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

[shelleyd2008]

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Oops! Thanks for catching that, I fixed it. It should read 'no' larger than 1/2", they don't even have to squeeze out of 1" wire

Life expectancy should be 3-5 years or more, but that depends on how often the hens lay, whether or not you take their eggs away, stress levels, etc. etc.

I do have some pens that have only males in them and they get along fine. I've read that same sex pairs can live together in harmony. But they should be in opposite-sex pairs. As for having 1 male and 2 females, that should be okay, but one female might 'pair up' with the male and then they might start attacking the other female. It's safer to have pairs of them.
You can leave them together in a group for quite a while, mine are usually at least 8 weeks old before I separate them out. I think quaillady does let her's pick their mates, I just play matchmaker and pick mates for them

 

[shelleyd2008]

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I've always had better hatches when I lower the temp the last 3 days

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

My Buttons are 5 weeks old now, cute little buggers! Right now they are eating 23% medicated turkey starter and it says to start adding parakeet/finch seed around now. I also have a lone chicken chick the same age living with the Buttons, they have been with each other since birth and are pretty much inseperable. Can the chicken chick eat the bird seed? I really don't want to have to make him live all by himself! It also says to seperate any fighting birds, do you normally start fighting at this age? Mine are like 5 peas in a pod including the chick!

Also, is there any special kind of parakeet/finch seed? Could it be budgie seed or something?

 

[Stellar]

The birds are monogamous despite them being being peas in a pod right now. I am now keeping birds together until 7 weeks, that way they can pick their mates and the bachelors get used to each other until they can be paired up.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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I have all mixed colors though, what if they pick a mate thats different then them?

 

[shelleyd2008]

I pick their mates, if I have a hen that is being a bully she gets tossed into the bachelor pen to 'learn her lesson'. I keep mine together til they start laying, around 9-10 weeks.

 

[bluere11e]

OK. Is it my imagination or does everyone tend to always end up with more roos than hens?

 

[xchairity_casex]

when you say "dont play with them" do you mean do touch them? or handle them? like ever? ive seen lots of people on youtube who have videos of them petting there buttons? i mean i dont plan on carring my buttons around but i would like them to trust me enough to where i could pet them thru the cage everyonce in a while. and i have a cage question im useing a guinea pig cage for buttons its 6 feet long by 4 feet wide it has a divider i plan on useing for 2 pairs of adult quails. it has canvas bottom and the sides are canvas that go up about 5-6 inches then the rest is bars that are about 1 inch spacing should i cover the top bars in mesh or wil it be ok?

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I pick mine up all the time, they eat out of my hand, come running when they see I have food...

 

[mhwc56]

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HOW do you manage to get them to let you do THAT?? Most of mine freak out if i just walk near their cages no matter what i do to bribe them......