Broody signs in quail/button quail?

[Oob Child]

Oh, and they need more protein then chicken chicks. I use the normal chicken starter mixed in with canary egg food and mashed up hard boiled eggs.

I was horrified to see a You Tube video of someone feeding the chicks on just dry bird seeds....they will die if you do that!

Will they actually die if you do that? I have three almost two week old quail babies. Are there any alternatives? How long do you have to give them more than just dry seed? I thought that was ok!!!

 

[Nabiki]

Will they actually die if you do that? I have three almost two week old quail babies. Are there any alternatives? How long do you have to give them more than just dry seed? I thought that was ok!!!

They will die and it won't be quick. They will start by developing health problems from malnutrition.

They will need more than dry seeds for their entire lives. Your best choice is a good game bird starter until they're adults then switch to a game bird maintenance feed. If you don't have access to that, see if you can at least add some insects to their diet. Boiled, crushed egg yolk may also help.

 

[The Birb King]

They will die and it won't be quick. They will start by developing health problems from malnutrition.

They will need more than dry seeds for their entire lives. Your best choice is a good game bird starter until they're adults then switch to a game bird maintenance feed. If you don't have access to that, see if you can at least add some insects to their diet. Boiled, crushed egg yolk may also help.

My feed wasn't high enough for my baby buttons it was only like 18% protein. I added crushed mealworms and they grew up fine

 

[NewfoundMamaBird]

Well, as an update to this thread. The original broody mama has never made it past a week before losing interest but another couple started brooding for the first time. I assumed they would give up so I didn't track dates. To my surprise they stuck with it! After what seemed like the longest gestational period ever Tux and Twelve became the proud mama and papa to 4 buncing baby buttons. They are raising them like Champs! Dad (Tux) has been an exceptionally good daddy. They are just over 2 weeks and everyone is healthy and happy

 

[Ladybird CA]

I’ve only had one button years ago hatch chicks but I had 2 pairs in there so I think one of the males killed them when they hatched.

 

[NewfoundMamaBird]

I’ve only had one button years ago hatch chicks but I had 2 pairs in there so I think one of the males killed them when they hatched.

I honestly never thought it would happen. And now I am sitting watching proof that it can

 

[Ladybird CA]

Congrats! Looks like a nice family. I had someone hatch my button quail pair’s 8 chicks from an incubator then put them with the pair and watched closely to see if they had any interest in them. The female didn’t but the male raised them until the boys got older, fought with him or each other and died. I rehomed the females when we left the country to visit family.

 

[The Birb King]

Congrats! Looks like a nice family. I had someone hatch my button quail pair’s 8 chicks from an incubator then put them with the pair and watched closely to see if they had any interest in them. The female didn’t but the male raised them until the boys got older, fought with him or each other and died. I rehomed the females when we left the country to visit family.

In March my Tuxedo female sat on a nest for about 2 weeks before I found all the eggs scattered across the cage (I don't know if she did it or if it was the others) , but I put them in the incubator and 4 hatched. Once they were about 3 weeks old I put them in with their parents and surprisingly one of the pairs adopted them and even sat on them for warmth