Taming quail

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duckncover

duckncover

Duck Obsessed
15 Years
Jan 17, 2009
1,158
220
366
North Eastern PA
I just bought an incubator and ordered a dozen coturnix quail eggs. I want my quail to be friendly pets handled from day one so they might not fear me and will let me pick them up and feed them treats, I want to build them an indoor aviary with fake plants. Any advice for getting them to like me? I am only going to keep a pair or a trio. I have seen tame quail out there so I know it is possible. I am guessing early handling is a must and I should talk gently to them and offer my still hand to walk on with food in it. I would love for my quail to be more than just "eye candy".
 
You cant keep coturnix roosters with less than 3 hens for health reasons. The roosters breed so aggressively theyll damage or kill a single hen or even a pair of them. Honestly i recommend at least 4 hens so that if you ever lose one youre still safe from overbreeding issues.

You also probably dont want to keep them in your house. Their feces is loaded with ammonia and nitrogen and smells very strongly.

As far as taming them, handle them. They are one of the simplest (read;stupidest) domestic species ive encountered so taming them should be no great feat.
 
I'm not sure you really want to try to tame them. As mentioned, they are remarkably placid and um, not too brilliant. I never made any effort to tame my last batch (we ate them), and you put your hand in the cage to feed them and you'd end up with quail crawling all over you trying to get to the food first. One rooster was so un-tame that he'd actually attack anyone trying to feed him. Good thing they don't have spurs. Once you got hold of him, though, he'd just sit there quietly and let you handle him without a problem.

They don't seem to smell? I keep mine in my office on pine shavings and only muck them out once a week and there's no odor at all.
 

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