I'm considering getting quail and I'm not sure if I should get buttons or coturnix. I have a few questions I'd like answered to hopefully help. Also they will be in an outside enclosure with an inside shelter as well. I'm in Oklahoma so winter get about 20 degrees at the coldest here so that would be a factor if the buttons couldn't handle that, they will have an area to be sheltered from elements though. 1. Which is louder button or coturnix? 2. Are buttons really that much less smellier than coturnix? 3. How does the buttons egg laying ability compare to the coturnix? 4. How do they compare selling wise? Getting into more rare color varieties. 5. Which are easiest to tame and the calmest? I appreciate any insight from people
I only have buttons, so for the coturnix part my anwers are based on what I've read on this forum: 1. I think the coturnix roos crow louder or maybe more often than the buttons, but I actually don't really know. My buttons do occasionally call relatively loud, but it's not even every day that I hear this. And their general sound level is barely audible. 2. I think so, yes, but it might also depend on what you feed them. I think the real problem is that the coturnix poops are larger, meaning they take longer to dry out - and they might also be more wet to begin with. And wet poop smells more than dry poop. 3. I haven't really been attempting to make my buttons lay optimally - rather the opposite - but when they do lay, it does seem to be an egg a day, similar to the coturnix. But the eggs are of course much smaller - it takes a lot to get a meal. Usually I don't eat them. If it's eggs you wan't, I'd go for coturnix. If it's meat, the same - a live button is 40-50 grams, remove guts, feathers and bones and you really don't get a lot of meat. 4. No clue 5. Definitely the coturnix. With regards to temperature, I live in Denmark and I have buttons living outside. We've had nights below 20 F and my buttons are still doing good. I have, however, read posts on here saying buttons can't handle freezing. This is obviously not true for mine, but this could be due to them having been breed in a coldish climate for several generations - they could be more hardy than the buttons in the US.
they are both a lovely bird, it will boil down to preference, Google both breeds and see which will suit you. Button quails are a busy bird more active.
If you want a friendly bird you can pat and pick up I'd go for Coturnix (our kids love them). Buttons are considered "eye candy" and they really are pretty, but not for touching. It's very unusual to have a friendly Button and it's usually because it was the only one that hatched so was brought up by itself with a lot of handling from people. Most Coturnix are naturally friendly, though you get the odd one that doesn't want a thing to do with you. Buttons are definitely quieter, though a Coturnix male that is happy rarely crows, mainly briefly in the morning and evening to declare his territory. Other than that he should look after his girls. Choose the calmest males as a calm boy makes for calm girls. Coturnix females are very quiet. Buttons are so much tinier they do make less mess/smell and need cleaning out a lot less. Coturnix are calmest in a small, sheltered cage. One that's too open will make them feel like a prey animal and act like one too. It's also a lot easier to collect eggs in a smaller cage. Here's a good site that discusses housing them: http://www.quailfarm.co.uk/index.php/quail-info/quail-cages
