basic button quail care

[citalk2much]

Fresh water is a must. Change the water daily and you will have a healthier bird. There are water soluble vitamins that you can give birds but please be extra diligent to clean the water out at the end of the day because the vitamins left in the water create bacteria. With all my birds I fill a one gallon jug with with add two tablespoons organic apple cider vinger great for their health skin and feathers.

They need sand baths for good hygiene. Place a dish with sand in it and sure to change it when it looks dirty. Play sand or reptile calcium sand work great for this

They should be housed in PAIRS only in PAIRS
Fresh dark green veggies (iceberg lettuce is not a dark green veggie) fruit clean potato peels are a good way to provide vitamins. Angel hair pasta is a fun treat they love to play with it.

Calcium is VERY important for your birds health. They lay eggs daily with out calcium they will have a considerably shorter life. Hard boiled eggs shell and all is a great source. Remember to remove left overs at the end of the day. If it is warm only leave it there a few hours eggs go bad fast.

Meal worms are a great source of protein. Each button can have 5 to 6 a day. This can be expensive consider growing your own

Gamebird/turkey feed is their main food source and should be provided at all times. A good feed has around 22% protein

Offer some bird seed it can be dove finch or canary seed as a treat a few times per week

Hiding places are very important to these birds. I use small boxes flake plants hamster igloos. Hens like to lay in them. Some hens will actually do broody and sit their eggs if they find a safe zone. Broody Buttons are becoming a novelty. My flock of birds tend to be broody (there is nothing that is much cuter)

Hope this help some of the new owners out there. Please feel free to ask questions I will do my best to answer them

 

[magsrags]

You had to go & make it seem so simple didn't ya................Oh my....I don't know if I will have a home soon. The DH is REALLY getting tired if "my whims".

I finally have only my African Grey & 2 dogs & 2 silkies inside after a LOOOONG winter of chicks all over the place.
Can I really keep these inside and outside? I'd want the tiniest.... quail or even doves..... possible & I am guessing it is the buttons correct?
Just call me Incubator happy...........that's me!

 

[citalk2much]

I would not keep them outside in the cold months

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

hmmm I follow MOST of those guidelines - with a few changes

I have about 12 birds living together in a flock and they get along great even with more than one male in there - no fighting - everyone sleeps together and my hens all share the little basket I have in there for laying eggs.

I feed mine all kinds of extra goodies -- cooked rice, mashed potatoes, cream corn, other veggies. also cooked egg once in awhile

I also grow grass seed in a shallow dish and let them have a little yard to play in and eat the grass - when they have mowed that down I take it out re-seed it and water it wait about a week and put it back in. - they LOVE it

I use a 30% protein gamebird feed that I mix with a cup or two of parakeet seeds they get on a daily basis.

most of mine have been with us a year and the others were hatched in Dec - all are doing great - happy healthy flock

 

[citalk2much]

You are lucky to have them live together that is not the norm in their behavior

I feel that to much bird seed is not the best for their health thou that is my personal option

 

[redhen]

very good info, thanks!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
you have buttons and coturnix or are you just meaning coturnix?

 

[citalk2much]

I am hoping Buttons this info is on Buttons my knowledge of coturnix is very limited LOL my coturnix knowledge goes like this. "just ask Niki"

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
haha thanks! Well I think YOU should start a big ole post with all this info in one thing and ask it to be put in the index part on here (if you have time). Since buttonquailhaven is MIA (WHERE DID SHE GOOOO) anywho people ask all the time the same questions and you got your head on straight on their care I think you should do it

and the reason i asked if she had buttons as well is because of her care differing from yours. Some people seem to think buttons and coturnix are the same thing suprisingly until they see them in person (both) and then it's like OH>>>okay....big diff! LOL! BIG! lol.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I have 3 types of quail right now- a flock of 12 buttons ( those are the ones I mentioned on this thread )

I also have a flock of coturnix and I have 2 bobwhites that are about 1 week old in the brooder with some 2 week old buttons.

I have always had my buttons all living together - they were hatched together and broodered together so they only know life in a flock setting.
the 12 I have now - are two flocks that got moved together and they got along from day one. I have 5 males -- 7 females ( at least 1 male and 1 female will be placed with the younger buttons and moved to the zoo to start a flock for the finch flight run ).