Need help with Button Quail questions.

[Societies&Zebras]

I am really interested in getting some button quail. I have a few questions i need answered. If i get button quail i don't really want to buy an expensive type cage. I want it to be around $50 to hold at least 3 button quail adults. I heard at least 30 gallon aquariums would work. Has anyone kept button quail in aquariums? How ofter would i have to clean the aquarium? Also if i had a male and female pair in a at least 30 gallon aquarium would they breed? Not that i don't want any chicks but it would be nice to know. From what i heard button quail lost their natural ability to nest by turning them into domestic animals. I am not sure if this is true. Also if i weren't able to keep them in a 30 gallon aquarium can someone refer me to a wire big hamster cage or something around $50-$70? Also if i were able to hatch my own button quail will they imprint and follow me? Thanks.! PLEASE HALP.

[Nipper06]

This page might provide you with some info:
http://www.cyberquail.com/homepage.html

And here's a Button quail message board!
http://www.voy.com/13979/

And here's a book about them that you can order:
http://www.lelandhayes.com/information_ ... ml#Chinese Painted Quail

[Chrismurdoch3]

You could put your button quial in a 30 gallon aquarium, It would be a tight fit for them. Button quail love to explore and see new things so the more space you give the happier they will be. Also it is better if you house button quail in trios, 1 male and at least 2 females. The males can be a little too agressive for just one female and harrasse her a lot. Button quail lay eggs like crazy and would probably lay eggs for you in your aquarium, I don't feel like button quail have lost their ability or instincts to raise chicks, I just believe they are somewhat clumsy in the matter. I have had several females lay, sit, hatct out and succesfully raise their chicks. I have seen that they just need a little stimulation to sit on their eggs. I will ussually block off one of the corners in my aviary so that there is only one way in and out, then I will grab a small dish and put some nesting materials in it and put it in the corner. lots of times the females will just lay eggs all over the floor so I usually every day grab the eggs and put them into the makeshift nest until she stops laying and more times than not she goes and sits on the eggs. As far as hatching out the eggs yourself, the chicks teach themselves how to eat and drink you just need to provide it in small quantities several times a day. The chicks can become tame if you handle them daily but from experience it seems like the more chicks you have together the harder it is to have them imprint on you rather than on one another. Which in my oppinion thats how it should be. But its not impossible i have had one button quail that i raised and it is very tame and eats out of my hands and comes to me when i wistle he is very fun and cute.
Sorry for the novel and grammar but hopefully that will help answer a few of your questions.

[Societies&Zebras]

So, what are all the supplies i would need for some Button quail? Like bedding, what food etc. Thanks. And will room temp be hot enough for chicks?

[Chrismurdoch3]

I feed my button quail game starter mash (non medicated) i buy it from IFA or i know CAL Ranch carries it. I aslo let them clean up the spilt seed on the floor from the other finches. Clean water daily Usually i give them some egg food which they love to eat, and occasionally some crickets or meal worms. they are ground dwellers so you don't need to get them any perches or anything like that. FOr the chicks if you are hatching them out you will deffinately need a heat source for the first few weeks once the feathers are all grown in you can remove the heat and they will be fine.

Here are some pics of my hen that has been sitting on some eggs for the past few weeks and this morning i saw two chicks that had hatched so far out of 12 eggs. This is her second and final clutch this year.
Sorry the pics aren't the best and you can't see the babies very well but you can see the yellow baby a little bit on the side of the hen. I will try and get more pics when she starts walking around with the babies.

[Chrismurdoch3]

Here are a couple of better pics of two of the chicks. Sorry the quality still isn't the greatest.