The Do's and Don'ts of Button Quail (CBBQ)

[Griffin Nest]

Quote:
Don't handle them too much. They get spooked very easily and can seriously injure themselves or even 'stroke out'. They are strictly for looking at, if you want something to 'play' with get a coturnix.

wow, well my quail Taquito has always trusted me and i take him out to play a lot. he sleeps on my belly when i watch TV and he likes it when i pick him up. he actually relaxes when i do that! but the other ones go crazy when i try to handle them, so i stopped because they were hitting their heads on the roof.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Don't handle them too much. They get spooked very easily and can seriously injure themselves or even 'stroke out'. They are strictly for looking at, if you want something to 'play' with get a coturnix.

wow, well my quail Taquito has always trusted me and i take him out to play a lot. he sleeps on my belly when i watch TV and he likes it when i pick him up. he actually relaxes when i do that! but the other ones go crazy when i try to handle them, so i stopped because they were hitting their heads on the roof.

Exactly

There are some people that have 'friendly' buttons but that is definitely not normal. Most buttons freak out if they even think you are going to touch them. This year alone I have lost at least 3 hens (might be 4, can't remember for sure) because they broke their necks either from escaping their cage or when I was feeding them.

 

[Griffin Nest]

Quote:
wow, well my quail Taquito has always trusted me and i take him out to play a lot. he sleeps on my belly when i watch TV and he likes it when i pick him up. he actually relaxes when i do that! but the other ones go crazy when i try to handle them, so i stopped because they were hitting their heads on the roof.

Exactly

There are some people that have 'friendly' buttons but that is definitely not normal. Most buttons freak out if they even think you are going to touch them. This year alone I have lost at least 3 hens (might be 4, can't remember for sure) because they broke their necks either from escaping their cage or when I was feeding them.

oh, im sorry

that's sad. there are pads on the ceiling now to prevent that

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Exactly

There are some people that have 'friendly' buttons but that is definitely not normal. Most buttons freak out if they even think you are going to touch them. This year alone I have lost at least 3 hens (might be 4, can't remember for sure) because they broke their necks either from escaping their cage or when I was feeding them.

oh, im sorry

that's sad. there are pads on the ceiling now to prevent that

Mine also have pads on the tops of their pens but it doesn't help when they go full force. The females seem to be more easily spooked than the males, I've not lost a single male to 'boinking'.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I added to the first post, but for those of you who might miss it here are some videos showing the difference between a male button quail's mating call and a locator call that both males and females make. There is a lot of confusion between these 2.

This is the crow (wind sound) that only males do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6J4-kF5zRA

And here is the locator call that both males and females make:

 

[Stellar]

Another DON'T is to not candle button quail eggs. WHY? because they chill so easily (being small). This can result in early deads.

 

[stellas mommy]

You should add to not use a smooth shirt or hand towel. I just learned this...

 

[shelleyd2008]

A smooth shirt is pretty self-explanatory, but I always use hand (kitchen) towels.

 

[BHep]

Thank You...Great info !

 

[spish]

are button and chinese dwarf quail the same thing,? im getting my first chinese dwarfs tomorrow and dint know half the info that i just read here (the guy said id have to keep them indoors but didnt say they ahd to be kept warm at 20 degrees?? my quail room is about 10 degrees at the moment and destined to get colder as the winter comes. is hanging a heat lamp sufficient?