Questions about keeping button quail.

[NinjaGamer2022]

Another thing @Nabiki , how do you house your button quail indoors? Would a 10 gal standard reptile enclosure work? If so, how many pairs could happily live in there during cold months? Thank you.

 

[Nabiki]

@Nabiki do button quail stink as much as coturnix? Or are they better or worse? Thank you.

They're smaller, so they don't produce nearly as much poop. I think coturnix smell worse.

 

[Nabiki]

Buttons should have at least 1 square foot per bird. I find that 50 gallon plastic tubs with sections cut out and covered with hardware cloth work beautifully and are much lighter, and therefore easier to clean than a fish tank. I would think that a 10 gallon tank would be too small for even a single pair of buttons.

 

[Nabiki]

I took one of my brooders and cut windows in the sides for more light and air flow to house my buttons.

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

I took one of my brooders and cut windows in the sides for more light and air flow to house my buttons.

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Thank you very much for this info. That is good to know they don't stink as much as Coturnix. I love my Coturnix but half look forward to moving them outdoors due to smell. Of course I do have many indoors right now so that's why it sticks to this extent. Thank you for your time @Nabiki

 

[Nabiki]

Thank you very much for this info. That is good to know they don't stink as much as Coturnix. I love my Coturnix but half look forward to moving them outdoors due to smell. Of course I do have many indoors right now so that's why it sticks to this extent. Thank you for your time @Nabiki

Coturnix seem to produce a lot more dust too! I can't wait to kick their feather butts outside. My new place will have space so I won't have to ever keep them inside, thank goodness.

 

[eveliens]

Just my experience so far, but I have buttons, coturnix and gambel's quail in addition to bantam chickens, and the coturnix ARE messier/smellier. Not sure why - maybe because they eat a lot more than the others do. I brooded them indoors and booted them out at 2 weeks and it wasn't a moment too soon!

I keep my buttons outdoors all year around in the desert and they do OK in the heat. It is 90F right now, and they were just putzing when I went to give them water and check on them. They do pant on and off but as long as they have access to shade/dirt/cool water they do OK. I've caught mine standing in their water dishes to cool off too. They do not do well in the cold, and there have been a few points in the winter where I've brought them in for a week or two during a cold snap. I agree, anything below 50F is too cold, even if you have an insulated place for them to hunker down in.