Anyone kept a male quail as a special pet?

[crimsonmama]

I had someone coming to buy one of my boy quail chicks yesterday but my ten year old was like noooo don't sell that one! She's taken a liking to one of our boys and said he is one of our best tame ones. He's a golden coturnix (4 weeks old) and has a lovely deep rusty breast. And he did lay down after pecking my sleeve like it was sand in their dust bath and started to go asleep next to my arm. Super cute!

So I sold a different one of my boys and my daughter wants to keep Tan (as she's named him) in her room as a special quail to pet and tame up lots.
I think it's quite nice as poor boys are not often wanted! We have a white that we don't know if boy or girl yet called Sunny (from when was a yellow chick!). I want to keep this one just because it was the only white we hatched in our incubator. So this one is also being kept with Tan too. If male they can stay together. If Sunny turns out female the Tan can have his own group of girls in my indoor avairy.

So, just wondered if anyone has kept a quail indoors and tamed up before? I read a blog online of someone who had a female that roamed free in her house and was tame. She said that she did her business in a set few locations so she put paper down in those areas to catch mess.
I don't know about that!
I've also read males can be more cute/tame as pets? But my original male is probably the least tame. But Tan was incubated and hatched by us so he is super tame.

 

[JaeG]

Most of our quail are very tame and all of them can be handled no problem. We have a male who has two girls and he is amazingly tame and always comes up to the bars to see us and grunt quietly at us. He's a sweetheart. We also have a girl who is particularly sweet and friendly who loves being patted. Some are naturally friendly, while others can be more highly strung, but breeding friendly ones and handling them a lot as chicks helps as well. They are great birds for kids and we all adore ours. Two boys can live together if your white turns out to be a boy, but they will try and mate with each other so you will have to keep an eye on them. Our daughter sometimes likes to get the quail out for a wander round the house but I wouldn't leave them permanently out due to the amount they poop, plus they are at risk of being stood on being a reasonably small bird.

 

[crimsonmama]

Most of our quail are very tame and all of them can be handled no problem.  We have a male who has two girls and he is amazingly tame and always comes up to the bars to see us and grunt quietly at us.  He's a sweetheart.  We also have a girl who is particularly sweet and friendly who loves being patted.  Some are naturally friendly, while others can be more highly strung, but breeding friendly ones and handling them a lot as chicks helps as well.  They are great birds for kids and we all adore ours.  Two boys can live together if your white turns out to be a boy, but they will try and mate with each other so you will have to keep an eye on them.  Our daughter sometimes likes to get the quail out for a wander round the house but I wouldn't leave them permanently out due to the amount they poop, plus they are at risk of being stood on being a reasonably small bird. 

Haha that's lovely!! Yes I don't mind ours having a wander around downstairs (upstairs is carpet so no no no lol). I tell the kids if they let them out then they have to clean up! So we are watching them with tissues at the ready lol.

 

[JaeG]

Haha that's lovely!! Yes I don't mind ours having a wander around downstairs (upstairs is carpet so no no no lol). I tell the kids if they let them out then they have to clean up! So we are watching them with tissues at the ready lol.

That's my rule too! I love wet wipes!

 

[rita2paul]

i think it would make a lovely pet for your daughter. as you say the boys do get a rough deal.

 

[Hot BOB]

Most of our quail are very tame and all of them can be handled no problem. We have a male who has two girls and he is amazingly tame and always comes up to the bars to see us and grunt quietly at us. He's a sweetheart. We also have a girl who is particularly sweet and friendly who loves being patted. Some are naturally friendly, while others can be more highly strung, but breeding friendly ones and handling them a lot as chicks helps as well. They are great birds for kids and we all adore ours. Two boys can live together if your white turns out to be a boy, but they will try and mate with each other so you will have to keep an eye on them. Our daughter sometimes likes to get the quail out for a wander round the house but I wouldn't leave them permanently out due to the amount they poop, plus they are at risk of being stood on being a reasonably small bird.

 

[ButtonNomies]

Yes Males are IMO easier to tame. I actually prefer my boys as they're friendlier and more curious (plus they're prettier)

If u are going 5o keep it by itself tho it will need A LOT of attention. They're not hamsters who are happy to be left alone to sleep all day, theyre social creatures. My Max is almost always constantly on me somewhere and he's in with 5 other birds ... he STILL prefers just to sit and chill with me. Either snuggled up or grooming me (preening my ears, nose) having a dust bath in my hair. Or giving me a love grip while I hold him (he holds on to me with his beak)

They are VERY needy when they bond with a human. It's like carrying a toddler everywhere

 

[ButtonNomies]

Love grip

 

[ButtonNomies]

 

[The Birb King]

I only keep Button Quail, which are known to be more skittish than Coturnix, but it depends on how they are raised I guess. A little over a year ago I decided to get Button Quail. I had known about them and loved them for a couple years but did not know where to get them. I realized I could order eggs off eBay so that is what I did. Anyway we ended up with 9 chicks and as babies, they would follow my finger but they became more skittish as they grew. I'm not sure if it was because they were being raised in a medal watering trough or if I wasn't spending enough time with them. Now that they are over a year old and full grown, the most they will do is eat from my hand they dont like to be touched. A few months ago however I incubated 8 of their eggs and only one hatched. He was a little tuxedo chick and was EXTREMELY friendly. I think it was either because he was the only one that hatched or I was spending more time with him but he would follow my finger, hide under my hand, and when I took him out of his cage he would just follow me around. Sadly he died when he was under a week old of unknown cause