Kiwithebuttonquail
In the Brooder
- Oct 17, 2020
- 6
- 19
- 15
So I've got four pet button quail. They live in an extra large rabbit cage on the floor in my younger child's room. Kiwi is the female from our first pair, she was hatched April 4th. Sadly her mate died. We got three new babies to keep her company sometime in September. They were hatched sometime in June or July, not sure we got them all from a friend. Our friend said that they *thought* the trio was two females and one male.
Recently there was a big ole playground brawl. Everyone got a bit bloody and Cabbage, the one we believe is male, got it the worst of it. Looked like they bout near pecked his ears out. We separated him for a few days, painted him purple (with that Blue Kote stuff) and he's doing just fine. I just freed him from the sick bay/jerk cage (a smaller cage placed inside the bigger cage that I use when I need to isolate just one. Named for Kiwi who was a supreme jerk when we brought the babies home.). It is clear to me now that he is the pot stirrer. He seems to have set his eyes on Margarine who is having none of that. So we've got a lot of running and flapping and boinking going on (no more blood yet).
After the brawl I started reading and one thing said quail are actually monogamous and should be housed in pairs. Other things say that one male and 3 females is the "golden number". I believe we have one and three. Unless Margarine is male and the chasing and fighting between Marge and Cabbage is territorial. Marge does have a white bib. I more often get two eggs than three, but three does happen regularly. Poppyseed and Kiwi seem unimpressed with the whole affair, though while Cabbage was recovering in the sick bay, Poppyseed spent most of her time with him sitting on the other side of the bars.
And despite the fighting they all end up in a pile together at night.
If the animosity between Cabbage and Margarine is just a brutal looking mating ritual, should I step in? Maybe she is not ready? So should I separate them into two pair? And if so who goes with whom? Cabbage seems to want Margarine, who decidedly does not want him. Does she just need some time and convincing or should I separate the and put Cabbage with Poppyseed who seems endear him? I do want to hatch babies in a few months, and would prefer that they are Poppyseed's because she's so pretty and everyone else is plain grey (Kiwi is pinkish grey).
Recently there was a big ole playground brawl. Everyone got a bit bloody and Cabbage, the one we believe is male, got it the worst of it. Looked like they bout near pecked his ears out. We separated him for a few days, painted him purple (with that Blue Kote stuff) and he's doing just fine. I just freed him from the sick bay/jerk cage (a smaller cage placed inside the bigger cage that I use when I need to isolate just one. Named for Kiwi who was a supreme jerk when we brought the babies home.). It is clear to me now that he is the pot stirrer. He seems to have set his eyes on Margarine who is having none of that. So we've got a lot of running and flapping and boinking going on (no more blood yet).
After the brawl I started reading and one thing said quail are actually monogamous and should be housed in pairs. Other things say that one male and 3 females is the "golden number". I believe we have one and three. Unless Margarine is male and the chasing and fighting between Marge and Cabbage is territorial. Marge does have a white bib. I more often get two eggs than three, but three does happen regularly. Poppyseed and Kiwi seem unimpressed with the whole affair, though while Cabbage was recovering in the sick bay, Poppyseed spent most of her time with him sitting on the other side of the bars.
And despite the fighting they all end up in a pile together at night.
If the animosity between Cabbage and Margarine is just a brutal looking mating ritual, should I step in? Maybe she is not ready? So should I separate them into two pair? And if so who goes with whom? Cabbage seems to want Margarine, who decidedly does not want him. Does she just need some time and convincing or should I separate the and put Cabbage with Poppyseed who seems endear him? I do want to hatch babies in a few months, and would prefer that they are Poppyseed's because she's so pretty and everyone else is plain grey (Kiwi is pinkish grey).
