Chinese Painted/Button Quail -- Not Finches, but...

[ldupuis44]

Ok, don't know if this is ok to post.

I have an opportunity to get some chinese painted Button quail for a pretty good price. They are white split to pied.

I was planning on getting a couple for my bigger aviary and one for a smaller aviary to clean up seed and such. I think they are adorable. Does any one have any experience with Button Quail?

[L in Ontario]

Some members on here have Buttons (including myself). I have them in a cage on their own but some have them housed in larger aviaries with finches.

I've read you have to be careful if hatchlings get tossed to the ground...

Otherwise - they're GREAT!!

[Sharona]

I used to have button quail and I loved them.

If you have hopes of breeding them you'll probably want to get an incubator because I was never able to get my hens to sit on their eggs. Other than that they are adorable and so much fun!

Oh, and you might want to consider at least two for each aviary - mine loved to be together. Just a thought!

[Dayna]

I have never owned any but would like to eventually. From what I have read about them everyone finds them adorable, some people find them to be loud whereas others do not, they have some (basically the same with some additions) different dietary requirements than finches, some people find that they have a very strong, pungent, not very nice smelling odor, males tend to live longer than females because the females do not stop laying eggs, it is best to get 2 instead of just 1 and as Liz already stated they tend to get a bit cannibalistic if there are finch chicks either thrown or fallen from a nest. You also have to be careful about them spooking themselves and take the proper precautions so that if they do spook themselves they wont hurt themselves.

[ldupuis44]

Thanks for the feed back. I don't know if I will breed them. I don't know yet if the ones I am looking at getting are related or not. I really just want them because I think they are very cute and would provide clean up in the bottom of my Java Finch cage. (My javas really toss around their seed making quite a mess on the bottom of the cage).

I love hearing all your advice and stories. The ones I will be getting are white but come from a tuxedo pied line.

Mostly I'm just excited. I'm going to get a bunch of greenry to provide shielding around the bottom. I have two cats that love to stare at my birds and I think it would really frighten the quail. The cage I will have them in is quite tall (50" or so I think). Would I still need the precautions against them flying up and hurting their heads or is that high enough?

[L in Ontario]

I'm going to get a bunch of greenry to provide shielding around the bottom. I have two cats that love to stare at my birds and I think it would really frighten the quail. The cage I will have them in is quite tall (50" or so I think). Would I still need the precautions against them flying up and hurting their heads or is that high enough?

Yes cats will definitely startle/frighten Buttons and the finches. The greenery idea should help and a 50" high cage/aviary is terrific for Buttons. But just to give you an idea of how high Buttons can go - when I first got my Buttons, one escaped from my hands and I found it on top of the flourescent light fixture I have hanging 12" from the ceiling in my birdroom. (see attached pic for light location - on the right side) The little buggers can actually fly!

[JohnBoy]

Got rid of all of mine. They are messy and stink to high heaven. EEK!
My personal experience and opinion.

[Ursula]

You already got some great advice here. I also have buttons in my aviary and LOVE them! Can't imagine the aviary without them.

As for smelly: I think it's mostly the hens when they are incubating eggs. (Large poop etc) I had 2 pairs that hatched babies (mine happened to be good parents!), but I had to give away most of the offspring. The hens didn't live longer than about 3 years, and I now have 3 males left. They are a bonded trio, the 2 original males (5 years old) and one son (4 years). Males only seem to fight when there are females anywhere near.

If you don't want to breed try to get 2 brothers or 2 sisters. When you get males you don't have to worry about eggs and they live longer. But they are happiest in pairs. If you want to have eggs and are willing to take them out regularly if you don't want offspring, get a male/female pair.

You need to provide them with protein, unmedicated game bird crumbles are best. And they LOVE mealworms.

[Dayna]

This is a group all about buttons

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Buttonquail411/

[L in Ontario]

I only have one pair and they don't stink at all. I use Aspen bedding. Don't know if that makes any difference or not.

[DanteD716]

I was thinking of fetting a pair for my society cage but heard they attack tossed chicks and some fledglings that cant get away