Coturnix, AKA Button Quail

I've seen these touted as easy-keeping indoor egg machines. Just wanted to put it out there that their call is much louder and more persistent than a rooster crow, hugely annoying, in fact, in the middle of the night. Their poops can be really awful for such tiny birds, and they are very cannibalistic unless given a lot of space. We've got one really mean one that keeps the rest scuffling around trying not to get pecked most of the day. The recommended floor space of 40 - 50 square inches per bird is much smaller than it should be if you get a mean one like we have. They need low tops because you can get "bonkers" who will brain themselves on the tops if they can get up the momentum.

My daughter still adores them, but I'd never buy one of these again!

do you have a button quail or coturnix quail? they are not the same thing.

I've had both, just bought 12 coturnix yesterday.

I have never had the experiences you are talking about. I suggest your harvest that one and try some different ones.

1 square foot per adult bird, minimum. (that's 144 square inches).

If yours is by itself, then that is why it is making so much noise. For manure, I use deep bedding, others use wire mesh. What do you have yours on?

Mine are A & M Coturnix. They are a little crowded right now, we got them 5 weeks ago at 1 week old, so they're approaching full size, I guess. But they're in the brooder while I build their cage (this weekend, I hope!). They've eaten feathers off of each other's backs from the day we bought them so all but 1 have bald spots and occasionally they draw blood on each other. They have around 3 square feet for the 5 of them.

We have them on pine pellets (horse bedding). Well, they have a wire floor and that's underneath to catch the droppings. The new cage will have a wood floor with linoleum tiles on it and we'll use the pine pellets or shavings, depending on what's for sale when we go get it.

Their new cage. I wonder if the chasing/pecking is pre-adolescent mating behavior. One laid an egg yesterday for the first time. This is their new cage - lots more room - it's 12" X 4 feet X 10" high. I had to put a board by the clean-out slot because they quickly kicked all their bedding out of the cage. LOL

I am wondering what you think of them now? still have them? still hate them ?