Quail have very strong dropping smells. You'll want the change paper twice a day. That said I have a 13oz Coturnix as a house guest currently, he lost a fight and is recovering in a large reptile box for a few weeks, untill his harem matures. It's unusual for me to go this far, but the eggs came from a dear friend, and he's unusually handsome. I know some people keep button quail as pets, but they are like fish, they're pretty but not really pettable.
It's one of Niki's tuxes, and large for a colored strain, gonna get him some husky ladies and see what he throws... The fact that he's happily sitting on my desk nibbling a buffet of high protien treats has nothing to do with affection.