Button Quail Chat

[Serin]

I got a pair of 6 week old button quail a few days ago as indoor pets. I have made them a very cheap, very roomy cage by cutting a few windows in the front, back and lid of a $14 120 qt sterilite storage tub and attaching bird cage panels for ventilation, and they love the room. They have some silk vines for cover, several tubes to run over/on and a dark nest box with three entrances full of hay that, with a lot of luck, I hope to encourage natural nesting with but that's further down the line. They do already sleep in the box.

I would love to hear more about others who keep these little guys as pets, how you house them and pictures, pictures, pictures!

 

[Serin]

Here are Annie and Grover...

And their habitat.

 

[mixedUPturk]

@muddy75 i think this is something im gonna try! What do u think?




And thanks Mr @Serin glad to have you over to the quail party!

 

[mixedUPturk]

I got this pic for you today heres my lil silver hen watching me watch TV

Sorry its poor quality but if id gotten up she would have gotten down so its zoomed in too far

 

[muddy75]

@muddy75 i think this is something im gonna try! What do u think?




And thanks Mr @Serin glad to have you over to the quail party!

that’s absolutely adorable and well worth trying!!

 

[Serin]

Cute! My male likes to climb on the decor. The hen hasn't figured out she can yet.

These bin cages are great for all small pets, can't beat the price even if you have to buy wire. They are not *hard* to make per se, but a little tedious, and a little risky that the plastic will not cut nicely and will crack. I measured the wire panels and then drew a rectangle about the same dimensions but half an inch shorter on every angle and then began the cuts with a sharp kitchen knife. This is the hardest part and the one most likely to create a crack that you don't want. In this case, my only crack was to the right of the front panel, but it does not destroy the strength of the cage. I have made these before for rodents, and once had a crack go all the way across and destroy the bin. That sucked!

Once I cut a couple inch line with the knife, I used tin shears to easily cut the rest of the windows out. To attach the wire I used zipties. I took a high-temp hot glue gun, with no glue in it, and used it as a crude soldering iron to melt small holes half an inch to the side of the window, every five or six inches on all sides. This let me thread the zipties through and secure the mesh over the openings. Repeat for the lid, and to make a little hole to stick the water bottle spigot and mounting hooks through.

They really like the fake leaves for cover, and it makes the cage prettier. I still have to come up with a dust bath.

Oh what do you feed yours @mixedUPturk ? I got game bird crumble for mine, and they asked me at the shop if I wanted 20 or 24% protein. I got the 20, though I then read they need a bit more than that, so I give them some boiled egg every morning to balance it out. They also enjoy broccoli, a little finch seed, and the pesky little green caterpillars that live on my broccoli plants!

 

[Serin]

I have two old gerbils who also live in a larger 200 qt tub - largest I could find. Theirs has only the top meshed to hold in their deep bedding and is less decorative because they just love to dig tunnels and chew everything to shreds.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Well your alot more of the other end of the spectrum from me dear sir. These are my first Pet birds! The other things i farm for eggs and meat. I take pride in offering my poultry better conditions than they would have in commercial settings but i havent experimented with anything except boiled egg as a treat for them. They eat the 20% purina all flock feed that i buy for my cots. I add the egg shell that i use to supplement calcium to their sand box. Its a large glass reptile bowl that i use as their sand box.

ETA Oh and we have the same feed bowl! Ima get some pucs in a minute that i find an egg!

 

[Serin]

Oh yeah I have a dish of pulverized eggshell, oyster shell and granite grit for them in one of the feeders. She's not laying yet, so she has only had a few nibbles.

Indeed, I come from the side of only having pet birds and no livestock but I still find this one of the most helpful and enjoyable forums to discuss them on regardless.

 

[mixedUPturk]

I have two old gerbils who also live in a larger 200 qt tub - largest I could find. Theirs has only the top meshed to hold in their deep bedding and is less decorative because they just love to dig tunnels and chew everything to shreds.

View attachment 1931475

Too cool! And i dont feel so bad now that their tanks too big for where id tried to cram it