Questions about Button Quail

[juliechick]

This is my first time with buttons. Four hatched a couple days ago and they seem to be thriving. My questions are: They are different colors. Do the colors mean anything about sex or is it just different color patterns? When they're grown, how do you tell male and female apart?
What do most people keep them in?

Thanks!

 

[Stellar]

Congratulations on your hatch! The colors do not mean anything about the sex (the red breasted hen does have a dark rump but that is the only one you can distinguish). About 4-5 weeks of age the males will develop a red breast or red vent feathers (where their buttocks is).

Button quail are monogamous (one male, one female) therefore it is best to house them in pairs. A hamster cage works with pelleted bedding (unscented) or pine shavings. Make sure the bedding does not contain cedar. Button quail can be housed in aviaries as well with finches and doves. There are known as the cleaner upers for the aviaries.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Baby colors show nothing about sex. Most of the colors have distinct male and female colors, though they don't get those until they are at least 3 weeks old. Other than that, you can tell males and females apart because the males will get red/rust/pink colored feathers around their vents...females don't get those. But again, this doesn't happen until at least 3 weeks old, usually 4-5 weeks. Just and FYI, bibs are not indicative of sex! I have had nicely bibbed females. But if you have some dark ones that start to develop a white bib, chances are those are boys.
Many people keep them in plastic rubbermaid totes. Cut a hole in the lid and cover it with window screen wire or 1/2" hardware cloth for ventilation. These work great. If you keep more than one pair you can cut a hole in the side of the tote rather than the top, that way you'd be able to stack them and they'd still have good ventilation.

 

[juliechick]

Thanks for the information. We're really enjoying watching the tiny things. Unless I got very lucky and have two pairs, I guess I'll have to rehome a couple later on.