LBQ breeders

[Jayburd]

Hi all,
is anyone out there a breeder of Little button quail near Canberra? or does anyone know of anyone?
looking into getting some, fantastic little birds... I think I'm ready, they apparently are the easiest button quail and I've been breeding kings for years.

[mr.fox]

Hi Jay. I've kept Little buttons for a bit over 12 months now but can't say that I've been especially successful so far. Like you I kept Kings for years and wanted something different. Firstly, don't expect to breed anywhere near as many youngsters as you would with your kings. 1-2 chicks surviving in each clutch is about all I have ever got. Keep your kings seperate from your Littles, all quail are unpredictable, aggressive buggers. I recommend floor space of 3x3 but some of mine are in 2.4x1.2 and 3x2m aviaries. Dry, sandy floors are essential. Plenty of grasses, palm grass, a log or 2 and a scattering of leaf litter. They usually choose to nest beneath a stand of grasses but will nest anywhere if desperate enough. I wouldn't keep any other quail in the same aviary. I have only ever kept my buttons as single pairs but some have success with 2 males and 1 hen. Mine are generally very flighty if you have to go in the aviary to change feed and clean up, but they are better in the bigger aviary where they can avoid you and have more cover. Feeding Littles is simple, they're basically a seed eater, so a sprinkle of finch seed in the morning is fine. They absolutely love any livefood you can supply and crumbed egg/softfood too. Mine are willing breeders but survival rate in chicks is iffy. Just like your kings they're just little walking accidents waiting to happen. So take great care when the chicks htch to prevent drownings, getting lost etc. If your aviaries are accessible to mice, forget about breeding quail. I always remove the female once the male has begun incubating the eggs and put her back in once the chicks are independant 3-4weeks later. On the whole they're great little birds but like I said don't think they're quite as easy as king qauil. PS.. good luck finding any, very difficult over here in SA.

[Jayburd]

thanks Mr.Fox!!

my aviary is 3.5 x 2.32, so would this be OK?
In the aviary the floor will be mostly small gravel, with sandy patches in the flight and the sheltered area sand. There is a Poly-pipe for drainage
OK, planning to have some Kangaroo Grass (Poa spp) in the aviary, possibly sandy underneath them.
I will have a nice hollow log that my kings used to love running through for them

I wouldn't keep any other quail in the same aviary

would other birds such as Inland dotterels (if I decide I'm ready later) and possibly ground doves (new guinea ground dove) be able to be housed with them?
would you say they do better as pairs or trios? I've had quite mixed feedback on this question.
When I bred kings, sometimes in my old big aviary I would remove the mum (in this case the dad) to a smaller box with her chicks, so they don't have any problems. would this still be suitable? I'm guessing not since you say they are very flighty?
Feeding Littles is simple, they're basically a seed eater, so a sprinkle of finch seed in the morning is fine. They absolutely love any livefood you can supply and crumbed egg/softfood too. cool! yes various types of seeds will be provided in bowls on the ground, plus seeding grass, and frozen termites in the finch breeding season
Our aviary is going to be a mouse proof as is humanely possible, 3mm wire, wire caps on the poly pipe drainage hole, etc.
why do you remove the hen? does she call the male off the nest? I have only the one aviary, so what would I do with her?

[mr.fox]

Yep, sounds like your aviary setup is pretty right. As long as they have enough cover and dry ground. Kangaroo grass would be ideal, any of the native grasses are good. I plant mine in clumps of say 2-3 plants leaving plenty of gaps for them to scurry through (remember, you don't want a jungle). Without sufficient cover, they are pretty flighty. Housing with other birds; I wouldn't put other quail with them. Small doves would be ok ( NOT Spinifex pidgeons though) Finches fine. Can't comment on Inland dotterels, but wouldn't want to take the chance. I know it's tempting to mix different species at times, but always remember to take into consideration the wellbeing of each species and the risks of interspecies aggression. I have only ever kept Little buttons as single pairs, because they are easier to manage this way when they are breeding. Some people have them in trios (1 hen/2 cocks) but this depends on the nature of individual females, remembering that the female is the dominant bird. I remove the female once the male has begun incubation to avoid her calling him away from the nest, although the one time I decided to leave a female with the male she actually assisted incubation. However the eggs were all infertlie. Again, depending on the nature of individual hens, you might find that she will just kill the chicks on hatching OR she might be a perfect missus and help rear them with no problems. Ideally I would to remove her to another aviary, but If neccessary, you could put her in small holding cage or cabinet with suitable cover to hide in. I wouldn't disturb the male once his chicks have hatched, just leave them be. They're such nervous little buggers, they will panic and ignore the chicks if you try to remove them to another cage.

[Jayburd]

Thanks !
so they're a bit like the opposite of king quails then. The hen can be horrible or nice, the cock sits on the eggs... I love the mixed up way Turnix quails live
Just found out how much Red Breasted BQ's cost that's a LOT of money!!