Cage cleaning and keeping taming progress

[HutchButch]

I keep my five quail in a brooder/mini-hutch in a small, enclosed, outdoor part of the house (kind of like an aviary?). I've been trying to tame them some, and them when they were about 7 to 10 days old. It's been about 10 days since then, and they trust me enough to eat from my hand if I put it into the brooder.

I use sand as the litter in their brooder/mini-hutch, and scoop it like a kitty litter box. (I'm considering trying other types of litter, but that's another post for another time). When I go to clean their home, I scoop the sand with a plastic serving spoon with small holes. It catches all but the tiniest fragments of poop and works great, but the quail seem nervous when I do and start running along the back of the brooder. The other day, they started to jump out, and I decided to jus take them out and let them wander around since they like hiding under to ferns in that room. This lets me get everything clean and tidy in the brooder, but when I have to put them back I basically have to scoop them up to put them in the brooder. They don't like this very much as they constantly run from me and try to escape my hands once I scoop them. I'm concerned that I'm reverting them back to wildness and losing their trust whenever I have to scoop them back into their brooder since they still seem nervous even after I put them back. I clean their house daily, and I don't want to lose taming progress. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Nabiki]

When you scoop them up, try to come at them from the sides rather than from above. They will be less afraid of that approach. Swooping in from above feels too much like a hawk/predator to them, I think.

 

[HutchButch]

When you scoop them up, try to come at them from the sides rather than from above. They will be less afraid of that approach. Swooping in from above feels too much like a hawk/predator to them, I think.

Thanks for the tip! I've started doing that, actually. I even lay down near where they're hiding when I scoop them up so I'm not towering over them. I do put my thumb (gently) over their backs, though, when they're in my hand to keep them from jumping out if I need to switch to a one-hand hold. Is that okay?

 

[Nabiki]

That's fine. You have to restrain them when you pick them up or they're going to hop/run/fly away.

 

[HutchButch]

That's fine. You have to restrain them when you pick them up or they're going to hop/run/fly away.

So, I've been thinking about this and wondering if it's even possible to make it so they don't hop, run or fly away from me. I've nearly given up on taming them and settling for their being egg producers (which was my original intent anyway). I only get to see them on weekends for a few hours and for about 20 minutes in the morning and evening to clean their brooder and replace their food and water. Is there anything Ican do to make it so they don't freak out whenever I open their cage? They'll still come to eat from my hand when they're hungry, but I've had to handle them more and more and wash their feet (two of them have a minor case of bumblefoot) which they don't seem to like very much.

 

[Nabiki]

The only way to keep them from being flighty is to be around them a lot. The amount of time you spend with them isn't enough for them to become tame. If you are the one feeding and watering them every day, though, they should stop freaking out when you're near. Mine don't want me to touch them, but they are quite calm when I step into their pen. In fact, they don't have a healthy fear of feet and I have to be very careful where I step.

The only time mine have ever freaked out on me was a Hallowe'en when I wore a bright orange fox kigurumi. They did not like that.