Keeping Button Quail as pets?

[Chickety Charcoal]

Are these button quail very dusty? I remember rearing chicks in a brooder indoors and how much dust they created each week. I would love to have a pair of button quail in the house, even in my child's room, but don't want to create an unhealthy breathing environment.

 

[GrandmaBird]

They do have dander. As with all birds if you have breathing problems check with your doctor before having them. This is especially true if you have allergies.
They also can kick up dust from the sand bath.

If you keep your house regularly dusted then I see no problems. None for me and I am on oxygen 24/7. And yes my doctor knows I have birds, now I only have a single pair of Buttons and a Budgie but he says keep them cleaned up and no problems.

 

[Linda36Senogles]

In a cage I made for them out of wire with vary small squares. I use a guinea pig 48" tray for the bottom of the cage.

 

[Linda36Senogles]

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[Linda36Senogles]

No, they are not bad. But, you do have to clean them out once a week. [email protected]

 

[Linda36Senogles]

You can get the wire from Tractor Supply Company or a feed store. [email protected]

 

[oako]

it is probably molting that happens to most birds like quail or chickens and it usually happens every six months
what happens it loses it's feathers and makes new feathers and then the cycle starts all over again

 

[jak2002003]

Does anyone else find these quail super aggressive with each other?

I have kept them in a group in a large planted aviary... they were fine about one year.. then all hell broke loose and they all started attacking each other and making each other bleed and have terrible head wounds.

They I tried keeping them ... one male and 2 females.... Again the fighting.

Then I pair them up.. .but the males attacked each other, seriously, through the wire mesh of their cages.

Then I blocked out the wire mesh with solid partitions... all was calm.. but then the males started to attack and pluck their mates until they have nearly no feathers left on their heads and backs.

Finally I kept the males individually.... but then they started making so much noise I drove me mad. The females could not go together as they would also start fighting again.

So no I rehomed the lot and keep Japanese quails... these Japanese ones are so much more placid and calm.. and there has been no fighting.. even keeping them in a group in the aviary.

I think the button quail are so pretty... but the Japanese have the best temperament.

 

[jak2002003]

This is the idea way I would like to keep them if I had a lot of them.

See how happy they are towards the end of the video.

 

[DK newbie]

Hmm.. Well. No, I have not witnessed excessive aggression. I have had buttons since February. Originally I had a male and 3 females in a smallish aviary. The male did chase the females every now and then, running around, puffing up and making a low, somewhat threatening noise. But it didn't take more than about 10 minutes for him to calm down and with 3 females in the cage it wasn't always the same one that was chased and they had room to get out of his way and hide. And he has proven to be a wonderful father, raising 21 chicks with his girls this year. Right now he and the 3 females live in a parrot cage as 12 of their (now grown) chicks live in the aviary. I have seen him being defensive about their food in the parrot cage, but I haven't seen him chase the girls in there.
I have 3 male chicks of theirs living together in a ~2x3 ft cage. One of those will peck at the others when food is involved, but other than that they seem fine together.
I also have 2 female chicks of theirs living in a ~1x2 ft cage. I have seen no aggression there.
The 12 chicks living in the aviary, are 6 females and 6 males, about 3 months old. I witnessed aggression in there for the first time a couple of days ago - a roo being defensive over food. I intend to remove the females from the aviary as soon as I have cages for all of them, to prevent the roos from fighting over them. Mating season is months away, I assume that's why they are still relatively fine together despite being both sexes in the cage.