FAQ

FAQ ABOUT CHINESE BUTTON QUAIL

Q: What other birds can you house with button quail?
A. Chinese Button quail can go in aviary's that house pet birds or you may put them in a chicken coop. If you are keeping them outside please make sure you have a light for them especially in the winter. Buttons can be housed with chickens, but you need to keep a close on eye on things. Do not put with aggressive chickens. They go well with Bantams, Seramas silkies, etc. We have known several people who have housed them with chickens with no issues. We have been told that the key is to put baby chickens in at the same time as you put in the button quail. If they grow up together, the chickens will protect the quail and care for them and be around them as though they are part of their flock/group.
Q: How much are our button quail? How much are eggs?
A:We charge $5.00 per red/blue breasted button quail. At this time (May 2012), that is the only type we are selling. As we build our stock up, we will be selling other varieties of Chinese button quail. Eggs are $10 per dozen. Eggs can include any of the following types: blue/red breasted, splashed, pearl, white, or European. We can not guarantee what type you will get or your hatch rate. That said, our hatch rate is around 90%.

Q: How long is the incubation period? What kind of an incubator should I use?
A:Eggs will begin hatching around the 16th day. You need to stop turning eggs on the 13th day. The last three days the bird is trying to find out which part of the shell to start pecking at. If you turn the egg you could confuse the process. You should only use an incubator that is made from Styrofoam. If you use any other material you will mostly likely not have your incubator at the right temperature or humidity levels.

Q: If I breed two of the same kind of quail will I get the same color as the parents?
A. Not necessarily. Usually you will. However, they do not breed true. Genetics play a big factor. A lot of times button quail will carry the traits of their grandparents or great grand parents. Example: Two Europeans are bred. Babies could be any European or splashed...or a combination of the two.

Q: What kind of environment do button quail live in?
A:For the first six weeks, your button quail need to be in a brooder with a light on them. Brooders are extremely easy to make. See our page on button quail care. After six weeks old, if you wish, button quail can be taken off light. At this point they are ready for permanent housing. You can put them either in a glass aquarium, an aviary, chicken coop, or some other type of appropriate cage. These birds are quite tiny which is important to keep in mind. If you do put them in a chicken coop be mindful of the type of chicken you put them with. Do not put them in with any type of aggressive chickens. Silkie chickens, bantams, and Seramas are the best type of chicken to put them with. As in any case when housing new birds together, keep a close eye on them until you are certain there are no issues.

Q: How do you tell the difference between male & female?
A: Most males have a THIN white "bib/ban" around or under their neck; hens do not, and are more muted in color (i.e., camouflage for nesting). Males SOMETIMES make a low growling sound (puffing out their throat) before calling. It's called "revving up". We have never heard a hen do this, but most males seem to do it on occasion. They kind of make a little bounce with their neck, puff up the throat, make the growl one or more times, and then stretch up to make the actual call. Also males will have red or blue in the vent area or on their backs.

Q: What are the different colors & varieties?
A: There are about 15 variations in total. These include: Splashed, Pearl, Blue & Red Breasted, White, Cinnamon/Fawn, Blue Faced, and Silver. There are several mutations to each of these that you can have.

Q: What is the average life expectancy?
A: 3-5 years for males and 2-4 years for females.

Q: Other than their regular food, what else do button quail eat?
A: Button quail are omnivorous. They will readily eat seeds, but they also enjoy small worms, meal worms, crickets, small insects, small grubs, and vegetables and fruits. Like most animals, individuals may have their favorites among these foods. For vegetables and fruits, you might try sliced bananas, sliced pears or plums, broccoli, small tomato slices, and fresh grass or clover clippings

Q: How do I place an order? Please either e-mail or contact us by cell phone to place an order. You may email us at meschelelaisaviary@gmail.com or mcbcards@yahoo.com. Please contact us by phone at 704-578-7106 or 704-578-9946. Please note that while we will ship eggs as quickly as possible to you, there may be a day or two wait as there may be orders ahead of you. Thanks for reading and we look forward to hearing from you soon!