Any tips on how to raise your quail to be friendly pets?

[cotekim]

My first chick was hatched 6 days ago. He was super cuddly and let me pick him up and nuzzle in my hair and stuff until today. Now his pin feathers seem to be growing in. He looks different and he's become really skittish. This seems to have happened overnight. Any tips on how to make a pet quail more hand tame? He is a Jumbo Coturnix.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

All my quail chicks were a little skittish, although they would more than happily approach my empty hand, expecting some treats! It was adorable. (Chicks should normally imprint on you if there's only a few of them, although I'm not sure what's happening to the little guy.)

When they grew up, I spent less time with them because of school. They became less tame when I would approach them, one in particular would very quickly dash away from my hand if I were to change the water. Now she's tame enough to only jerk back when my hand approaches instead of running away, and she will allow me to pick her up for a bit before wanting to go back. Most of my other quail are quite tame aswell and when I come to pick them up, they won't run away, but instead allow me to pick them up, even my roo is quite tame.

I spent more time with them, just hanging around near the cage so they can see me. I throw their favourite treats into a cage (mine love clovers, boiled egg, grass, noodles, rice, fruits, veggies, baked eggshell, budgie seed mix, bugs, etc.), and let them eat it, then put the treats in my hand and let them eat from that. Sometimes I'll pick them up, pat them, talk to them (hehe), then if they start to get anxious, I'll gently put them down before they fly down themselves.
Quail love to eat, so use that to your advantage.

You'll know if they're really tame if they are willing to eat treats from your hand whilst you're holding them.

It may take some time though, as quail are generally skittish because they are prey birds, but coturnix quail are one of the calmer species so it should be a little easier.

 

[Kylesquails]

have the opening of the brooder at the front, i,ve found if approached from the top them become skittish. some are just more tame than others, breed for tameness, select the calmest birds.

 

[yallapilko]

They are not calm by nature, but can be encouraged to be hand fed treats. And will be that tame. But they are never going to be cuddly like a cat or dog. It's just not their nature to be that way. Just learn to appreciate their wildness and curious characters.

 

[USAmma]

I have found that some of my batch of 14 babies are calmer than others and will allow themselves to be held, and even pose for photos. Others are so skittish they seem to have a panic attack if I pick them up and never calm down. I had the same thing happen when my pet parakeet hatched several chicks a few years ago. Some were extremely friendly and others were not-- just seemed to be inborn in their personalities no matter how much I handled them.

 

[cotekim]

This is very interesting. Thanks so much for the input! It's nice to know how other people's birds react since this is my first time and I don't know exactly what to expect. Can anybody post pics or explain what is the best way to hold them? I think I'm doing it right, but what if that's why he's freaking out?

 

[Kylesquails]

i don,t usually keep many wild colors but she is my tamest hen. Always the first to the side of the cage,i have just hatched some chicks of hers so time will tell if they inherent her tameness.