Bobwhite quail as "pets"

[rittert3]

Ya freind of mine has a hand raised cameo peacock that keeps getting me when I go in the aviary.

 

[TRN79_3]

I sure do wish I could get mine tamed. They're a little under 2 weeks old and go absolutely crazy whenever I reach in to their brooder to replace the food or water...they'll fly and jump crazily until the brooder is just a giant blur of feathers. I would handle them more but picking one up and holding it or even getting anywhere near one is next to impossible. Any tips? Or is this a hopeless case?

 

[Lilandra]

Quote:
I had a pair of quail that were pets, the roo would hop onto my hand when I would feed and clean their pen. He would talk to me as I would walk up to the cage. When spring came around, he got too aggressive with his lady friend and she died. I got him a pair of ladies from a friend, and they didn't like Buddy and killed him... now I have two hens and they aren't pets you can play with but they talk to you and eat greenery out of your hand if you are careful.

Bobwhite quail are wild animals for the most part, they won't make a great companion, but as a caged pet they are really neat to talk with and have.

When you go to work with your birds, mimic their talk a bit - coo and click while you are working around them and they shouldn't get so upset with you. After awhile, they will tame down to where they ignore you - that's when you can start petting them as they eat and holding your hand in the cage so they can climb on you.

good luck with them, they are nice birds

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
I often wondered with the one I found and kept if it seem me as a parent figure (one of the previous posters said quail don't imprint like other birds) or if it thought I was its potential mate. I kind of suspect the latter.

 

[linbee]

I read a wonderful book called "That Quail Robert". It is a true story about a lady who had a quail in her house for several years in the 60's. I don't remember how she came to have the quail, but it was definitely a pet. It was reported on television back then, but I just read the book last yeat. It certainly made me want to have one as a pet. We have a family that lives somewhere around our house and they are certainly entertaining. I

 

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

I am starting to think my bobwhites hate me. I had to grab them today to put them in a temporary cage while I cleaned out theirs and refreshed their food and water. One of them flat out bit me.

I think I want to spend more time interacting with them because I don't want to have to fight with them every time I need to clean their pen. Are there any types of foods I can offer them to gain their trust? (kind of like giving a dog biscuits when training hehe)

 

[quaillady19]

RE: quail as house pets. Yes, they can, and do, make great house pets. I currently have 5 now, 4 bobwhites and one Gambel's quail. The Gambel's quail is 11 years old, he lost his mate a year ago of old age.
My one quail, Randee, is a traveling companion and loves to ride on the dash of my dashmat covered area. She loves to visit with people and is a real chow hound. She just had her 7th birthday. I had one, a California Valley quail, that was so much fun that I wrote a book about him called. "Diary of a California Valley Quail" written and illustrated from his perspective. Just had more copies made up because people are asking for one. The trick to taming them is to handle them a lot when they are chicks.
Followup: My sweet Randee quail passed away on July 28th at age 7 years, 4 months, and 14 days.We were bonded
extremely close and I shall miss her horribly. I have her cagemate Sara Jane, who is 4 years, and Randee taught her well
on people life. We share ice cream in the evenings and she sleeps with me under the covers. Like a burrowing owl.
William the Gambels quail is 14 years this year.

 

[quaillady19]

11/23/2013-Quaillady19 back again with a followup on my house quail .
I have lost all but one of the original group and she is 6 years old this year.
I have a new one that hatched August 11th and she is a whole flavor of her own.
FavoriteI thing to do is fly into my lap and stretch her legs out so I can rub the bottoms of her feet. Serious.
If anyone out there is wanting to purchase a copy of the Diary of A California Valley quail book, I still have some left at $10.00 plus postange. Just shoot me an email at [email protected]. Thanks.

 

[chickenear02]

I raised a single mountain quaul that ended up being a male from a chick, it was so tame I would walk to Albertsons with it, it would sit on my shoulder for hours and follow me around, it live in a two foot by two foot outside cage, it never got cold and I live in idaho, it was a great experience and little guy, I am going to get a Bob white this year as well. Hope that helped!!!!!

 

[morningstar924]

Raising a single bird takes alot of time because they will stress themselves to death if u don't give them plenty of attention.y will peep/yell till you come.