New (unusual) Button Quail Chick

[JaeG]

YOOOO I want a pink parakeet. Can parakeets live with your quail? er.. you gonna keep it separate from the quails

We've got some bourkes out in the aviary with some of our little quail and they've never worried about them. Even little babies. They quite like to steal the quail's food though!

They are very gentle birds and don't do well with budgies who can be bossy. They are quite happy living with cockatiels, finches, doves and canaries though.

 

[DK newbie]

I've noticed the bourke's parekeets eating quail feed as well, at the pet shop where I work. I'm not sure it's that good for them though. As far as I know, the bourkes should have no more than 15% protein and the quail feed is 24%. I don't know how much of it they eat though. The vitamins and minerals in the quail feed is probably great for them.

 

[JaeG]

I've noticed the bourke's parekeets eating quail feed as well, at the pet shop where I work. I'm not sure it's that good for them though. As far as I know, the bourkes should have no more than 15% protein and the quail feed is 24%. I don't know how much of it they eat though. The vitamins and minerals in the quail feed is probably great for them.

Our ringneck dove (who adopted us one day) raids the quail feed as well. It's probably due to it being breeding season here (though it's been unusually hot and humid that the bourkes aren't producing at the moment - our poor lone dove is still laying eggs regularly though - I am trying to find her a friend).

My last little one finally hatched more than a day after the first ones did. Here it is still damp - I thought it would dry out faster cuddling with its siblings. It still has a little bit of membrane stuck to its wing because I (stupidly) jumped the gun because it looked like it had pipped in two different places on the egg. I opened the air cell end up enough to see there was still veins there, so I oiled it up and left it to it, and it hatched this evening. Looks like a little caramel one.

 

[007Sean]

Our ringneck dove (who adopted us one day) raids the quail feed as well. It's probably due to it being breeding season here (though it's been unusually hot and humid that the bourkes aren't producing at the moment - our poor lone dove is still laying eggs regularly though - I am trying to find her a friend).

My last little one finally hatched more than a day after the first ones did. Here it is still damp - I thought it would dry out faster cuddling with its siblings. It still has a little bit of membrane stuck to its wing because I (stupidly) jumped the gun because it looked like it had pipped in two different places on the egg. I opened the air cell end up enough to see there was still veins there, so I oiled it up and left it to it, and it hatched this evening. Looks like a little caramel one.
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Dang, why you live sooooo far away! Would love to have some of those.

 

[JaeG]

Dang, why you live sooooo far away! Would love to have some of those.

I feel the exact same way about chicken, duck, pheasant, quail (those Mountain quail are adorable) etc etc breeds I see on here! I just have to window shop.

I am quite amazed at how strong that last hatchling is. Often the are hunched little weak legged things, especially if they've taken forever to hatch (and out in the aviary it would've been left for dead). But this little thing was walking tall just a few hours after hatching. I do find giving them a fluffy cloth to snuggle under helps to strengthen little legs as they push up into it like they would a mother. It's just funny when one pops out then realises it's all alone and starts yelling for its siblings.

 

[JaeG]

Just a few more photos coz they are so cute!

They are so funny the way they cuddle up.

Excuse the poop - that cage needed a clean out before the previous occupants got evicted, but there wasn't time. The middle baby is the unusual one showing off some wing feathers. I think they are just over a week old today.

 

[JaeG]

I successfully moved Mama and babies out into the aviary as little Spicey wasn't that happy indoors. They are all beetling around now and seem to love the space. There are a few other quail in there and the others were smart enough to keep their distance (Spicey is very protective) but everyone seems a lot more relaxed today.

Looks like there are three boys in the group - look at those red/orange tails! My brown baby (far left) looks like a girl at this stage.

 

[DK newbie]

They are so cute! And they sure do show the red tails early, how many days are they now?
I actually think you have the exact same water tower as I do ^^

 

[JaeG]

They are so cute! And they sure do show the red tails early, how many days are they now?
I actually think you have the exact same water tower as I do ^^

I had to go back and look at the date on the first photos I'd taken to work out how old they are! They are 12 days old now.

The younger ones are 5 days old today and I must move them to a bigger brooder. The Caramel one disappeared on me the other day. We'd been out (to get an unrelated pair of Buttons so I can sell pairs and not get left with lots of boys) and when I checked on the little chicks I could only see four. Half the little box was uncovered but it's a very deep box (because it's so hot here that the heat lamp would've cooked them otherwise). I could only think it had jumped out (would've been an epic jump though) as I'd even pulled up the paper towels and non slip mat in there to look underneath for it. We turned the house upside-down but came up empty. Our daughter was very worried! Then I could hear peeping and looked in the brooder to tell the others that, sorry, I couldn't find your friend, except none of them were doing the peeping. I finally found baby wedged tight into the fold of some of the paper towels!

We do have cats but they are so (over) exposed to birds here they are no longer seen as a novelty and they tend to ignore them, even if baby Buttons are on the loose.

 

[DK newbie]

What a drama! If there is a way to get in trouble, trust a baby button to find it ^^ Happy you found it.