Today is day 16 - patiently waiting for my quail to hatch.

[hypnofrogstevie]

I love seeing white birds. I dont know why? Great pic BTW. Is it easy for them to find food and water?

 

[Akane]

They do best on gamebird starter. Turkey starter 2nd. Chick starter last and only if it has more than 20% protein. The button forum actually suggests a 28% protein if you can find it. They should not have bird seed except as a treat. Like scratch for chickens. It has little nutritional value and will shorten their lifespan to eat a seed based diet. Females are especially effected. If fed on chicken feed and parakeet seed they may only live 1-2 years. If fed on a 28% gamebird feed with extra calcium they can live 3-5 years. Buttons lay rather large eggs for their body size and so expend a lot of nutrition. They also grow and feather very quickly as chicks. Nutrition is very important and has a huge impact on their lifespan. Yes they will still run around and lay eggs on chicken feed or seed based diets but long term health will suffer and you won't get to enjoy your buttons as long.

They are no harder to feed and water than chicks except everything needs to be smaller. You can use finch waterers or I just used a lid (preferably red like your waterer) until they are tall enough to reach over the edge of a standard waterer. After a few days they could drink out of the standard chick water with marbles in it. They will run right over and into anything so make sure you put marbles in the waterer to avoid excessively wet or drowned buttons. You may have to grind or moisten the starter into mash for the first week if the pieces are too big. They grow quickly though and soon are eating normal sized starter.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Quote:
Thank you! And yes - exactly as Akane said. I usually take some ground up feed and sprinkle it on the floor of the brooder to get them started eating. I also dip their beaks in the water. All it takes is to do it to one and the rest of them find it. Once they start, they don't stop! I also give all my buttons hardboiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumber slices, greens, and millet as a treat. I feed them the 24% chicken starter or higher % gamebird feed when I can find it which isn't often unfortunately.

I had a 5th one hatch this morning but here's a pic of the first 4. They will most likely be silver or pied. Number 5 is a slate gray.

And here's a pic of two of my favorite adults. I'm really hoping I get some solid white chicks too (they are all bright yellow when they hatch).

 

[chickenlisa]

am I seeing things, or are those baby buttons green?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

No, not green - silver/yellow under fluorescent lights with a camera that takes bad pics!! To give you a better idea, the shelf liner that they are on is neon orange!!

 

[chickenlisa]

oh ok. I thought you did something like they do with Easter chicks...you know those colored ones? Cute, but so weird looking too!
Hypnostevie....I've got lots of eggs. PM me and we can try to work out a trade this weekend sometime. My son's GF lives up that way, so maybe I'll try to get them to carry the eggs for me and meet you ....let me know what you think.
Lisa