button quail information and pictures please???

[chickenboy95]

hi all. i was wondering if any of you have any information about button quail and and CLEAR pictures. NOT BLURRY. i need to see what they really look like. and also CLEAR pictures of what you guys all house them in?? any help would be great!

i would like to know information like:

1. can they fly?
2. do they perch on things?
3. how do they mate?
4 will males fight or can you have them males/females all in close quarters?
5. what do they eat?
6. can they be tame?
7. can they be outside?
8. can they free range in the summer then come back in at night like chickens?

thanks remember CLEAR PICS NOT BLURRY i need to see what they look like and i cant very well in blurry pics.
thanks again.
cole.

 

[Bettacreek]

I'm no expert, but I'll answer some questions until someone more experienced comes along.

1. Yes, they most definately can fly. They generally fly across the room, land, then run from you, but they can definately fly.
2. They don't perch on things, though I'm not sure if it's a preference or if they simply cannot perch.

4. Some people house them in community flocks, but in the wild, they pair off, one male, one female, and if there are too many males in a community, yes, they will feather pick and fight. I'm unsure of proper ratios to prevent fighting though.
5. Gamebird crumbles or chick starter with protein suppliment. Some give bird seeds and such, and others let them clean up the bottom of flights and aviaries.
6. Some say that they've tamed them, but in my (extremely limited) experience, they don't really become tame. A household with children who play with them constantly may have tame buttons though. My whites are total jerks, if I'm in the same room, all they do is pace. The other pair, they're much calmer, I can actually watch them, but if I open the cage, they get a little flighty.
7. From what I understand, as long as the temperature is right, and they're safe, yes.
8. I doubt that they would, but I have no experience. I can only imagine the birds would either be eaten or otherwise disappear.


Pictures... Keep in mind, mine are all young birds, not quite sexually mature. My one boy looks ragged, his color is still coming in.

When he was younger:

Two week old chick (I think it's two weeks now)

Chicks when they were younger

 

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

Bettacreek did a great job so I will just add on some.

1. They can actually fly right over a house if they want. They basically pop up and across but come back down. They can't fly long distances but they are hard to catch because they can run fast too. Because of the popping up when scared you want their cage to be padded on the inside of the top or they can break necks or scalp themselves.

2. They can't perch. Their feet are not made for it.

3. They mate like a chicken with the male hopping on her back and grabbing the neck area with his beak. They use their wings for balance in mating so never clip them. Some leave their mates with naked necks.

4. People do keep them in community flocks but I highly do not recommend it. There is usually fighting and feather picking. They do not reproduce as well or naturally this way either. They are happiest in pairs and lots of them will even sit their eggs when paired up which most do not being in a flock. It can get quite nasty when they fight too since they are a gamebird.

5. Their main staple should be a non-medicated gamebird or turkey starter. It should be at least 22% protein but I feed 26%. I feed starter all their lives. I give mealworms, hard boiled eggs with shell, fruits, veggies, millet, and some finch seed as a treat. Their main diet should be the starter though. They require a high protein diet.

6. The only tame ones I have had were naturally tame. I do not believe you can tame them. I think they either are born that way or they aren't. They are quite flighty and pace a lot. I have had a handful that were tame and most that were not. They have not been domesticated that long so they are not that far removed from the wild and we need to treat them as such.

7. They do not do well in the cold. If you live in a warmer climate they may be fine but they don't do well much under 40 degrees. Mine are all indoors. If you did do outside I would have a heat source.

8. They can never free range. They would not come back. They are basically wild and not domesticated much yet like the chicken. They are pretty scared of people. I had someone try it by me once and he did not do well with it. Plus your DNR would not be too happy with you.

I have lots of pictures including one that shows my cage set up on my website linked below. If you have any more questions about them feel free to ask. I have raised them for quite awhile now.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:

^^ you can hear my male i had growling or whatever he did here i forget lol! I think you can hear me whistle or something in both of the vids lol

Button quail is the one with orange legs on my hand

^ My "tame" hen

kay lol I have more pictures but i thikn that's good enough lol!

 

[chickenboy95]

THANK YOU!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

You all helped me very much.

And ButtonQuailHeaven your website was very helpful. I absolutely loved all the pictures of mama quail and her babies and all the information. Thanks again but keep the pics and information coming. i
want to know everything that i can about them before i get some.

 

[Mrs MIA]

There's a lot of information here...
http://www.ncws.com/mcdonald/

This is where I got my first eggs, before I discovered the wonderful people on BYC.