. painted button quail
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- An Australian Quail
- Scientific Name: Turnix varia
- Common Name/s:
PAINTED BUTTON QUAIL, PAINTED QUAIL, SHRUB QUAIL.
- Sub Species in country / area of origin:
2.. Nominate sub-species is T. v. varia. Other sub-species.. T. v.
scintillans.
- Origin / Distribution: Along the
east coast of Australia from north Queensland to South Australia.
Also in Western Australia along the coast in the lower half of the
state. Also in Tasmania.
- Habitat In Wild: Areas with shrub
and trees with an under story of grasses and a good ground cover of
leaf litter. Will enter farmland and cultivated areas to obtain
food.
- Status In Wild: T. v. varia is
secure but numbers are declining probably due to habitat loss. T.
v. scintillans restricted to the islands off the coast of Western
Australia is listed as vulnerable.
- Status In (Australian) Captivity:
Secure.
- Age To Sexual Maturity: ?
- Adult plumage: attained at about
?
months
- Best breeding years (estimate): 6
months to about 3rd year
- Sexing: Monomorphic /
Dimorphic. Sexes are similar
- Colour mutations: None
- Availability: Bird dealers.
- Temperament: Compatible with
finches and small parrots. Best results are in a planted aviary,
with one pair per aviary (no additional cock birds). Long grasses
and low dense shrubs are ideal. Generally less flighty than other
button quail. Generally easy to breed.
- Cost (Victoria) Per Pair: -
Normal colour (Approx) $70 - $80. Least expensive of the button
quail.
- Description Of Adults: Hens are
generally larger and heavier than cock birds and they have brighter
plumage. Second biggest of the Button quail.
- Length: Up to approx. 200 mm (or up to approx. 8
inches)
- Colour ( "normal" colour ): Refer
photo/s above if available.
- Weight: Up to approx. 120 gms (or up to approx. 4
ozs)
The young can be as big as the adults by the age of 4 weeks.
Aviary
Notes:
Level Of Knowledge Required: Beginner / Intermediate
/ Advanced / Specialist
Breeders Only.
Government Regulations & By-Laws:
Refer to " Government Laws " web page.
Housing Requirements: Refer to "
Quail " web page for general
details on the housing of Quail or read on for specific details for
this bird.
Compatible with most finches, small
parrots, doves and pigeons. Best breeding results are with one pair per
aviary. Likes to have low growing shrubs with leaf litter and growing tall grasses or cereal grains
(eg. wheat) will help this species feel happy and secure.
If quail are startled they tend to fly
off the floor at a steep angle and often hit the roof at a solid speed.
This can cause severe head injuries or at worst the death of the quail.
Wing feather clipping can minimize this potential problem. Wing
feather clipping also minimizes the risk of the quail flying into or
onto the finch nesting sites and disturbing the nesting or roosting
finches and/or small parrots.
The hen and cock bird/s can be kept
together throughout the year. One hen per aviary, but, more than
one cock bird can be housed with each hen.
Quail that are noisy, especially in the
morning, should be housed in an aviary most distant away from
neighbours.
Diet / Feeding: Refer to "
Quail " web page for general
details on the feeding of Quail or read on for specific details for
this bird.
Good quality finch or small parrot mix
plus insects and vegetable green foods and seeding grasses as per
"Quail" web page. May eat some of the commercial poultry pellets.
Adequate supply of insects is essential at breeding time
The young are fed insects only. The
parent bird will transfer the insect from its beak into the chick's
beak. This beak to beak feeding occurs for the first seven to about 10
days of the chick's life. After that the chicks will start to feed itself
and eat grains as well as insects.
Nesting:
- Nesting months: Spring and
summer. Most do not breed in the colder months, however, some
may breed year round if conditions are suitable.
- Nest location: On the
floor in a nest usually at the back of the aviary in a
secluded spot.
- Nest material: They
may build a substantial nest of dry grasses and other materials and
lined with soft materials.
- Who incubates the egg/s:
Hen
/ Cock / both share.
Breeding: Egg Colour
Greyish white with coloured speckles. Clutch/s
per year.. multiple - up to 4 is possible. Eggs per
nest 4 - 5. Incubation
approx. 14 days.
Independent approx. 3 -4 weeks.
Compatible with most finches, small
parrots, doves and pigeons. Best breeding results are with one pair per
aviary. They develop strong pair bonds. Easy to breed if the
aviary is to their liking. Once the hen has laid a full clutch
many aviculturalists will remove the hen so the cock bird is not
distracted from his duty of incubating the eggs and raising the young.
When the babies hatch the cock bird supplies food from his beak directly
into the babies beak. Generally the hen does not get involved in
the feeding and raising of the young. The young will start to feed
themselves during the second week. The cock bird will offer the
young food till they become independent at the about the 3rd or 4th
week.
Instead of moving the hen after she has
laid, the hen and cock bird/s can be kept together throughout the year.
One hen per aviary, but, more than one cock bird can be housed with each
hen. This requires less aviaries and makes for less handling of
birds.
A spare aviary may be required to
accommodate the young when they become fully independent. Avoid
over-crowding in the breeding birds aviary.
Adequate supply of insects is essential
at breeding time.
The young grow rapidly and can be as big as the
adults by the age of 4 weeks. Leg ring all birds with closed
numbered rings. This is essential if the young are left in the
same aviary as the parent birds. Without numbered rings, it is
often impossible to identify the breeding birds from their young when it
comes to removing the young.
Artificial incubation and hand
rearing or fostering will not be covered on this web site. It is
too complex and diverse in nature to be attempted here.
Health Issues: Refer to "Avian
Health Issues" web page for information and references.
- Worming and parasite control
and Quarantine requirements of new bird/s or sick bird/s are
considered to require veterinary advice and therefore not covered on
this web site. Refer "Avian Health Issues"
web page option.
- Avian medicine is advancing
at a rapid pace. Keep updating your knowledge and skills.
General
References: Refer to references listed on "Book References"
web page.
Specific
References:
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