Button Quail As Pets Questions . . . .

[GranderTheGander]

Many years ago, I considered getting a couple of button quail as pets from a breeder, but did not. I'm curious, though, for those who keep them as pets indoors, what type of setup do you have? Are they happy indoors? How many do you have?

 

[Nabiki]

I actually have several pairs. I keep mine in plastic tubs that I originally converted into brooders, but work for buttons.
This picture is from when I was using it as a brooder. I put hiding places in there for the buttons.

 

[Ravenlover]

I'll post mine tomorrow I'm to tired lol scrolling before I pass out

 

[GranderTheGander]

I actually have several pairs. I keep mine in plastic tubs that I originally converted into brooders, but work for buttons.
This picture is from when I was using it as a brooder. I put hiding places in there for the buttons.
View attachment 2786270

Do you keep the pairs together or do they each have their own tub?

 

[Nabiki]

Do you keep the pairs together or do they each have their own tub?

I have two pairs per tub. I should probably get them down to 1 pair per tub, but I just don't have that much space.

 

[Ravenlover]

Many years ago, I considered getting a couple of button quail as pets from a breeder, but did not. I'm curious, though, for those who keep them as pets indoors, what type of setup do you have? Are they happy indoors? How many do you have?

Here u go the first one I built(making plans for new ones)

Really ght now we're using it for Anubis at night so untill night his food and water and such is on the living room floor since Anubis is our coturnix dog lmao, but I originally built it for a pair of button, I also use totes like nabiki

 

[eveliens]

I used to keep buttons inside as pets years ago, although now mine live outside because I live in a good climate for them. You can do DIY tote pens like above or a 40 gallon breeder aquarium with a mesh lid would be sufficient for a pair. You'll want to house them in m/f pairs since they are monogamous and will fight other pairs or singles in cramped quarters. Stay away from anything with wide bars and stick to mesh - they can get their tiny heads stuck and break their necks. They also "explode" when scared and hurtle headfirst into things. If you have a noisy or chaotic household, you probably shouldn't have them in the house - they like calm and quiet. They hug the bottom of the cage and like lot of clutter to hide in, so think fake silk plants, overturned baskets with holes in them, little (solid colored) plastic huts, etc. Parakeet toys seem to be popular enrichment along with timothy hay. Wood chips work fine for bedding but they need sand to bathe in - petstores will have some. Females need calcium for egg laying. I feed mine high protein chick crumble but there is dove and quail feed at most petstores. Mine are quite friendly (but don't allow handling) and quiet (except for the male's crows) little birds. They do pretty well inside with the right set up

 

[FloorCandy]

I have a few Coturnix inside for various reasons, and I currently house them in 50 gallon totes. I recently made a cage for my blind birds to move outside, and I bought a large black drain tub from Home Depot for $15, and I used hardware cloth to make a cage that sits in it with bungies holding it on tightly. I like it so much I’m considering making one for my inside birds.

About half the birds went to the auction a couple days after I built it, and it seems to be a good size for the 4 remaining birds. I put a wire floor because they’re blind and don’t groom themselves well, but you can make it easily just set in the pan directly on litter, the sides are pretty deep, maybe 5 inches or more, and will keep the chips pretty well contained. I think the internal size is 19x31 inches. The door is a cookie cooling rack. It’s held together with zip ties.

 

[GranderTheGander]

Okay, since they are ground birds, there would be no sense in putting branches in an indoor cage? Also, would they climb up and down on wire ramps that are in some of the inexpensive tall bird cages? These cages have wire spacing that even a tiny bird could not possibly squeeze through, and the wire ramps inside have the same spacing. Years ago, I had a pair of bobwhites inside in a 4' long Super Pet rabbit cage, but for the life of me, I can't remember what I put in the cage, in regards to branches or whatever. (A swiss cheese middle-aged brain!) The cage is long gone now.

 

[Broody-Hen]

I used to keep my quails inside but they stank really bad and I had to change the flooring of their cage once a week (which was kind of tedious). I keep them outside now and they love the grass. Branches is a good idea as they like to hide so even if they don’t jump on them and everything, they will go underneath it. The cage has no bottom so they roam around happily. I have to move it every so often. The cage I’m using was a small chicken coup from Bunnings that was $260 but it is amazing. The laying box is big but mine love it and hide in there when I come to change food. They don’t sleep in it though. They sleep outside in a big huddle. I had another small triangle cage but my Nana’s dog broke it and got a quail.