Can quail be tamed?

[TheChickInn]

Hi! I am new to quail. My son wanted to raise them as a project for 4H this year. We have a pair of snowflake quail that we raised from hatching eggs. We have been handling them every day, but they are still very wild. Just wondering if anyone has a trick or two up their sleeves so that handling them will be easier. Also, if you show quail, can they have clipped wing feathers so they don't fly away!

 

[TwoCrows]

Clipping wings will not stop quail from flying away. They are not all that heavy and can alight on any wind and be gone.

As for them being wild, Snowflakes don't tame up like chickens. These quail are pretty flighty and stress when handled. They can be friendlied up enough to eat from your hands, or come running when you have treats, but as far as holding them, don't. They can injure themselves easily. No matter how much you work with them, they will only tame up as far as you have taken them now.

Good luck with your Snowflakes. Gorgeous birds!

 

[TheChickInn]

Thanks for the reply! I guess we will just have to admire them from afar....

 

[Sherudy]

Dear ? Yes one can tame quail! -- Currently we have thirteen tame indoor quail and hundreds of outdoor wild quail we tend to, in our 'Quail Oasis sanctuary in Quartzsite 'Arizona. I am a new member and not acquainted with procedure in communicating with one another. Get in touch with me and we can exchange email for further discussion.
Don't feel bad about not being able to domesticate quail you raised from baby chicks. We have a ton of experience to share with you if you wish to learn more about the joy and sorrow connected to raising quail.
My email address is [email protected] -- Ours is a most interesting spiritual experience shared worldwide with adherents, for nearly fifteen years on the internet! You shall be amazed to read and learn about quail stories too true to behold!
PS. We started raising six chickens. After six months one started laying two days ago. We learned from and through our quail how to communicate with our chickens! Incredible intelligence quail and chickens exhibit from loving attention! Quail and chickens respond to their given names -- simply incredible! The icing on our scenario -- a female pigeon that loves to talk in response for the love and attention we smother her with.
Love -- Chiricahua Apache -- Sherudy -- (Sheri -- wife) & Rudy.

 

[Quails1]

Clipping wings will not stop quail from flying away. They are not all that heavy and can alight on any wind and be gone.

As for them being wild, Snowflakes don't tame up like chickens. These quail are pretty flighty and stress when handled. They can be friendlied up enough to eat from your hands, or come running when you have treats, but as far as holding them, don't. They can injure themselves easily. No matter how much you work with them, they will only tame up as far as you have taken them now.

Good luck with your Snowflakes. Gorgeous birds!

Have they been given sufficient attention and care as chicks/babies? It's true they won't tame down easily like chickens when they're adults, but what about the young? TwoCrows, think again! The key here to getting tame birds (whether they're quails, pheasants, or any sort of animal) as much as possible is to start them off as chicks (by hatching them from eggs, acquiring them as babies, etc.), making sure you spend lots of time with that bird(s) to its desire; you want the bird to imprint and bond upon you at the sight of its human parent, forming a connection between you and the bird. Just like babies, when they see Mom and Dad, the infant baby imprints on them and sees them as its caregivers. Likewise, when a baby bird hatches out of its egg, at the sight of a person it sees as it's primary, fundamental caretaker, it imprints to that individual. Make sure you spend lots of time with them when they're young!

Hope my advice helps!

 

[spotsplus]

I think Coturnix make the best pets of all the quails. We have had some tame Button and Coturnix quails over the years