Crazy Female Button Quail...Help!

[martie47]

I am new to raising Button Quail. These are my first birds and they are a couple of months old. My first chicks were Diva (female caramel color) and Voracious (Tuxedo male). My second set (one month younger) is Midnight and Sunshine, both female. Midnight was black when she was born and Sunshine yellow. Now midnight is a natural color female and Sunshine is a caramel color.

The first pair matured and starting mating. The male (Voracious) wanted to mate constantly and Diva's head was bleeding badly, so I separated them. I went out and bought a huge tank, 30" long and made multiple levels, plants, places to hide, etc. Voracious is now mating with both Diva and Sunshine, who both look alike (Caramel). Poor Midnight (female) runs around the tank like crazy all day upsetting everyone. She seems to chase Sunshine, her nest mate, constantly and the male chases her and pecks her. I don't know what is wrong with Midnight. Now I separate them during the day and she is fine. At night I put them together and they all go in this little house I made and sleep contently. In the morning there is chaos again, and I take her out.

Why is Midnight so crazy? She is a natural color and I am quite sure she is not a male. Why does she only go after her litter mate, and why does the male hate her??

 

[Mibotsu]

you MIGHT be having the problem i have with my buttons, you say they are in a tank, so i'm guessing a fish tank with glass sides. I BET she see's herself in the reflection during the day thinking that is her mate, so she runs around trying to meet them.

at night there isn't as much light, so it doesn't cause a reflection onto the glass.


just a thought, other then that i don't really know.

 

[Stellar]

I was going to say the tank reflections like Mibotsu.

 

[Mibotsu]

I was going to say the tank reflections like Mibotsu.

yea, the more i watch mine, the more that makes sense

 

[martie47]

I think you are right! Thanks so much. I know as a chick, I had to put white paper on the outside of the tank because she kept running back and forth looking at the glass. I had totally forgotten that! I will try that and see what I can do.

Buy the way, I know she is female. This morning, 3 eggs were laid! I have 3 female and 1 male.

Thank you!!!!

 

[Stellar]

Now you need to find a second male to pair up one of the hens. Button quail are monogamous and pair breed. This can also cause aggression in other birds as well.

 

[martie47]

The glass in the tank was not the cause. I put cardboard all around the inside of the tank and when I put her in with the others, she starts running all over the tank upsetting everyone. I guess maybe I have to get another male for her????? All suggestions will be welcome.

 

[Stellar]

If you have a "trio" that is what you are seeing. There is already a bonded pair in there and the third wheel is the "intruder." She needs to get a mate of her own and get her own cage with that mate.