Is there any way to get just a couple Button eggs?

[Rainsong]

Or even just a couple birds...

I'd love to hatch a few Buttons, being as they're all I've space for. Coturnix, from what I've read, are too big and ... smelly

I could keep a couple Buttons from what I've read, but I keep seeing people selling 25, 50... or more eggs at once. WAY too many! I live in an apartment, a very full apartment LOL In order to hatch them out (which is what I -really- would love to do), I'd need someone willing to send just a couple- maybe four- eggs when I can afford a 'bator.

My other thought was to just get two- one of each gender- and just wait and try to hatch a couple from them when I finally do get my 'bator. Everything I've seen says that you need a bunch of them to keep the poor things warm during shipping... or is that just for chicks?

And could I use one of those really low-priced dome 'bators, or stick to my original idea of a Brinsea Mini Advance? At least with the Brinsea, I could hatch other things- I've heard mixed (mostly bad) reviews on the really cheap dome 'bators.

... or maybe I can talk my step-dad into building me a homemade 'bator. I was talking with him this evening, and apparently he used to do that all the time as a kid, back in the... '40's I think. Honestly... I think if Salem approves chickens, he may have himself a few. He seemed really interested... it'd be good for him.

I'm rambling- I'm gonna go to bed now

Thank you all for reading, and for your answers- I'm still learning, here.

OH one last question- what is a good way to store gamebird feed for Buttons if I ever get any? Since it comes in bags way bigger then what a couple Buttons would eat quickly...

 

[Emilys3guppies]

You'd need 25 eggs to get a couple of chicks if you use one of those dome bators. They're aweful.

Remember that shipping can scramble eggs and you'll probably only get a 60% hatch rate if all goes really well.

I set 22 eggs to hatch last month and got, sadly, only 3 chicks. If you are truly short on space then you'll want to buy birds, I think. If you are really wanting to hatch then you should count in the hatch rate, which changes for shipped eggs, and for different times of the year. This time of year is worst for hatching, from what I've read.

 

[Kullas]

buttons are just as smelly as coturnex

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Quote:
And they have the same space requirements: 1 square foot per bird.

 

[Rainsong]

Alright... how do Buttons and Coturnix smell in relation to say... parakeets? Or 'Tiels.

My reading said you could keep Buttons in a smaller space- such as a 10g aquarium. Not enough airflow there, I'd think but it was a start. I was actually pondering last night if I could use my cube storage panels and just put mesh/wire on them, then use a rubber maid tote or something for a pan.

I'm definately leaning more towards just getting a pair of them if anything, and attempting hatching later. But I've been keeping an eye on CraigsList and other sites, and not seeing much. I'll have to see if Google can help.

I saw someone on Ebay advertising Tuxedo Button Quail - definately appealing

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Quote:
They are quite a bit stinkier than the parakeets I've kept. I've never kept cocatiels though so don't know. I just had to move 3 coturnix out to the garage cause their cage, even though cleaned every 3 days, was getting too stinky for a house pet.

 

[Akane]

They will smell more than perching birds simply because you have droppings collecting in bedding instead of being easily cleaned out of a pan as often as you need to. My buttons don't have a noticeable smell though even when I have 30+ half grown birds plus my adult around. However I have mine in large aquariums of 4 or more sq ft for no more than 4 and most only a pair. A 10g is really too small. I would say 20g minimum for a pair. Ventilation is not an issue so long as you keep it dry. Put in enough bedding, don't keep too many birds in too small of space, don't let waterers spill, etc... They can drink out of small water bottles if you have a way to hang them but not much hangs low enough in my taller tanks. You have to watch the size though because being so small they can't move the ball on some larger rabbit bottles and chicks can't even drink from the smallest hamster bottle with a ball. They pick it up real quick though once they are big enough and it's the only water I have in my growout tanks.

This has been the setup in my 90g (48x18") for more than a year. It houses 3-4 buttons at any given time so 1.5sq ft each minimum.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Buttons are no where near as smelly as coturnix! Coturnix aren't smelly either, if you keep them clean. You can mix pine pellets with the shavings bedding to cut down on the smell. Buttons do not stink, I normally clean my birds' pens out because they start smelling 'wet'.

You can keep a pair of buttons in a 10 gallon tank, but they would do better with more space. I have some in a rubbermaid tote, I'm not sure of the 'volume' size of it, but it is about 1 1/2' by 2 1/2', there are 10 in there. But they were all hatched at the same time.

I've heard nothing but bad things about the dome bators. You would be better off spending a bit more on a better bator, then you wouldn't need as many eggs. I often sell 12-18 eggs, I have 9 females, but they lay sporadically.

For the feed, I would either see if you could order a smaller bag, or maybe someone on here can sell you some. I get gamebird feed for all my quail, if I just had the buttons they would get regular chicken food. A 50# bag of gamebird (smallest I can get) would last my 23 buttons a year probably!

As for the tuxedo button eggs, from what I've heard, the chances of actually getting a tuxedo is very, very slim. Personally I wouldn't waste my money on them.

citalk2much ships buttons, if you decide you just want a pair. I'm not sure if she has any, but it would be worth a shot. I've got way too many, but have no idea how to ship birds!

 

[Rainsong]

Quote:
I was wondering how people ship birds, myself

Thank you all for the input- it's really very useful! I am still learning, bit by bit. I don't think the weather is going to cooperate to allow shipping of eggs (and possibly live birds?) much longer- it's not a cold here as some places in the USA, but it's chilly. All our highs for the week are in the 60's, and we've already gotten below 30 degrees at night at least once. I'm not sure what temps it's no longer safe to ship at though.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quail eggs seem to take the elements better than chicken eggs do. Most of my birds hatched from eggs that were sent in the beginning of November last year. They came from Alaska

ETA: From 30 viable eggs I had 19 hatch.

Birds can handle it better, though I"m not sure about buttons. One could always close some of the air holes up to help keep them warm though.