Button Quail

Button Quails are the smallest of the "true" quails, about four inches long, and are native to Australia, Southeast Asia, India, etc.

Button quails are the perfect addition to any aviary. They are small, around 4", attractive (cute as a button), and can become very tame.

They are intelligent and clean up all the spilt seed from the other birds. They need very little care and come to breed quite easily.

Feeding is simple, and they are not very noisy. They stay on the ground almost all the time, and don't bother any other birds.

Button quails are small running birds, which avoid flying.

Quail, being ground-dwelling birds, can cohabit happily with other aviary birds.

While they still need a protein-based ration (such as layers mash or pellets), they will also eat some of the seed husks discarded by aviary birds.

The female is the more brightly coloured of the sexes, and initiates courtship.

Both sexes cooperate in building a nest in the earth, but only the male incubates the eggs and tends the young.

Quail might lay their eggs in random places in their run, and they do not tend to nest and sit on their eggs. However, they are more likely to lay the eggs somewhere dark.

The eggs hatch after an incubation period of 12 or 13 days, and the young are able to fly within two weeks of hatching.

The picture on above shows a clay pot used as an incubator.

Brooder pens in a shed with low-energy bulbs is all that is needed to supply the required heat.

Quail can be quite happy living in a standard rabbit hutch. This can be a good, safe and dry environment for them. Dust-extracted wood shaving make an ideal bedding material.

Outdoor runs can also be used. These need to be completely fox and rat proof. Other rodents such as stoats, weasels and mink can also be a threat to Quail.

Aviary weldmesh or 10mm diameter metal netting can be used which should also be put under the base of the run. Quail need a dry compartment for shelter and food. Water should be in the shade of the outside part of the run.

One of the best options for housing is an aviary with a double-door entry system.