Chinese painted quail/button quail really noisy at night

[jesussaves]

Is it normal for a male button quail to call all night long, he is outside with 2 females and no lights are on

 

[Mark Keister]

Quail, chickens, turkeys etc will call, crow or gobble at all hours. Its not just for breakfast anymore! Not all of them do this but i had some bantam roosters that crowed 24/7. They are now in the freezer. My cotties do the same but are much quieter and hence still living their happy lives in the pen

 

[GrandmaBird]

Buttons should be kept at 65-80 degrees so I am hoping you have them in a nice warm spot if not he could be protesting the cold. He should be with one female or you might have troubles. No light is good but even the light of the moon and he will call for his mate if they get separated in the enclosure.
So in my honest opinion I would have them in single pair's, indoors with a cover at night to keep them in the complete dark.
Good Luck

 

[Stellar]

Button quail shouldn't be outside. If he is calling he may be unhappy. Button quail are pair birds.

 

[SavageChick]

Well, I'm no expert, as I am still fairly new to button quail. Yet, as GrandmaBird wrote, I also think he may be protesting lack of heat. I don't know where you live, but from what I have learned about buttons, there seems to be a universal agreement among button owners that they are to be kept indoors at night like other tropical birds. When they are warm, they will snuggle down and rest. When they are chilled or distressed in some way, they can let you know by crowing like this. If you do intend to keep them outdoors, keep in mind that these are tropical birds that require the temps that GrandmaBird stated, as well as brush or thicket of some sort to hide under. Do they have grass, pine shavings, or some other soft substrate for them to nestle down into at night? Is there a way for you to provide them with a source of heat at night (you could try a black heat light, as the red might be too bright)? If you already have these things available to them, did you just recently place them outdoors (could still be adjusting to a new environment)? My adult male crowed like this for the first 4-5 nights when I brought the pair home and placed them in a new environment. With everything else in check, he settled down once he acclimated to the new digs. A final thought would be for you to sit out there for a while with them at night. Is the crow hearing other night birds (owls, mockingbirds, nightingales, even crickets, etc...) singing or chirping? With my male button, he will often crow whenever he hears the wild doves cooing on the feeders outside.

 

[Linda1308Sey]

Mine did that in the spring when outside birds were beginning to nest. We put the quail down in the basement with the guinea pigs. The rooster seemed to like the guinea pigs....maybe because they sound like birds at times... I think they call for other quail.

 

[Overeasyplz]

What temperature do buttons like? I assumed they were like coturnix.

 

[Linda36Senogles]

Ours did that until we put them in the basement with the guinea pigs. Apparently, the rooster Chinese Button Quail think that other birds are calling ...looking for a a nice little red and blue rooster. Our rooster seems content with the whistling noises that the guinea pigs make. Chinese Button Quail like to have plenty of other Buttons around. They are very social and feel safer in groups. All they have for self defense is everyone flutter in different directions and if there are enough quail going bezerk (sp?) some will survive to continue on with the species. Is your rooster making the "PPPPEEEEWWW!' noise? That seems to be the "Gather together Buttons," or "Hens come and get your rooster!"


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[Linda36Senogles]

In the bottom photograph, there is an adult button quail rooster with a fledgling baby rooster of 4 weeks of age. The males all turn into blue and red. They can be any color when they are young. I have one right now that is white with grey and brown streaks. Yet his under-feathers are turning red, and he is developing the bib that the Chinese Button Quail roosters all sport.

 

[Linda36Senogles]

65 degrees or better. My hens like it 65 degrees, or they will not set.


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