I had heard of them. Button quail...Chinese Painted Quail...I, who knew of bobwhite and California quail, had never seen button quail. Minor things like that have never stopped me before, so I ordered an assortment of eggs from Claude McAllister at Seven Oaks Game Farm.
Claude filled my order promptly.
Two of the eggs are shown in the photograph for comparison with a runner duck egg. The duck egg isn't even the largest I get. The eggs are simply tiny. Claude packed the eggs well with egg crating and foam. Only a couple of eggs were broken, but more than 25 were sent to take into consideration breakage or infertile eggs.
Of the 32 eggs that I set, I had eight that hatched. I had expected them to hatch on Day 16, but there was no hatching. I was about ready to toss the batch when one pipped. I think I got hatching on days 18 and 19.
Perhaps this was due to the incubator conditions. I made no special preparations for the quail eggs...just put them in the incubator with the duck eggs. I really wouldn't have known any special preparation to make anyhow.
The eggs were turned whenever I turned the duck eggs, but I didn't spray them with water as I did the daily morning spray on the duck eggs.
It was reported on a button quail website that the fertility of eggs drops at this time of the year (November/December; Northern Hemisphere), and that particular supplier was curtailing egg shipment. I might have had a higher hatching percentage to try a spring or summer hatch, but for the first experience, eight is enough anyhow.
Bantam chicks which I had hatched over the last year were small when
they hatched, but I don't think I was prepared for button quail. They seemed
more like bumblebees to me...large bumblebees to be sure, but still very
small birds.
The lil' fellow in my palm is at least a couple of days old. Note the
penny for size comparison. It was hard for me to believe that I had hatched
birds that were smaller than the heads of the ducklings that were
hatching.
I rescued a 20 or 25 gallon aquarium that was being trashed by a friend,
and put it to work housing the hatchlings in my bedroom where I could keep
a close watch on them. There is a 100W red flood lamp in the reflector on
top, then right to left: a waterer in which I have placed marbles to prevent
the youngsters from getting wet and chilled or drowning, a dial thermometer,
and toward the front a feed tray with ground up chick starter/grower crumbles.
The quail chicks are basking in the warmth on the left side of the aquarium.
The quail grow rapidly, and this photo on the right is a few days after
hatching...perhaps five. They feather out rapidly and can fly better that
I realized much earlier that expected.
One flew out of the aquarium before a screened top was added. It became lost somewhere in my bedroom, and I've never found it.
I learned my lesson. Primary feathers were clipped on one wing of all chicks to produce asymmetrical lift, and I also put a window screen wire cover over the aquarium. I really don't like to clip the feathers because it disrupts the beautiful form of the birds, but I thought I'd try it this first time.
It's hard to imagine that these birds can be sexually mature in just six weeks after hatching. It has been a pleasure to watch them grow off, and at the moment they appear to be going through a prenuptial molt. Some of the differences in coloration are suggesting which are males and which are females. I think I will have two pairs at least.
I don't know who said that, but it certainly seems true. My button quail continued to grow, matured on schedule, then began to produce the large numbers of incredibly beautiful, delicate eggs that I couldn't resist incubating.
I made cages for the quail from some old gutter screens that were discarded
at a friend's house. Some hog ring pliers and rings that I obtained from
Claude were used to fasten the screens together and hinge a door at the
front; Indoor/outdoor carpeting to cover the wire floor and pieces of nylon
mesh from an old laundry bag for the top. The mesh top prevents the birds
from banging their head if they are startled and try to fly.
I used plastic water or soft drink bottles for the watering and feeding.
It seemed that two to four quail could be kept in each double compartment that I made. The bottom cover would be removed and shaken out a couple of times each week...water and feed added as necessary.
The quail seemed quite happy in these small cages. Males would call, females would lay. I had one pair that had a propensity for digging out the food quickly and wasting it rather badly, but most of the pair didn't were better behaved.
In this eye level view through the door, it's possible perhaps to get
some idea of the beauty of these small birds. Here's a closeup
of these birds if you'd like to see it.
In these photos you can't see the beautiful coloration of the birds...rich red or blue breasts, etc. The variety of birds that I raised from the selection of eggs I got from Claude was delightful.
I must confess that I am no longer keeping button quail. Guess I'm just an old duck man at the present. My quail population grew until I had a hundred or so in a wide variety of color patterns, and I still remember how delightful they were. Though I dispersed my flock, they are not forgotten. After I get a few years older, can no longer get outside to watch and laugh with my runner ducks, need to stay inside more...then I'll come back to button quail. It's nice to know that they will welcome me.
Lauren Casey's Button Quail Page: Laura has many excellent photos which she changes frequently. She is also taking orders for a book she is publishing on button quail. It should be published in early 1998.
Garrie P. Landry's Button Quail Page: Garrie has an excellent page with some of the chapters, in part, from the book he has published on button quail. The advice he gives seems to be excellent.
The Button Quail Page: The author of this page isn't indicated, but it has some excellent photos and stories.
The Button Quail Bullentin Board: A board for posting questions; quail or eggs for sale, exchange, or wanted.
The views expressed on this web page are not necessarily the views of Georgia State University, Atlanta GA USA.
James D. Satterfield Canton GA USA jsatt@gsu.edu