Kewi the Button Quail

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

I use a 10 gallon aquarium with a reptile screen over the top and use pine shavings with hay over them for bedding. I don't like the shelf liner, it gets too icky right away and they can build up poop balls on their feet. Plus they love to dig around and hide in the hay. It also makes for strong legs that are less likely to get splay leg. I use the same thing in all my adults cages too.

The first week I use a brooder lamp with a regular 60 watt bulb on half the tank with a towel covering the other half. I put the food and water on the half with the light so they find is easy. The second week I take the towel off and move the brooder lamp to the middle of the tank. The third week I use a 40 watt bulb until they are fully feathered at about week 4-5 and then I remove the light.

Be sure their water dish is shallow and has some pebbles or marbles in it so they don't drown and their food needs to be non-medicated gamebird starter that is at least 22% protein crushed fine into a powder. This needs to be in a shallow dish as well. Good luck!!

 

[Bettacreek]

BQH, I wonder... I have five young adults. I really think that I have three males and two hens. I know at least two of my males are, well, males, thanks to you. But, the two white ones are totally different in body, one's round, the other is streamlined. Now, what I wonder, I am going to be splitting my birds into pairs, and will end up with an extra male, if my assumptions are correct with the two white birds. He is with an extra adult hen. Would it be easier for him to introduce a young male than to wait on chicks? I really don't want to part with my two boys, but, well, I don't want anyone living alone and I don't want anybody killing each other either. If it would work, it seems like it would benefit everyone if I gave him a male and then let him raise his chicks without the intentions of introducing them to the older birds. Is it possible, or would there be bloodshed?

 

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

You think you have a male and female White right? The best way to tell with them is to put them alone in a cage one at a time and see what happens. If you get an egg of course female but if you have one puff up its throat and do a windy type noise then you have a male. The male may even do his noise right away so you know. You may want to see what your Whites are before you decide what to do with the others. It would be best if your Whites are a pair as they tend to get along best with other Whites and that is the only way to get more Whites is to breed them together. Otherwise the other color dominates. Plus for some reason the colored Buttons seem to pick on the White Buttons.

As far as duckncover goes maybe it would be a good idea to give him one of your males so he doesn't have to wait. I guess that is up to you though if you want to give one of them up. My vote is the keep your Cinnamon Red Breasted male though. I think you will be sorry if you give him up. He will have to be careful when he introduces the pair as they need to be introduced slowly. I sometimes take a couple of days with them next to each other but can see the other one and then let them be together under supervision until you can trust them.

Remember too when you change the dynamics in a group that can mess them up too. I had a group of 8 babies once that were pretty much grown. I hadn't split them up yet but sold a couple of them. Just removing a couple changed their whole dynamics and before I had time to split them up into pairs they had beaten the crap out of a couple of them. They are strange little birds that need to be respected for what they are capable of. I still love them though, LOL!

 

[Bettacreek]

Darn. I wanted to keep the whites if they were a pair, but, well, I love my two little guys. Maybe I could convince Chris to sell an adult pair (a male for Duck and a female for one of my little males). It would be harder on me, because I'd have to do introductions that wouldn't otherwise happen, but, well, I'd rather work with them than lose one of my two favorite boys. I guess it would be best in my case to get rid of the red breasted male, but, he is my favorite. He's your vote out, if I have a male/female white pair, right? There are four red breasted chicks in the group of chicks.
These guys still haven't started laying yet, so I'm assuming that the male mating call vs. the egg trick won't work yet, or will the males already be calling if seperated? They should be just a few days over 6 weeks now.

 

[Akane]

I had no trouble throwing an extra male in with 5week olds. His mate died and he was terribly lonely. I put him under a mesh strainer basket in the pen for a night and let him out the next morning. They isolated him for a day and now if you didn't know how to recognize the individuals you'd never know he was a different hatch from the others.

I've used all the way from 10gallon up to a 90gallon for chicks. Usually I end up starting with a 100watt bulb for 2days then going to the 60watt for a week or 2. Then a 40watt. Keep in mind they'll be flying out of a 20g by 2weeks. You'll need a screen top for it or a cheaper version is to get some screen door mesh and 2 rods. Then just cut the mesh to the size of the top and tie the ends to the rods. Spring loaded curtain rods work well if you can find some that go that small. Otherwise it can work to just use the rods as weights that hang on the front and back of the tank.

 

[citalk2much]

I had 5 gals and picked up a boy from a very nice guy. So happy brought him home put him in with the gals good for a week and then they turn on him it was a bloody nightmare. He live poor thing took him for ever to breed. That 911 call is how I ment button quail heaven. She has been great!

 

[duckncover]

BettaCreek what ever works for you best is fine with me completely!

 

[citalk2much]

You know betta if you where closer I be standing on your step with open hands for your cinnamon they are my favorite and hard to get I hear. Lucky you. I have a stunning male cinnamon I got from BQH and only got one in this hatch even thou all the eggs from him and his mate hatched. He was also the daddy of the twins.