# New additions.... cute as a button...



## samuri_spartan (Aug 26, 2007)

I received a little pair of button quail this morning. They are so tiny.

Check them out: http://www.freewebs.com/loftspaloma/otherbirds.htm

Your in the hobby,
Christopher


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

They are darling and quite lovely colors!

Terry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I loved your site, Christopher! VERY well done! Also enjoyed reading about the history of your lovely birds!

Leonardo certainly is STRIKING! 

Your Button Quail are just a cute as...well, buttons! So tiny and dainty.

I was fortunate to be able to see most of your breeds up close and personal for the first time at our State Fair. I had only heard and seen pictures before!

Thank you for posting. We will always look forward to updates!

Shi & Squeaks


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## Baskar (Sep 30, 2007)

As I said before (I believe in my initial post) the term "Cute as a Button" derived from Button Quail. 

The bottom pic - Looks like you have a chocolate hen.  Most of my button quail are solid colored - ranging from black to Snowy White.
The grey / silver one looks a lot like Billy did. Only he was straight grey.
My bedding for them is dried grass. Fill up a trash bag and it'll last A LONG TIME. 

Actually, it is from my understanding that BQ's came from China. I'll find the links if need be. Not exactly fond of going through 300 bookmarks of BQ though. 

What are you going to do with the BQ's? Is this your first batch? Need any advice? How did you get them? Usually when selling bq's we sell em by pairs or one male and 2 females, all the same color... More money that way. 

If you think they're tiny, take a gander at this....
















Can you say FRAGILE? 
Total, there were 29 young Bq's in that box. Didn't move any of em for 2 days and when I did, It was in a small container, and moved without any bumps. Main thing you have to watch for with young bq's is when they peck at their own feet. That's something you DO NOT want them to do. They'll eat their own toes. 

Aha, here's one of the links. Thank goodness it was at the top.
http://www.ncws.com/mcdonald/NaturHist.htm


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## A_Smith (Aug 8, 2006)

http://www.geocities.com/butonquail/#1

http://www.gamebird.com/button.html

here are 2 links I like about button quail.


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## samuri_spartan (Aug 26, 2007)

Thank you all for the complements and information. I got mine from a man online named Jim. Thats all i really know. I found his name on the internet some months ago and just recently decided to buy some. I also used paypal so im not sure where he is from..... thinking back now, i was pretty trusting, good thing he came through, anyways, they will probably join my pigeons in the spring. I will be putting 1/4in hardware cloth around the parameter of the flight cage to keep out the small snakes. 

I have fallen for the little buggers. They are kinda skittish but i think they will come around with some motivation. p crickets)

How do you tell the sexes apart. I bought them as a pair and figured that the bald one was a female. I think chickens do that too if kept in large numbers. 

Chris


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## CHRISTIN RN (Sep 2, 2007)

Loved your pics while taking my break, Christopher.
Those Quails are really small....cute as button, as they say!
I like those chickens also...I thought they were roosters or hens. ???
Always wanted to have a rooster but figured my neighbors would complain so I settled for a fake one that looks kind of real. 

Baskar, Your guys are even smaller! 29? Wow. Simply adorable....certainly the 'small' in 'God's Creatures Great and small'!

Blessings to you and yours always!


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## Baskar (Sep 30, 2007)

Samuri, they are NOT outside birds. They are meant to be inside. Especially during the winter. They cannot survive the winter and will die... Now if you have a mild winter..... 

I do hope you're prepared for the bonk factor...


Christin, those pics were when they hatched. 

As for how many BQ's I have... Hehehe. I have more than 29, that's for sure. 

Took a look at those links. 
2nd link: They forgot a few details. Like the fact that a lot of Button quail have been bred so many times that they WILL NOT hatch their own eggs. Too domesticated, that's what they say. 

I thought the first link was the most helpful, though they left out the bit about winter. 

IF you have to have them in with your pigeons, they should have their own enclosure. You should also be prepared to change it every other day or every day (depending on the size of it). They are naturally born fliers and will bonk their heads (thus the reason for the bonk factor). Have a soft top (I use a bunch of old screen doors that have been refitted for tops) so that they won't get a twisted neck or bloody head. 

One time when we had to deal with rats in the Grainery (nasty buggers, OI) and the original BQ were down there (in a 4 foot wide by 2 foot tall terarium) they began singing. Scared the crap outta me the first time I heard it. They sing LOUD. Think Guinea Pigs only louder.  Rats are sneaky critters. Especially when they get around the stinkin concrete floors. Grrr. But that's what you get when you convert a 200 year old grainery I guess. 


If you want to annoy your neighbors, get some Chinese geese. LOL.


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## JGregg (Jul 28, 2003)

I agree with Baskar, BQ are indoor birds in the winter unless you live in Southern California or someplace like it. I wouldn't put them in with pigeons either, it seems very likely that some of the pigeons my have your quail for lunch!


