House Quail - Good Idea or not?

[animal8]

Quote:
Button quail should be 1 hen per 1 cock, the Coturnix have multiple hens per roo.

Do you have any problems with the hen having missing feathers/bald patches with a 1:1 ratio? That's my only concern

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:
Button quail should be 1 hen per 1 cock, the Coturnix have multiple hens per roo.

Do you have any problems with the hen having missing feathers/bald patches with a 1:1 ratio? That's my only concern

I'm wondering the same thing..I was reading somewhere that two gals to the boy in the buttons was easier on the females..? Why the one female only, and we know we are asking the right person here.

I don't mind missing feathers, I'm just wondering why.
Thanks QL...

 

[Stellar]

In the wild, they are monogamous (although it's becoming scarce and not many are seen in China due to humans). They brood a batch of chicks, kick them off the nest when they are of sexual maturity to find their own mates. My hens are not bald and I have some pairs that are pretty darn old

It's the colonies that have bald backs usually. Lifespan is diminished in colonies due to stress, fertility goes down, weaker genes, etc.

 

[rittert3]

I have read that button females have a much shorter life span than males due to egg laying dragging down their calcium levels. I think I read that they will ussually only live a year even with added calcium in their diet. Is this true? I'm choosing to try cots again vs. button just because buttons seem to be of a bit higher skill level and I did ok with bobs in small numbers. From what I gather cots are more similar in skill level. (I've never actually had cots but bought some eggs at an auction and at 20 days we cracked them to find only large meat spots. We concluded that the eggs were old.)

 

[Stellar]

Button quail shouldn't be used as egg laying machines per se. If on a proper diet and housing is safe, a hen can live 5-7 years. I have some pairs that have been together that long. The hen will lay less as she ages but I still feed them the same as a young couple.

Hens can go first, males can too if they fight predators, protect the nest. Even poisonous spiders can end their lives in a snap. I lost a hen to a centipede once ( if you read the sentence it sounds funny but centipedes are predators too).

A hint for adding calcium to the diet: I used to mix in their feed but they enjoy it this way... I mix their bedding with oyster shells! They can forage and dustbath and get calcium that way

the males like to take the bigger chunks and court their ladies with it too

 

[FenDruadin]

Coturnix quail make great house pets! The females are quiet, have a pretty song, and produce eggs like crazy. They come in a variety of colors. My favorite are the whites, with the brown splotches. So pretty!

The males are kind of noisy for indoors, but they're still sweet and beautiful and can be very friendly.

If the cage is clean, they are no smellier than other birds (parakeets, etc.). And in a calm and comfortable environment they can be quite tame and calm. It's only in brooder situations that they're flighty and afraid.

Good luck!

P.S. When I say the males are noisy, they are still quieter than a parrot or similar. So it's definitely doable, just depends on your noise tolerance.