Bored quail

[Abpoultry]

I have 4 cortinix quail and keep them in a 6 by 6ft pen i think they have more then eneogh room but they always seem bored and are pecking at the sides of the pen (which makes me feel like I'm bring cruel keeping them) they have a mud bath and have plenty of grass, they've got tunnels, hides and I often give treats, there don't like being handled but there really tame and don't flinch at ask when I come in they even walk over my feet. I thought it could be becuase they are stressed but I can't see what their being stressed by. I would appreciate some ideas of what to do (they don't do it all the time about once a day) do u think it's becuase of the cockeral

 

[SpotTheCat]

Can you get pictures of the pen? Do you mean dust bath not mud bath? What is going on with a cockerel? How many male quails do you have?

 

[Nabiki]

Quail prefer dirt/sand baths over mud. It sounds like they have a very nice place. Once in a while you could add something that will take them a while to tear apart like a plant.

 

[Abpoultry]

Can you get pictures of the pen? Do you mean dust bath not mud bath? What is going on with a cockerel? How many male quails do you have?

I tried to load the picture on the first post but It wouldn't load, half of the pen has a cover for shade and the other just had fencing over. The ground is completely covered in grass and I put the dust bath not mud bath in the corner they've got plenty of shades. We only have one cockeral who is separated at the moment because he was badly bullying on of the females, he was fine with the others. He can still see them though we've just sectioned off a bit for him

 

[Abpoultry]

Quail prefer dirt/sand baths over mud. It sounds like they have a very nice place. Once in a while you could add something that will take them a while to tear apart like a plant.

I'm from England so what I mean by mud bath is dry sandy soil. Do u have any suggestions of what plant to get

 

[snood dude]

I have 4 cortinix quail and keep them in a 6 by 6ft pen i think they have more then eneogh room but they always seem bored and are pecking at the sides of the pen (which makes me feel like I'm bring cruel keeping them) they have a mud bath and have plenty of grass, they've got tunnels, hides and I often give treats, there don't like being handled but there really tame and don't flinch at ask when I come in they even walk over my feet. I thought it could be becuase they are stressed but I can't see what their being stressed by. I would appreciate some ideas of what to do (they don't do it all the time about once a day) do u think it's becuase of the cockeral

they might see some thing on the cage and thinks it is food

 

[Nabiki]

A spider plant would be pretty harmless, and they're easy to grow. You could also take an overgrown zucchini and split it in half and let them peck out the insides. That takes them a while and they enjoy it.

 

[Abpoultry]

they might see some thing on the cage and thinks it is food

I don't think so cuz they do it often but maybe it's somthing outside that they want

 

[Abpoultry]

A spider plant would be pretty harmless, and they're easy to grow. You could also take an overgrown zucchini and split it in half and let them peck out the insides. That takes them a while and they enjoy it.

Can I plant it in the soil

 

[SpotTheCat]

I don't think so cuz they do it often but maybe it's somthing outside that they want

Mine like pecking at things in other quails sections of the pen, they also destroyed all the leaves they could reach through the smaller outer wire