How to let Buttons pick their mate.

[nurse_turtle]

My Button quail are now 4 weeks old. I'm starting to identify some colors even. I would like to let the buttons choose their own mate, but when they are still all housed together, how on earth will I know who chose who? And when?

 

[navasima]

Will they simply accept whomever is chosen for them?

 

[Stellar]

At around 9 weeks, I watch males court females of their choice with mealworms. You also see the turkey dance at times

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Yes they will, I pick the mates for mine all the time.

 

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
How Sweet!

I can't wait to see that!

 

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
Yes they will, I pick the mates for mine all the time.

When you pick a mate for them how do you go about it ? Just add the female to his cage, or him to hers?
Or do they need some side by side, separate cages, time?
Or do you start them fresh in a whole new cage to avoid territory issues.?

Cinnabutton is about to become Hawk's mail order bride.. lol...

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Yes they will, I pick the mates for mine all the time.

When you pick a mate for them how do you go about it ? Just add the female to his cage, or him to hers?
Or do they need some side by side, separate cages, time?
Or do you start them fresh in a whole new cage to avoid territory issues.?

Cinnabutton is about to become Hawk's mail order bride.. lol...

Mine are almost always raised together, so it's just a matter of picking which ones I want to go together and putting them in a different cage. But when I've had males or females who've lost their mates I add whichever is needed to the pen. It doesn't really matter if it's a male added to a female or a female added to a male.

 

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
When you pick a mate for them how do you go about it ? Just add the female to his cage, or him to hers?
Or do they need some side by side, separate cages, time?
Or do you start them fresh in a whole new cage to avoid territory issues.?

Cinnabutton is about to become Hawk's mail order bride.. lol...

Mine are almost always raised together, so it's just a matter of picking which ones I want to go together and putting them in a different cage. But when I've had males or females who've lost their mates I add whichever is needed to the pen. It doesn't really matter if it's a male added to a female or a female added to a male.

Thanks Shelley!
I never thought about the fact they might be raised together.
If they weren't like mine, I just wanted to be sure there wouldn't be territory issues.

If buttons don't breed real true to color, how do you decide what would make a good pair?

 

[The Critter Place]

nurse_turtle
Your babies are beautiful!
I would love to see how they pair off and it would be nice if you come back and post pictures.


Well...
I put my female with the male last night, and they are getting along perfect!
They were kept in separate rooms due to him being new and under quarantine. Their pitiful calls back and forth were driving me nuts. lol.

Here's Cinnabutton ( light colored/fawn) and her now mate 'Hawk'. My son said his crow sounded like a hawk.. and it did. lol...

And this is one of their roommates. He insisted on being in the pics!

 

[joe125]

What's up with that goofy pink (NON QUAIL BIRD)?

Just kidding

I need to subtract from my flock, and put them into breeding pairs...8 becomes 4 breeding pairs.....right?
I'm so confused by the buttons, but they are doing fine in the colony pen....I really hate to split them up.
I know I should, but, it pains me.