Button Quail Housing

[buttonquail44]

Okay, so we got 15 button quail eggs from Bracken Ridge Ranch and 6 of them hatched. We have them in a glass aquarium right now, but we know that later on we will have to move them outside. Is it okay to just use something like an outdoor dog kennel or will we have to build one of those huge 60 square footer aviaries? We don't have a big yard so we were hoping that we could just go with a dog kennel, but we do need a really big space please let us know. Right now they are feathering at about 8 days old. Thanks in advance!

 

[TheWeeBee]

Button quail are subtropical birds. Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking?

http://www.brackenridgeranch.com/page_4.html

 

[buttonquail44]

We're in Portland Oregon

 

[TheWeeBee]

Buttons' native temps stay around 70F, and since they're small they tend to get chilled easily. I live in FL and would not keep my buttons outside because it gets way too hot for them. Do you have an enclosed patio you could keep them in instead of outside?

 

[meschelelaisav]

I completely agree TheWeeBee...button quail don't like it too hot or too cold, about seventy degrees is dead on! We personally don't keep our buttons outside. A few years ago, we lost a whole flock one evening when it got too cold...so we just don't chance it anymore. Buttons don't need a huge gigantic space...they adapt very well to smaller enclosures. The main thing is that they have enough room not to be in each others faces all the time, but a twenty gallon aquarium or something similar is more than enough room....