Silver or White Button Quail?

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

Howdy y’all!

This week I’ve noticed two piles of eggs in the cage. I have been checking on the birds frequently, but I’m not able to catch who is laying. I did, however, catch the white one (who we named Winter) mounting the red breasted female! So I’m assuming the white buttonquail is a male! I’m going to pair him with the red breasted female and move them to another cage today

Thank you everyone so much for your help!!

 

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

Wow just as I wrote my last message all heck broke loose!

I brought my spare cage up from downstairs, as I came into the room I caught the white one, Winter, making some odd noises. Like squaking. The little brown female, his sister, was attacking him! So I quickly removed her and put her in a box until I could prepare the other cage. I’m going to give her to my client, and keep the two pairs, but my client evidently keeps her birds outside and she can’t take this little girl until it gets warmer out, because if she isn’t used to being outside in the cold, she’ll die.

So after I separated the little brown female and there was still a commotion! My original female, Bonnie, the mother, is now attacking her son, Winter. So I quickly prepared the other cage and removed Winter as well as Heather, the red breasted hen, and paired them up. I left my original pair, Bonnie and Clyde together.

So a couple of questions!

1. Why were the two brown females attacking the white male? Is there something wrong with him maybe?

2. Does having one bird, the little brown hen, in a cage by itself pose a problem?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Howdy y’all!

This week I’ve noticed two piles of eggs in the cage. I have been checking on the birds frequently, but I’m not able to catch who is laying. I did, however, catch the white one (who we named Winter) mounting the red breasted female! So I’m assuming the white buttonquail is a male! I’m going to pair him with the red breasted female and move them to another cage today

Thank you everyone so much for your help!!

Wow just as I wrote my last message all heck broke loose!

I brought my spare cage up from downstairs, as I came into the room I caught the white one, Winter, making some odd noises. Like squaking. The little brown female, his sister, was attacking him! So I quickly removed her and put her in a box until I could prepare the other cage. I’m going to give her to my client, and keep the two pairs, but my client evidently keeps her birds outside and she can’t take this little girl until it gets warmer out, because if she isn’t used to being outside in the cold, she’ll die.

So after I separated the little brown female and there was still a commotion! My original female, Bonnie, the mother, is now attacking her son, Winter. So I quickly prepared the other cage and removed Winter as well as Heather, the red breasted hen, and paired them up. I left my original pair, Bonnie and Clyde together.

So a couple of questions!

1. Why were the two brown females attacking the white male? Is there something wrong with him maybe?

2. Does having one bird, the little brown hen, in a cage by itself pose a problem?

they are attacking him because he has reached maturity, and as I said before, buttonquail should not be in groups, because they will reject and attack birds who aren't their mate. keep her close to the other birds so she can see them, and she should be fine for the time being

 

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

Thank you! I knew that was coming but I only just found out he was a male! I have been working on building a larger but divided cage for the pairs if that makes sense (Incase he was a male) but I’m not quite done yet and had no problems with them until yesterday. The moment I knew he was a male I was working on moving them and then this fiasco happened!

I have a large spare cage so I have the two pairs separated, and I put a screen divider in the cage with my silver and brown pair (Bonnie and Clyde) so that I can keep the little brown hen still separate but like you said so that she can still see them. I’m worried about keeping them all together and not separated because she seems to be acting pretty aggressive so I’m thinking to keep her away from the other pairs until I can give her to my client!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I would suggest keeping all in pairs. It is really hard on them when they are the "outcast" of the group!