Button Quail~ Can you share your Breeding set ups?

[The Critter Place]

Hi,
I am getting ready to start raising Button Quail. I would love to see how others have them set up and cage sizes. And any general information that may be helpful to others starting out. I am thinking I may have around 10 pairs and am thinking maybe a stacked cage system.
Thanks!

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:
That sounds like so much fun. I wish I could do it. I am just sticking with a pair for now. Maybe responding to your post here will catch someone else to reply..with pics!
I just clipped my babies wings..they can almost reach the top of my cage now when I open the top! So, hoping that helps, but they sure can hop up pretty high too.
Good luck on your breeding adventure. Maybe someday I will be buying eggs from you.

 

[Stellar]

This is an old photo as I have 3x as many cages now, but I use cages from brackenridge Ranch. They are neat and easy to use. You could make your own as well. Aviary cages with the bottom wire taken out work as well, parakeet cages, etc.

ETA: In the photo, some birds weren't paired up yet and you can notice bare backs. We all learn about their needs.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Here's mine, though I'm planning to make different ones soon. They make a tremendous mess in these and some of the cubbies are easy to escape from.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=424355

 

[xchairity_casex]

i really need to make a cage set up like you twos stacked. theres a old entertainment center out in our garage i was thinking about turning into a bunch of cages but never got around too it but i really should seeing as how ive got cages all over the place!

 

[rittert3]

These are nice set ups thanks for sharing

 

[The Critter Place]

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for joining in!

Cynthia12~ Clipping wings gets easier over time with practice.

Sounds like you did O.K. with it.

quailladyoffortmyers & shelleyd2008~ Thank you for sharing those great pictures! I love the looks of your set ups!
I'm trying to decide what part of the house will become over run by quail.

I have a large area in my room, I also have a small bird room in the house. It's a bathroom I gutted yrs ago to breed parakeets and other small birds. Doves and finches are my other weaknesses.

How do you ladies clean your cages? Do you remove the birds or work around them, or do the trays slide out?

Shelly, I love your way of making trays! That's something I've been wondering how to go about.

We made a cage years ago with a metal shelf unit, and covered it with wire. But it started to rust, as I didn't have any sort of tray or false bottom in it.

There's alot of plastic cube/storage units, stack able on the market and that may be the way to go. I love the wire cages and would rather have them, but that's just not in the budget for awhile.

quailladyoffortmyers~ I don't see padding in the tops of your cages. They do O.K. with out it?
And ?? for you both...
Do they spook much being so low to the ground? Your feet don't scare them??

Wait till DH sees what's in store for him.

 

[Stellar]

padding? naaaa, the cages are made nicely enough that I don't need to reach in other than gathering eggs. When you raise them from hatch, they get to know you and trust you...now when they get out...that's an issue

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mine aren't even scared by the dog, though they do freak out when my son goes in there...go figure. Maybe because he's always 'the getter' when the stinkers fly behind a dresser or brooder box? Who knows??

My trays slide out. Originally, I would keep one cubby empty and just move the pair to a 'clean' cubby, clean their cubby, then repeat until they were all cleaned out. Since then I've figured out that I have much fewer fly-aways by just sliding the tray out, dumping it, and sliding it back in, even though my cages don't have 'trap doors' that drop down. I also have one pair in a fish tank and my bachelors are in a Rat Manor cage. The pair in the tank gets a towel put over the top and I use a small dustpan to scoop it out. The bachelors just get scooped out.

Very few of mine spook much, though I do have some that I've raised from eggs that still do. Just the way they are, silly little birds! I don't think any of my cubbies have padding any more, I should have used screws and washers to hold it in but didn't and now it's fallen down.

 

[The Critter Place]

I must agree that when they get lose they are stinkers to catch! Great at flying for a ground bird!

Good to hear they don't spook too much and are trusting, if raised well. I see that in our one little button at the moment. She's pretty calm when I go near her cage and clean. She keeps her distance, but hasn't shot up yet.
Oh, she's also camera shy! As soon as I go to take pics, she runs and hides under a Coturnix or gets in the middle of a group.

Shelly,
They probably do recognize the kids as the "catchers" and spoilers of their fun! And yes, it seems the smaller the bird, the worse the place to get them out of!

I used to raise finches, boy are they fun to get back!

The bird room and craft catch all where they may be, both have had the doors removed and replaced with wire doors so they get plenty of air circulation, and I can hear and enjoy them all day!

Do either of you vacuum around them, or are they in rooms with hard floors?

I have a parakeet cage in the living room i'm considering putting a pair in, it sits almost on the floor, and I would have to vacuum around it, would that be too much for them to take?
My parakeets could care less. LOL!

And my 3 brats/dogs (chihuahua mixes) are bored with them now, so they may not even notice quail.