Any Difference in Keeping and Breeding Coturnix & Button Quail.

[Kinger1979]

Hi all new to the site but have looked in for a long time.I recently have started keeping quail.I have coturnix quail at the minute and with luck first hatch due next week and second batch gone done tonight.Question is are Button or Chinese painted quail any harder or different to keep than coturnix.Any input would be great Thanks all

 

[TwoCrows]

Buttons are very tiny, not used for their eggs and are kept indoors. They are more eye candy or kept as indoor pets. They are kept in pairs, (male and female) only.

Coturnix quail are kept outside, are kept for eggs, meat or as pets. They are kept 1 roo to 5 to 7 hens.

 

[Kinger1979]

Thanks for the reply I understand that button quail are more pet than livestock but is there any major difference in rearing and breeding the two types.Could I use the same food and incubator settings for raising them Thanks again

 

[dc3085]

Hi all new to the site but have looked in for a long time.I recently have started keeping quail.I have coturnix quail at the minute and with luck first hatch due next week and second batch gone done tonight.Question is are Button or Chinese painted quail any harder or different to keep than coturnix.Any input would be great Thanks all

They have almost nothing in common beyond their feed requirements and how quickly they mature. Buttons are monogamous and mate for life (like doves). They should always be kept in pairs. They do lay eggs daily but the eggs are too small to be worth eating, same with the birds. They are also probably the least cold resistant of the commonly kept quail. They should always be kept above 40*F.

They're pretty high stress birds even as far as quail go. They are beautiful birds for decoration and make efficient aviary cleaners but there isn't much you can do with them. They aren't suitable as pets really either, except in the goldfish sense of the word. The market for their eggs or chicks is small and fluctuates wildly which makes getting rid of extras pretty hard at times. Basically don't get/hatch more than you want to raise yourself unless you already have a market for them.

They really are a great bird to keep, they just aren't the right fit for every keeper.

This website is a great source of info on buttons

 

[Kinger1979]

Thank you for all the info a great help Thanks again