button quail questions... new owner:)

[chickeypoo]

i have my first set of buttons ever. so my questions are.

1. how do you tell male and female? these were eggs i had hatched from a friend who has them. couple are a grayish/blue, a couple are whitish/yellow and some are brown.

2. do the hens go broody?

3. do i need to supply grit if i feed something other than a higher protien feed?

4. what can i give them as treats?

5. when do i turn off the heat light?

I have them in a bin with some grippy stuff in the bottom. they are doing wonderfully. I am so happy with them i can't wait till they lay eggs haha.

Sue

 

[citalk2much]

Male have red vent feathers
Sometime they go broody
No
When they are young I give them pin head crickets
Drop the temp 5 degrees a day until room temp

 

[Akane]

Males and females of most colors come out different. The lighter ones (those that hatched yellow) will be harder to tell. Most but not all do have some reddish vent feathers. Here is a guide to ID color as chicks http://www.zebrafinch.com/NewButtonquail/Quail_Chicks.html
and here are pics of male and female adults of the different colors
http://www.zebrafinch.com/NewButtonquail/QuailMutation.html.

Quail don't go broody often. Some never have a broody hen. It's more likely to happen if you give them a more natural setting with shelter and branches instead of a wire bottom empty or mostly empty pen.

Grit should be given if you feed something that needs grinding up. Think about what humans would need to chew. Birds can't chew before swallowing so they use grit. Not everything requires grit but if in doubt it's best to have a dish of it out. I just use sand for my buttons. You can use parakeet or other cage bird grit however I would wait till they start laying since nearly all types of cage bird grit contain extra calcium which they don't need until they are laying.

Lots of things can be used as treats since birds aren't real picky. Bugs, yogurt, seeds, plant matter, vegetables, fruits, grains... Just keep in mind their small size and make sure you provide grit as needed.

It's better to go by the birds than a set schedule for turning down the heat. When they are cold they will huddle under the lamp. As they grow they'll spread out more. When they are mostly ignoring where the lamp is then you can lessen the heat. I prefer to put in a lower wattage bulb rather than move the lamp. Moving the lamp means I need something to mount it to and I just use fish tanks with mesh tops for brooders so my lamps aren't mounted. I'll start with a 100w bulb, put in a 60w after a few days, leave it for a week or 2, and then put in a 40 for a few days to a week before removing the light.

 

[Wawa21]

Well How old are they? If they are getting in their adult feathers also the male should have a white throat while the female is plain. But this is only during breeding season I guess..

 

[feather leg farms]

Did you get my email on buttons?

 

[citalk2much]

Quote:
Not all males have white bibs and if they are a color that has a bib they will always have the bib it is part of their color and has nothing to do with breeding

 

[_lizzer_]

i know this might seem like a pain, but i grow little tiny pans of cat grass (which is actually just a mixture different types of seeds, like oats/barley/wheat) and when the sprouts are a few days old i give them to my button. He LOVES it. I just use jar lids, and a little bit of clean potting soil. Nothing form outside though, just in case it is carrying something bad.

 

[ksukristin]

congrats on your new quail from one new-b to another!

There is so much to learn!

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Quote:
That's a great idea!!

 

[citalk2much]

I grow trays of wheat grass (samething) for mine. Only warning watch the soil no fertilizer