Quail
- Thread starter Mike.R.
- Start date
Wentworth farm have California quail, hamerton have painted quail, birdworld have Chinese painted quail. You’re best bet will be looking on zootierliste however.
Cheers for that and yeah I do check the zootierliste but often seems outdated on things I have searched. Also I wasn't sure if smaller farm type places would keep any that wouldn't. Be listed on there?
I had Chinese Painted Quail and Common Quail (including albinos) in my aviary for many years. The CPQ lived in a cage with finches and acted as clean up crew.
Looking online, they cost next to nothing to buy, and you can get eggs to incubate on eBay. Maybe I should get a couple for my current set-up?!
Looking online, they cost next to nothing to buy, and you can get eggs to incubate on eBay. Maybe I should get a couple for my current set-up?!
Those would have been (domestic) Japanese Quail rather than Common Quail, which don’t come in white. I’m currently breeding Harlequin Quail, but have bred half a dozen other quail species over the years.
Could well have been-I'm going back 30 plus years, when my Dad and I had a collection.
When I left home I couldn't have any birds, and as they died off over time, he wound the aviaries down. We had 2 large-ish ones and a shed full of small birds.
Some of the birds we had then don't seem to be in current aviculture much, like Ring necked Parakeets and Nuns (we had black headed and white headed). Not seen those in years.
I've currently got 10 budgies (from an original 4). They got a bit busy during lockdown! Plus I took on 2 Black Headed Lovebirds who needed a home.
My Dad died recently and he had an African Grey, who my Mum still has, so we still maintain an interest, although now solely parrot species!
When I left home I couldn't have any birds, and as they died off over time, he wound the aviaries down. We had 2 large-ish ones and a shed full of small birds.
Some of the birds we had then don't seem to be in current aviculture much, like Ring necked Parakeets and Nuns (we had black headed and white headed). Not seen those in years.
I've currently got 10 budgies (from an original 4). They got a bit busy during lockdown! Plus I took on 2 Black Headed Lovebirds who needed a home.
My Dad died recently and he had an African Grey, who my Mum still has, so we still maintain an interest, although now solely parrot species!
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Common Quail weren’t available then, they’re about now if you wanted them. Both those Nun species are being bred, but in small numbers, which makes them expensive. Ringneck Parrakeets are bred in many mutation colours and are quite common
I remember both those Nun species being common in bird dealers/pet shops and pretty cheap in the past too, as were Spicebird and Tri-colored Manakin. Other species, though a little less common, were Rufous-backed and Bronze-winged. Many of the wide range of smaller waxbills, weavers etc also now seem rarer and much more expensive these days, due presumably to import restrictions.
Most of them are being bred, but in small numbers and prices go through the roof. Both the common Silverbill species are now available in multiple mutation colours, as are Cutthroats.
Nice! We have 3 pet coturnix which is what got me on to wondering what else could see in the UK other than buttons and coturnix I know people over here breed rain, scaled, Californian, harlequin at least but I haven't managed to see any.
We have a decent pet shop near us that specialise in birds and they still breed things like cordon bleus, quail finches, lavender Finch, bronze winged, cherry finches, pin tailed whydah spice Finch etc etc. When we had an aviary as kids these were pretty cheap but like is mentioned above can be looking £90+ a pair for some of these now.
For those interested I should point out that the National Show is at the Stafford show ground this Sunday 3/10 - there are usually a variety of captive bred birds produced by UK hobbyists as well as the competitions for the various cage bird societies
Wish I was closer I would love to go.
I went up today and there was a fairly good turnout, although not as busy as a spring show I went to a few years ago. Lots of hobbyists selling surplus birds they had bred as well as the big national shows for various canary breeds, also shows for budgerigars, zebra finches and lovebirds. One seller had several species relevant to this thread - I have uploaded images to the albums for show animals. There were Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata, Philbys Partridge Alectoris philbyi, and Rain Quail Coturnix coromandica. No pics this time, but there were also Black Francolin, Bobwhite in various colour mutations, and Chukar. Of the other types of bird seen canaries, finches, and various small to medium sized parrakeet species are being bred by hobbyists areound the country
Sound brilliant shame was too far away from us. Will try and find the pics. Was the scaled quail pretty relaxed on show somewhere like that ? I have read before scaled are generally pretty nervous and scatty compared to many of the other quail species in captivity.
They were fairly mobile but not more so than most of the quail I have seen in those circumstances. The Philby's were about as laid back as chickens.