button quail incubating and set up

[MaddieLivez]

View attachment 1978581 View attachment 1978582 I have 4 button hens in a cage with my finches.....they have a little less than 1 sq ft per bird in the current cage, but they are content and doing well. I just hatched a new batch on December 2nd hoping to get the girls at least one mate I had issues with them escaping from previous brooders so my chicks are currently in a hamster cage and I purchased the small parakeet/finch waterers from amazon which i like really well so far! my adults and finches use a quail waterer.

They looks so cute. thanks for the info

 

[Serin]

I have two adults and 3 chicks. Coming from a background in maintaining exotic birds and not livestock I approach their husbandry differently. I feel a natural, private set up is ideal and this should incorporate vegetation and several hiding places, loose bedding to forage in, access to a sand bath and a varied diet - I feed 24% gamebird crumble, finch seed, broccoli, green leaf vegetables, sweet corn, peas, hard boiled eggs, crickets and mealworms to my adults. I use a bin cage about 30 x 18 inches long/wide, this is the smallest I feel is appropriate as they are very high energy birds. I have it set up with a very bright full spectrum flourescent light on top and keep it on for twelve hours per day. They have hiding places behind fake foliage and inside a nest box with two entrances and I never, ever open the top of the cage or come at them from aboveas this is very frightening to them; the cage has a door on the side, and I just clean around them rather then remove them to clean. My male is tame and comes to me for treats. Buttons are supposed to be hard to get to brood their own eggs but under these conditions with privacy and a somewhat naturalistic enclosure, my hen goes broody about twice a month. So far, she has not sat long enough to hatch chicks on her own but she is young and just started her third attempt. My pair is very bonded and affectionate to each other, this species is monogamous in nature so I feel should not be maintained in more than a pair if you have both sexes in a cage. Single sex groups are said to work.

I found out it is important the top be fine window screen if you use a short cage, after my male jumped up and got his head stuck in 1/2 inch bird cage wire.

My chicks, which were incubated by society finches, are now 5 days old and in a similar but smaller bin cage with a 53 watt incandescent bulb for warmth. Their brooder is not set up with as much decor, just a small bridge made of sticks to hide under or climb onto and I have them on fleece for traction. For the first 2 days they ate gamebird crumble that I blended to powder off the cage floor, I then introduced a shallow clay plant saucer as a food dish and they are now using it well. They have had a shallow parakeet water tube since day 1, I dipped their beaks into it a few times the first day to get them to use it. The chicks at 5 days are already as mobile and active as the adults and I am going to move them to a large adult cage shortly, with continued access to heat, as they now seem fully able to navigate obstacles and find their heat, food, and water.

Photos taken at 3 days

 

[MaddieLivez]

I have two adults and 3 chicks. Coming from a background in maintaining exotic birds and not livestock I approach their husbandry differently. I feel a natural, private set up is ideal and this should incorporate vegetation and several hiding places, loose bedding to forage in, access to a sand bath and a varied diet - I feed 24% gamebird crumble, finch seed, broccoli, green leaf vegetables, sweet corn, peas, hard boiled eggs, crickets and mealworms to my adults. I use a bin cage about 30 x 18 inches long/wide, this is the smallest I feel is appropriate as they are very high energy birds. I have it set up with a very bright full spectrum flourescent light on top and keep it on for twelve hours per day. They have hiding places behind fake foliage and inside a nest box with two entrances and I never, ever open the top of the cage or come at them from aboveas this is very frightening to them; the cage has a door on the side, and I just clean around them rather then remove them to clean. My male is tame and comes to me for treats. Buttons are supposed to be hard to get to brood their own eggs but under these conditions with privacy and a somewhat naturalistic enclosure, my hen goes broody about twice a month. So far, she has not sat long enough to hatch chicks on her own but she is young and just started her third attempt. My pair is very bonded and affectionate to each other, this species is monogamous in nature so I feel should not be maintained in more than a pair if you have both sexes in a cage. Single sex groups are said to work.

I found out it is important the top be fine window screen if you use a short cage, after my male jumped up and got his head stuck in 1/2 inch bird cage wire.

My chicks, which were incubated by society finches, are now 5 days old and in a similar but smaller bin cage with a 53 watt incandescent bulb for warmth. Their brooder is not set up with as much decor, just a small bridge made of sticks to hide under or climb onto and I have them on fleece for traction. For the first 2 days they ate gamebird crumble that I blended to powder off the cage floor, I then introduced a shallow clay plant saucer as a food dish and they are now using it well. They have had a shallow parakeet water tube since day 1, I dipped their beaks into it a few times the first day to get them to use it. The chicks at 5 days are already as mobile and active as the adults and I am going to move them to a large adult cage shortly, with continued access to heat, as they now seem fully able to navigate obstacles and find their heat, food, and water.

Photos taken at 3 days

Wow, thats very helpful. thanks for the information and you button quail look very adorable. Thanks!

