A Few Quail Questions

[Kruise]

I have two button quails one male and one female. They are both about 5 weeks old and I had a few questions about them!

How often should I put food in their cage and how much? I am currently putting a small scoop of the chicken crumble stuff in three-four times a day.

Is eating sand bad for them? I got some sand from the beach for them to bathe in and put it in a shoe box, they bathe in it sometimes but other times they keep eating it and I am not sure if this is bad for them.

How to tame them? I have them more as pets but when I try to grab them some times they fly into the wall, it doesn't seem like it's that hard that they are hitting the wall but I am scared that they are hurting themselves.

Thank you !

 

[SeptemberQuail]

I'm afraid all I can help you with is the taming factor, as I'm somewhat clueless with your other queries
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First off, button quail are frisky, and nervous, and can easily kill themselves if scared, by going bonk (term used when they fly straight up and hit their head, which either causes damage or kills them).
As well as that, its a little harder to tame quail if they're already adults and haven't had any handling as chicks.

I tamed my Japanese quail at 6 months old (I bought them) by just taking them out and handling them, feeding them, for an entire day while I waited for the cage to be finished. I continued handling them until they finally calmed down and were completely tame around me (took a week or more), so tame in-fact that I'd let them wander around my backyard, free-ranging to look for bugs. I would follow them and they wouldn't run away from my feet, instead they would just peck at me wanting treats.

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You should start by hanging around near the cage, not making sudden movements like jerking your hand into the cage to try to grab something or cornering them when trying to catch them. Bring their food dish closer to where you're standing. When they're confident with that (maybe after an hour to a few days), place a treat in your hand (try: tiny pieces of fruit, rice or fresh noodles, grass, clovers, bugs, crumbled egg shell, what you're feeding them, or mealworms [they love mealworms!]) and slowly lower your hand down into the cage and make sure they see it. If they're willing too, they'll hopefully approach you and take your bribe. Keep interacting with them gently, talk to them like you would talk to any pet, stroke them if they're willing too, and eventually you'll earn their trust. Just don't try to scare them by chasing them around the cage.

 

[TwoCrows]

I am not an expert on Button quail myself. But I can tell you that you need to always leave food out for them. Free choice. You don't feed them per say at any time, but let them eat when they want to. And about the chicken crumbles...that is not enough protein for Button quail, I don't believe. I think you need to get them on gamebird food.

As for the sand...sand is good on the feet pads, keeps the smell down and is easy to clean. They will eat some of it, but watch that they don't gorge on it. They should learn over time not to consume too much of it.

 

[GrandmaBird]

I have button quail experience but it is still a daily learning thing. First I will state that I believe these great little birds should be kept in single pairs only.

that said:

You can get your birds to be calmer when you are near or taking care of their enclosure but as for taming them like a dog or cat its not going to happen. They are very territorial and will be flighty when you are in or near their territory. Do watch out for the bonking/jumping straight up. It can cause bad head trauma or death.
I keep mine indoors and cover them at night.
The sand is good for bathing and grit to help digest the fed. That said you need to feed them game bird feed with a protein of 20-28%. Non Medicated! It should be in the enclosure 24/7. and do offer them fresh greens, mine love broccoli and hard boiled finely chopped chicken egg. Any nice green and fruit are all excepted just no avocado, tomato, rhubarb or parsley and ice burg lettuce is low in vitamins so limit that as well. They love corn and even cornbread crumbled up. It is fun to give them a millet spray and watch them try to carry it around. Meal worms can be given as a treat but no more then 5 a week as they are fattening. Oyster shell ground should be available to the females at all times.

hope this helps and good luck enjoy your new pets.