Loney Button Quail... Could he live with a Coturnix?

[Fleabuskitty]

Well, Bobo has lived with my parakeets his whole life. He has just moved into his own cage and I have decided to get a female button or two. But I was wondering if a Coturnix quail could keep him company instead. I won't mind the female button quail laying eggs, I'll probably attempt to incubate some and boil the rest to feed to the buttons and my parrots, hermit crabs, and rats. But I would really enjoy having eggs that would be big enough for people to eat. So my question is, Bobo and a Coturnix female be happy living together?
If not, then, well, I guess my search for another button quail continues.

 

[mrslb333]

I really wouldn't if I've made the mistake of brooding the 2 species together twice now and each time the Coturnix have attacked the Buttons usually on the beak so I now have a Button with half a top beak

The first time was last year I thought it was a one off but tried them together for a few weeks not too long ago and the same thing happened so I definitely will not try it again Ifelt so bad for the poor baby.

 

[Stellar]

You really should get one female for him rather than 2 as button quail are monogamous and live in pairs. Keeping a coturnix with him might not be a good idea either.

 

[Stellar]

What color is Bobo? I may have a hen in the brooder for him.

 

[Fleabuskitty]

Alright, I wasn't really expecting to hear that it was a good idea... just curious

quailladyoffortmyers - Bobo is normal red breasted, I think. He looks similar to the one in your avatar. Do you know of any button quail breeders in GA?

 

[Stellar]

Unfortunately I don't

 

[Fleabuskitty]

Ok, well thank you both for the information!

 

[doxies1]

My wife had two buttons and one died. I put a male cortunix in with her and she is doing fine. She seems to enjoy the company. When she was alone she was very nervous but the cortunix seems to have calmed her down. I have been keeping a close eye on them for any possible problems. I can see them from here. The cortunix is much tamer than the button ever was.

 

[Rainwolf]

First I agree with quaillady... find him a girl of his own. They are much happier when mated.

That said I have brooded buttons and coturnix in the same brooder with no issues at all.

I had a power fail hatch where I had only 1 button hatch and a few coturnix. after a week or 2 I did pull the button out along with the smallest coturnix in the batch. They were fine together until 7 weeks old or so when I found a mate for the button and put the coturnix out in the adult pen.

I also have many day hatches when I place many eggs in all my bators at once over a period of a few days.
This means I can have hatchings for a 4-5 day spread. In these hatchings I have a brooder with all the buttons and place the newly hatched coturnix chick in with them. After a couple hours of being harassed by the Button Gang they have a firm grasp of their legs and can motor very well. They also know about food and water since the buttons have showed them and they know when to hold em and when to run!

I then place them in the big brooder with the rest of the coturnix.