FINCHforum

Do you guys thing that a pair of buttons can live with a pair of diamond doves in a 36x20?? Ursula said the doves may be too big. If you guys I agree I will pass on the buttons.

Diamonds like to perch, and the buttons will keep on the ground, so it's not really a huge deal in terms of their spatial needs. That cage seems a little small to house buttons though. Perhaps not if you get two females. Males generally need to have 2-3 hens in order to prevent aggressive behavior, particularly in smaller cages.

I would recommend against the button quails. I'm almost positive your family will have issues with the smell and the sounds of the button quails; especially at night. Maybe they should be something you should consider when your father builds you an aviary? I have kept various quail species - California Valley, Buttons, Cortunix, and Bobwhite and I would honestly steer you against getting Buttons. You will eventually want to get rid of them and I think you will do best without them given your current housing options.

lawnsofdawns wrote:Diamonds like to perch, and the buttons will keep on the ground, so it's not really a huge deal in terms of their spatial needs.

Diamonds do in fact perch for the most part, but they also like to scavenge around the ground for food. Like you, I would not recommend the combo of the two given the size of the enclosure available by DanteD.

Ok guys! Thanks, i did not know they stink!! The sound and smell is not bad because they would be in a seprate room away from anybody. Would 2 hens be okay or is that still bad?

DanteD716 wrote:Ok guys! Thanks, i did not know they stink!! The sound and smell is not bad because they would be in a seprate room away from anybody. Would 2 hens be okay or is that still bad?

If you have time and the opportunity, I would try visiting someone (breeder, pet store, etc) that has button quails -- just to experience being around quail(s) before making any final decision. The smell is not atrocious, but finch poop has nothing against quail poop. It might not be quite as bad if you have some sort bedding (pine, corn cobb, carefresh, etc), but for inside the house, I wouldn't recommend it. Once you are around the smell for a while, you grow sort of immune to it, but it doesn't make it pleasant for visitors or those who are around the smell (especially if they do not have the same kind of appreciation you have for birds). Whether it's one male, or male and female, or female and female, or one female -- the smell and noise will be the same. YouTube search "Button quail call" -- especially for males, and imagine hearing that every night for an entire season. You are probably going to want to get rid of them eventually. I would honestly not even bother. It would not be worth the effort. I have Diamond Doves - I would rather encourage you to go with them if you had to choose. They are quiet, peaceful, and under-rated.

And just for the record: I used to raise and breed Button Quails, tons of them. I kept 15+ mutations - I think practically all of them, including Splash, which was rare and just developed at the time. I love quails but I would still discourage you from getting them in the current set-up you mentioned.

I'll also happily give you my friend Kim's email and she can tell you about her velociraptor Button Quail that would quickly eviscerate and eat any fallen nestlings or fledglings from her finches.

I think she lost 3 Goldbreast babies that fledged to her carnivore Buttons, and I think she had a couple Gould nestlings that were accidentally knocked out or tossed that the Buttons also killed and ate.

Didn't take her long to get rid of them after that... ;)

I would pass on the button quail. They do get to be a bit aggressive randomly at birds that land on the bottom of the cage. I also suspect that they are more prone to carrying illness because they eat just about everything on the bottom of the cage- including fallen eggs and poop. I got rid of mine once I started treating the flock for cocci... I could be wrong, but I got paranoid that they would continue to consume any possible cocci cysts and make the treatment pointless.

Bugaboo- a nearby petshop has them, but I think they can find a different customer

Tiffany - I will never be getting buttons, thanks! that tied the knot, if I came to find them eating a baby dove, I would probaly so.mad.I would throw them out a window!!

Brian, I never knew they were aggressive!

Ok, here goes... I have 3 button quail, all males. I started with 2 pairs and they had babies, I gave some away, some since died.

My buttons are a LOVELY and fun enhancement to my indoor walk-in aviary and I would not want to miss them. If they die one day I'd get more.

My buttons do NOT make the aviary any more smelly. Bird enclosures smell if not cleaned frequently, period.

My buttons are NOT aggressive towards other birds. I had a handicapped gouldian who lived mostly on the floor and they completely left her alone and ate out of the same food dishes. Whem other birds come to the floor food dishes they never bother anybody. I cannot vouch for fallen nestlings because that never happened even when my birds were breeding. But I imagine that buttons might mistake them for insects which they absolutely love to eat and also need. Their food must be high in protein.

Buttons live in pairs in the wild, they are monogamous and don't live with harems like chickens.

Dante, I agree that the enclosure seems too small for both buttons and doves. Wait for your aviary and investigate again. You will need some bedding though it you want them, please don't keep them on a hard floor.

Off my soapbox now.

Okay, sounds good Ursula!! My dad said I have to wait

i agree there with ursula, buttons are pretty harmless and should always be kept in a pair (all quail should be kept in pairs, as they will only group together in the wild to feed in winter), i think that cage size would be okay, put a bit of artificial plant in the corner and the hen will readily hatch her own eggs! Diamond Doves, however are far to skitty i think for that size cage mate, i think that they would thrash about constantly, and injure themselves.