Providing live food to LBQ

[Jayburd]

Hi all you button breeders
Just wondering how people provide live food for the quails. Mine is very VERY shy, so I'm worried by the time I put the termites in and get far enough away for him to feel safe, the finches will have eaten them all.
There would of course be a separate dish for the finches but we all know what waxbills are like with live food
So how do I get him to eat quickly?
thanks,
J

[VR1Ton]

Feed your finches at perch height, or at least off the ground, & put a dish on the ground for the quail near some cover. Mine goes in behind a clump of gress or under one of the shrubs, they get termites, a few mealworms, & softfood. It doesn't take them long to figure it out, especially when rearing, they're on to it before your out the door.

PS How are you going tracking down a hen?

[Jayburd]

Thanks VR1,
Yes the treat cage for the finches (have put up a special cage in the shelter - otherwise the doves just sit in the food looking amused ) is up high, but the jacarinis longtails and painted spend a lot of time on the ground, and the nuns and cordons don't usually go in until everyone else has, so I thought they'd see an extra food source as a bonus just for them.
Planning on planting tussock and fountain grass along the wall this year, so will put up a station near that.
Just wish they weren't so shy - I almost never see my male. Only when I've been motionless for half an hour, or when I scare him by mistake.

I've found a hen from Clawd, just need to get it down here we're sorting it out.
Thanks

Oh, and should anyone be wondering I do have a food tray for the doves they're not going hungry!!

[mr.fox]

Yep, what VR says is right. I hide the livefood dish in behind the Palm grass fronds, even to the point of being quite hard to see. The quail find it no worries. Really hope that you succeed in getting a female and breeding the Little Button. It's a great treat to watch the male lead his little band of chickys out for a feed of mealworms. i have one old boy who is extremely trusting and will eat from your hand as will his offspring. Unfortunately, other males in my aviaries are not as tame and turn into the classic 'rockets' when you enter the avairies. Plenty of grasses and cover is essential. Jay, I find livefood is crucial to getting your LBQ chicks to survive, but if your already supplying this to your birds then not a problem.

[Trilobite]

simple solution, live food 24/7 for all birds in th aviary, while the birds will initially pig out they will settle down, eat only their fill and all will have feed. Appart from mealies my live food seldom goes barren during breading season maggots and termites.

[Jayburd]

Thanks guys im redecorating the floor of the aviary in August, planting fountain and tussock grasses, so cover is taken care of. Termite tumbler arriving on Saturday, so they're taken care of too! Really looking forward to giving them a go.