Chinese painted/button quail

[hebe5]

I find that sand doesn't make as much of a mess as pine shavings. If you use the kind of small animal cage that has a plastic tray bottom, it should be fine. Those cages are built to keep the animal from throwing its bedding out of the cage. Sand on the bottom should be at least 2 inches deep for button quail, add an inch or two for coturnix. If you still find they're making a mess, you can use window screen, netting, coroplast (plastic cardboard) or tarp to make a guard that goes round the bottom of the cage wire. It can be attached to the cage bars using cable ties.

Hmmm - food for thought!! Can you keep two japanese females together?

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

I'm starting to wish we'd gone for Japanese quail now

I have both kinds and I like them each for their different qualities. Button quail are beautiful and fun to watch, just not for cuddling. I have a silver male who's breathtaking (imo) because he has gorgeous pinkish shading on his belly, which looks like a cloud at sunset. The males inflate their air sacs and make a peculiar whooshing sound (their "crow") in the evenings. My Japanese are friendly, fun, make a wide variety of sounds, and I like their colouring which makes them look like they're covered in sharp spines. The bonus is that I can feed both kinds the same things and their care is almost the same. Also, I don't have to buy chicken eggs at the grocery store anymore.

 

[Emmaxx]

It's a pity the Japanese can't be


You're all turning me off the buttons now!!

Can't be what?

It depends what you want them for really

 

[hebe5]

I have both kinds and I like them each for their different qualities. Button quail are beautiful and fun to watch, just not for cuddling. I have a silver male who's breathtaking (imo) because he has gorgeous pinkish shading on his belly, which looks like a cloud at sunset. The males inflate their air sacs and make a peculiar whooshing sound (their "crow") in the evenings. My Japanese are friendly, fun, make a wide variety of sounds, and I like their colouring which makes them look like they're covered in sharp spines. The bonus is that I can feed both kinds the same things and their care is almost the same. Also, I don't have to buy chicken eggs at the grocery store anymore.

I've never actually eaten a quail egg - do they taste similar to chicken eggs? I have five seramas and looking at photos of Japanese online they look to be about the same size bird - would you agree?

 

[hebe5]

Can't be what?

It depends what you want them for really

Sorry Emma, that was me getting in a mess again!! I meant to say it's a pity that the Japanese can't be shrunk to the same size as a button!

 

[hebe5]

Sorry Emma, that was me getting in a mess again!! I meant to say it's a pity that the Japanese can't be shrunk to the same size as a button!

As I said I'm not bothered about them being tame but I wouldn't want them to be fighting.

 

[Emmaxx]

Sorry Emma, that was me getting in a mess again!! I meant to say it's a pity that the Japanese can't be shrunk to the same size as a button!

Haha that's okay. I think it's the small size that causes them to be extra skittish and stress so much, if they were the same size as a jap the might chill out a bit!
It also depends how much time you can spare, you'd need to put in a lot of time with them to tame them, time keeping on top of the smell.

To me the button eggs are just like miniature chicken eggs (it's 7-8 button eggs to each chicken egg) but I've not tried any other quail eggs so not sure if they are all like that.

 

[Emmaxx]

As I said I'm not bothered about them being tame but I wouldn't want them to be fighting.

I think that will have a lot to do with how much space you can give them. I'm looking at at moving mine outside now so that I can give them more space than I ever could indoors, even then I wish my garden wasn't as tiny as my house (and already occupied) so I could give them even more!

 

[hebe5]

I think that will have a lot to do with how much space you can give them. I'm looking at at moving mine outside now so that I can give them more space than I ever could indoors, even then I wish my garden wasn't as tiny as my house (and already occupied) so I could give them even more!

You've only had your babies fighting though haven't you - not the original pair?

 

[hebe5]

Emma is that your quail in your avatar?? Can I see a pic of the other babies - pretty please??