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## Baskar (Sep 30, 2007)

BQ prefer stability. That's why I suggest just keeping them indoors. Move em around too much and it will have an effect on em.


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## samuri_spartan (Aug 26, 2007)

Baskar said:


> Samuri, they are NOT outside birds. They are meant to be inside. Especially during the winter. They cannot survive the winter and will die... Now if you have a mild winter.....
> 
> I do hope you're prepared for the bonk factor...
> 
> ...


Do you not think it would be ok to let them out in the spring? I have them in my room and i am keeping them there till it warms up. 

I dont think the pigeons would bother them. I introduced my chickens when they were very young. I though i remembered someone here saying that they kept one in each of their lofts. 

Here i found it: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=23056&highlight=clean+corn

Warriec keeps some and george suggested it. 

Christopher


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## Baskar (Sep 30, 2007)

If I remember correctly, it cannot get under 45 degrees during the day time or night for BQ to be comfortable. Some people suggest 40 degree's, but when you only have two button quail, it's hard for them to huddle for warmth. It just depends on how many you have. 

How flighty are they and how old are they?


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## samuri_spartan (Aug 26, 2007)

I not sure how old they are. I didnt ask. They arent too skittish. They wont let me touch them but i changed nesting material to some grass-like stuff and they didnt freak out too bad. I just moved slowly.

Chris


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## Baskar (Sep 30, 2007)

For my BQ, I tend to move em into a little box until I get their terrarium, stirlight container, or cages cleaned. I usually take the pens outside and give em a good hosing and then wipe em out to dry. Have it set up that I'm changing 5 pens a day, 7 days a week. 

I've been feeding my bq the same pellets I give the chickens, though I usually have to grind it up first. Usually keep 20 pounds of the stuff in the house. That way I don't have to go down and get some every day. They should also like oyster shell, though you'll have to crumble that up as well - just not to the point of being fine like sand, but close. 

I also tend to have a radio on (low volume setting). Helps to keep em all calmed when I go in with em.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Buttons are the cutest birds, but so nervous! I love the term "the bonk factor" as that is exactly what they do. We had some rescued from the shelter several years back. We didn't know about the bonk factor and indeed, one of the "Tom Turkeys" (as we called the males; they do that turkey strut when courting a female and look just like miniature turkeys lol) bonked himself straight up four feet and had a good bump on the head. After that, we padded the roof of their little pen with blankets and it was much safer. 

I have heard of people using coturnix quail (about the size of a tennis ball, with feathers) in their aviaries to clean up the extra scattered seeds. I used to have some of them in with my pigeons and doves when I had just a few pigeons, but one pigeon did peck one on the head and after that I kept them separated. It sounds as though your pigeons do well with small birds. You know your birds best, and I suppose you can experiment with it and see how it works out in the spring. Buttons also have a thing where they can die of fright if they are surprised by something (a loud noise, a bird flying at them, the cat running by). I haven't had this happen to any of mine but have heard of others. They are a bit on the fragile side, all around. They can also squeeze out of the tiniest of holes, the size of their little tiny heads.  I've seen them do it. We had to enclose their pen with screening similar to what window screens are made of to keep them from escaping. 

I don't mean to make you feel like this isn't going to work out, just trying to help you avoid any troubles in the future with them.  The more you know ahead of time, the more problems you can avoid that you may not have known about. They do have a very loud alarm peeping and have the funniest little personalities, it's amazing that something so tiny can have it's own personality. Our little Peep was a girl who "sang" all day long and would race you along the pen when you walked by. And they have fierce little hearts; one of the Tom Turkeys would attempt to attack any male pigeons that landed near (one of the pigeons used to court the tiny female button). He was only about 1/15th of the pigeon's size, but try telling him that!! 

Good luck and I hope some of this helps.


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## Baskar (Sep 30, 2007)

Yup, I know that loud (and high pitched) WEEEP WEEEEEEEP WEEEEEEEEEP quite well. Wait till they do it all night too. Sometimes they do that. That's why I have a radio on at all times. Keeps em calmed down. As far as singing goes, it's my males that usually do that. The females are all quiet (well, most of the time, except when they get spooked)

I had some BQ that were scared of thunderstorms. I kid you not. Lesson learned. Poor lil bq's.

Oh yes, almost forgot. I don't know about using crickets, never tried. However, THEY LOVE MEAL WORMS. It's a good way to domesticate them, though you have to be REALLY patient. It's called Bribery and if you're patient enough, it can work.


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## Jazicat (Oct 31, 2005)

The little quail are adorable! They look like little puff balls almost.

I also really liked your site. It's very well done.


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## samuri_spartan (Aug 26, 2007)

Hello all,
Thanks again for the complements. 

Well... i have had the little buggers for 4 days now and i think they like their new home. Actually, I KNOW they like their new home. They made a little depression in the bedding and laid an egg this morning. It was so small. I guess compared to the hen it was pretty big. Then when i sat done to watch tv i heard them chirping and growling. It was so awesome. 

Chris


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