Button Quail Care

Interested in obtaining a few button quail? Here is everything you will need to know about adding them to your family.

Behavior

Can not perch, but will sit on wood placed in cage (atleast 2" surface)
Flight limited to quick bursts when frightened. Will run for cover upon landing. In small cages, they can seriously hurt their head.
Lays on side to sunbathe
Baths in sand or sawdust, can easily drown in 'deep' water dishes. Chicks especially
Are generally territorial, but need one or more companion(s)
Cocks will emit a low growl sound when seperated from the flock
Hen makes a soft 'peep peep' sound used to call chicks
Cocks sometimes carry a worm (or piece of food), 'peeping' to call hen and hen will take worm

Breeding

Can breed year round
Females can lay an egg nearly every day of year

Cocks may copulate many times with hen, sometimes pulling feathers off her back
Hen will make nest in corner using small amount of hay, straw.
Chicks signal each other when ready to hatch; and coordinate hatching nearly all at once.
Chicks walk upon hatching and follow both parents which is encouraged by 'peep peep' sounds by parents
If parents were 'parent raised' usually will not harm their chicks. However, incubated parents (esp cocks) not having the experience of "babies" will often kill chicks. Some never stop this behavior
Chicks continually 'peep' back to parents, getting louder if chick is separated or lost from parent
Chicks hide in and under parents feathers to stay warm and for security
Parents will feed chicks and teach chicks to eat and peck ground

Diet

Scavengers: gamebird crumble, small insects, egg food, grit, spray millet
Fresh water; very shallow dishes, (so chicks won't drown) or drinker bottles

Housing

Introduce both birds into flight at same time, to reduce fighting
Dry ground, sand, hay (wire cage bottoms are too hard on their feet and can not be tolerated)
Use 1/4 wire (or netting) around bottom 4 inches of cage/flight to prevent new chicks from escaping
In Southern areas, can be outside (without heat) all year as long as they are kept dry, have shelter from rain and wind. (i.e. In S. Cal live where coldest temp is about 28F)

Colors

Dominant
-Normal, Blueface, Golden Pearl
Recessive
-Silver & White
Some of Mutations Available
-Cinnamon, Fawn, White, Red Breasted, Golden Pearl, Silver Pearl,
Cinnamon Pearl, Ivory, Ivory Pearl, Silver Red Breasted, Blue faced,
Blue Faced Cinnamon, Golden Red Breasted, Slate, Smokey, Cinnamon Breasted Blue Faced

Info from Garie Landy's Website, http://www.zebrafinch.com/