Button Quail Questions on Building Habitat and More... Please Help!

[CamelWheat]

Hi, for a school project I'm going to be raising and selling button quails for pet shops. I just had some questions.

A Few Questions:
1. How big does an area of a quail habitat have to be?
2. What does the quail habitat containment type have to be? (Fencing or fish tanks or etc.)
3. How do you make baby button quail food and adult button food?
4. When are button quails old enough to be sold?
5. Do you have to have separate containments for males and females if they're babies and if they're adults?
6. What is the recommended price to sell button quails?
7. How long does it take for button quail eggs to hatch?
8. Do I have to stay home at any time when the eggs start hatching?
9. How much time should I stay at home to take care of quails per day? (For adults/babies/eggs.)
10. Should they be outside or inside?

I may ask more questions later on when I find more. But if you have any advice to me, I'd be happy to take it. And I am very serious about this project, so I could use as much help as possible.

Thank you!!~

 

[GrandmaBird]

Hi, for a school project I'm going to be raising and selling button quails for pet shops. I just had some questions.

A Few Questions:
1. How big does an area of a quail habitat have to be? It is best to keep buttons in pairs and they need 1 square foot per bird
2. What does the quail habitat containment type have to be? (Fencing or fish tanks or etc.) Solid flooring but the cage can be bars or glass even plastic but be sure they can see out or they will be flighty. no more than 18 inches tall. with a soft top as they fly up and boink their heads sometimes causing death
3. How do you make baby button quail food and adult button food? Buy a game bird feed with a high protein at least 25% this can be ground for the adults like coffee ground's (add 50% good quality finch seed for the adults), then sift out the powder for the chicks for 4-6 weeks then increase the size for the chicks until it is like the adults adding the seed at 4-5 weeks. adults need greens/fruit/incests chicks after 4 weeks and ground oyster shell for both. fresh water several times a day.
4. When are button quails old enough to be sold? 8-12 weeks after they have been paired up.
5. Do you have to have separate containments for males and females if they're babies and if they're adults?no keep in pairs after 8-12 weeks they will let you know by the way they act towards each other.
6. What is the recommended price to sell button quails?depends on your region...$6-10 each
7. How long does it take for button quail eggs to hatch? 16 days but the females almost never hatch them you are better off using an incubator and brooder.
8. Do I have to stay home at any time when the eggs start hatching? no they can stay for 10-12 hours in the incubator but should be move into a brooder as soon as they are dry. if possible
9. How much time should I stay at home to take care of quails per day? (For adults/babies/eggs.) adults need food or twice a day and water, chicks more often.
10. Should they be outside or inside? that depends on your weather they like 70-80 mine are inside and air conditioned/heated.

I may ask more questions later on when I find more. But if you have any advice to me, I'd be happy to take it. And I am very serious about this project, so I could use as much help as possible. check out :
http://www.brackenridgeranch.com/index.html
her book is the bomb and the group on yahoo is good as well. good luck
Thank you!!~

 

[eggsnhoney]

Grandmabird: What kind of quail is that in your pics? What kind of quail do you recommend for a first time quail person? Have had chickens for 4 yrs and want to try out quail.
Great post/great questions and answers CamelWheat and GrandmaBird.
Thanks!

 

[GrandmaBird]

They are Chinese Blue Breasted Quail aka button quail. I have one pair that are the cinnamon color male and female. They are good for inside quail not outside especially in Colorado too cold they like around 75-80 but do okay at room temp in the winter with a small light on really cold days. They are sometimes used in the bottom of finch or canary cages to eat the fallen seed. I keep my home heat at 65 nights and 68 days and they are fine. Hope this helps.