Keeping Button Quail as pets?

[Lici]

Are you able to ship eggs? To TN?

 

[dawnmarie70535]

I have 6 in a 4 x 2 foot cage. Is this too small to house all of them?

 

[GrandmaBird]

what sexes are the 4? they should be in pairs only so if you have 2 males and 2 females they would be okay IF they have plenty of hiding space and room to run from each other. Buttons are very territorial and will kill each other.

 

[mrwoodboat]

So, I had some one swap me a bunch of baby quail for a couple of BR roosters I had- in the mix are some button quail.....I have 2 trios of Coturnix and am just now getting where I can tell males from females, but have no idea on the buttons...there is one that is silver blue, one that is dark with white wings and one that is slate grey with a white "grin"..then there are two that are white with spots....anyone have any advice for sexing the buttons?

 

[GrandmaBird]

yes try posting photos and you can also check out :

www.brakenridgeranch.com
Jodi has lots of great info on buttons. and a great book too. the silver and white ones are the hardest to sex but the others are usually easier. the one with the "grin", which is called a bib is most likely a male. the wings don't really help. Like I said before post some photos and we will help with what we can.

 

[Urucubaca]

Button Quail for Hunters and Farmers? What is their reasoning for wanting them? You cannot eat them, well I guess you could but it would take 3 or 4 to make a meal for one person. Hunt them? One shot and all you would have is feathers...


Are you sure they want Button Quail? Or do they think you have Bob White Quail?


If you are keeping any, Button Quail are monogamous and should be kept in M/F pairs. They do not do well alone.

You would have a lonely Quail that would call constantly for a mate and eventually die.


David

Depending on which species of ButtonQuail he has, some are a decent size. Would never use them as food though, as they are hard to find!

 

[GrandmaBird]

Depending on which species of ButtonQuail he has, some are a decent size. Would never use them as food though, as they are hard to find!

In the US a "Button" quail is the Chinese Blue Breasted quail, you are talking about "true" button quail or turnix family. Six to one and half a dozen to the other! lol the Buttons we have here are tiny and are not used for meat most people will eat the eggs but even they are tiny, it takes about 7-8 to equal a chicken egg in volume. And they are not hard to find if you know where to look here. Still the same family of quail but your's are more of our cortunix.

 

[Urucubaca]

In the US a "Button" quail is the Chinese Blue Breasted quail,  you are talking about "true" button quail or turnix family.  Six to one and half a dozen to the other! lol the Buttons we have here are tiny and are not used for meat most people will eat the eggs but even they are tiny, it takes about 7-8 to equal a chicken egg in volume. And they are not hard to find if you know where to look here.  Still the same family of quail but your's are more of our cortunix.

King Quail, or Chinese Painted Quail have the Binomial - Coturnix Chinesis. Kings can also be a Silver colour, and a Cinnamon colour.

I assume you mean 'Coturnix' as in the Jap/Jumbo Quail. They are Coturnix Japonica, and are the one we eat.

Other Coturnix breeds that I breed are Stubble Quail (Coturnix Pectoralis) and Brown Quail (Coturnix Ypsilophora).

Coturnix chinesis, Coturnix pectoralis, Coturnix ypsilophora and many Turnix quail originate from my country, and all where I live.

Kings are super common here, probably only beaten by Budgies and Zebra finches in popularity (also natives).

 

[Blooie]

At the Sertoma Butterfly House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota they have button quail to keep the ants down. Works like a charm, and they are so tiny that the butterflies - even the rare ones - are in no danger from them. And they look so doggone cute running around in there! My son had button quail many years ago when he was a little guy and we lived in San Diego. He kept them in his aviary with his finches and we loved watching them!

 

[UtahWelshie]

I have a very friendly little rooster who eats from your hands and doesn't mind being held at all. His mate is a flighty little hen. I keep them indoors. I use a water bottle made for hamsters and a small circular chick feeder, which keeps them from standing in and pooing on their food. I have a Kleenex box with chinchilla sand in it for them to bathe in occasionally. They are really easy to keep this way.