 

[Quailobsessed]

I have two adults and 3 chicks. Coming from a background in maintaining exotic birds and not livestock I approach their husbandry differently. I feel a natural, private set up is ideal and this should incorporate vegetation and several hiding places, loose bedding to forage in, access to a sand bath and a varied diet - I feed 24% gamebird crumble, finch seed, broccoli, green leaf vegetables, sweet corn, peas, hard boiled eggs, crickets and mealworms to my adults. I use a bin cage about 30 x 18 inches long/wide, this is the smallest I feel is appropriate as they are very high energy birds. I have it set up with a very bright full spectrum flourescent light on top and keep it on for twelve hours per day. They have hiding places behind fake foliage and inside a nest box with two entrances and I never, ever open the top of the cage or come at them from aboveas this is very frightening to them; the cage has a door on the side, and I just clean around them rather then remove them to clean. My male is tame and comes to me for treats. Buttons are supposed to be hard to get to brood their own eggs but under these conditions with privacy and a somewhat naturalistic enclosure, my hen goes broody about twice a month. So far, she has not sat long enough to hatch chicks on her own but she is young and just started her third attempt. My pair is very bonded and affectionate to each other, this species is monogamous in nature so I feel should not be maintained in more than a pair if you have both sexes in a cage. Single sex groups are said to work.

I found out it is important the top be fine window screen if you use a short cage, after my male jumped up and got his head stuck in 1/2 inch bird cage wire.

My chicks, which were incubated by society finches, are now 5 days old and in a similar but smaller bin cage with a 53 watt incandescent bulb for warmth. Their brooder is not set up with as much decor, just a small bridge made of sticks to hide under or climb onto and I have them on fleece for traction. For the first 2 days they ate gamebird crumble that I blended to powder off the cage floor, I then introduced a shallow clay plant saucer as a food dish and they are now using it well. They have had a shallow parakeet water tube since day 1, I dipped their beaks into it a few times the first day to get them to use it. The chicks at 5 days are already as mobile and active as the adults and I am going to move them to a large adult cage shortly, with continued access to heat, as they now seem fully able to navigate obstacles and find their heat, food, and water.

Photos taken at 3 days

Great set up you've got there. I always love seeing your cages, they look so inviting for your little kings (buttons, whatever people call them).

Just wondering, you said you give them a bright full spectrum flourescent light. Birds can see into the UV range of light, wouldn't having a light like that stress them out? I know it does with parrots. Just curious.

Also, are you keeping updates on your chicks? I would love to see more of you little cuties.

Thanks and sorry I'm always asking seemingly random questions.

 

[Serin]

Great set up you've got there. I always love seeing your cages, they look so inviting for your little kings (buttons, whatever people call them).

Just wondering, you said you give them a bright full spectrum flourescent light. Birds can see into the UV range of light, wouldn't having a light like that stress them out? I know it does with parrots. Just curious.

Also, are you keeping updates on your chicks? I would love to see more of you little cuties.

Thanks and sorry I'm always asking seemingly random questions.

The brightest indoor light is a fraction the brightness of sunlight. They have fully covered hiding places to avoid the light but spend most of their time in the open. Button quail naturally live in tall grasses and woodland edges so they would experience direct sunlight. Full spectrum light should be available to all indoor birds imo, if not via a nearby window then a light fixture. Most of my birds are kept near southerly windows and get sun but the buttons are not in a bright room.

 

[Quailobsessed]

The brightest indoor light is a fraction the brightness of sunlight. They have fully covered hiding places to avoid the light but spend most of their time in the open. Button quail naturally live in tall grasses and woodland edges so they would experience direct sunlight. Full spectrum light should be available to all indoor birds imo, if not via a nearby window then a light fixture. Most of my birds are kept near southerly windows and get sun but the buttons are not in a bright room.

Cool

 

[MaddieLivez]

HELLO EVERYONE AND THANKS A TON FOR THE HELP.
at the moment two button quail have hatched (they are so small!) and i am so thankful for everything you guys have posted.
THANKS!

 

[Quailobsessed]

HELLO EVERYONE AND THANKS A TON FOR THE HELP.
at the moment two button quail have hatched (they are so small!) and i am so thankful for everything you guys have posted.
THANKS!

Yayy!!!

Keep us updated on their progress, and LOTS OF PICTURES PLEASE!

 

[MaddieLivez]

Yayy!!!

Keep us updated on their progress, and LOTS OF PICTURES PLEASE!

ok as of now i have five chicks, (and their adorable) and they are eating finch seed and drinking from a quail water-er thing. also enjoy a picture of my chickens

 

[MaddieLivez]

View attachment 1988665 View attachment 1988665

ok as of now i have five chicks, (and their adorable) and they are eating finch seed and drinking from a quail water-er thing. also enjoy a picture of my chickens

i forgot to add their under a chick heat lamp and the temperature is 99-105 degrees