggestions, corrections, or questions please post them in a review or privately message me! If you want to learn more here’s another article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/button-quail-your-guide-to-ethical-care.77178/
Thanks for reading! God bless you and have a great day!
