Got my Coturnix today--are they really this calm?

[SkyWarrior]

Okay, so I got my cots today! I ended up getting 7 females and 3 males. I was going to argue for two males but the guy selling them would only sell 2 females per ,male and threw in a female for free. So I separated them into two cages, since they were all getting along in a big cage, I figured two males with four females wouldn't be so weird.

Well, all the females laid eggs this evening and these quail acted calm when I put my hand in the cage to get the eggs. Sure, they jumped up when I surprised them at first, but then they settled down and started eating when I put the food in. Heck, I could brush my hands by them and they seemed unconcerned. Compared to my blue scales, they seem catatonic.

Someone pointed out that these birds are vastly different from each other, so I'm kind of thrilled to have birds that don't mind human contact. Is this normal? Should I feel lucky? Did I get a good deal? ($35 for 10)

Thanks!

 

[jak2002003]

In my experience this is normal, but I don't know for everyone else.

My quails were so friendly and lazy! They did not mind being touched, were easy to pick up, would run to me when they saw me (I sometimes gave them treats).

I used to keep mine in an aviary with budgies. They were pets mostly, but I used to eat or give away their eggs - delicious.

I used to put in a metal pan filled with fine sand a few times a week so they could have a dust bath. They loved that! They would all pile in and kick and wiggle about. Very funny to see.

I also liked to see them sunbathing. They would stretch their bodies right out any lay flat. They looked like the joke rubber chickens!

Enjoy you birds.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Thats one of the differences I was speaking of Sky. They will get nearly as calm as chickens if handled often. They will eat alot more than your new worlds too. course if more goes in more comes out too... Be prepared for that! The breeder only selling you so many hens per roo, was not for the birds sake. It was because the roos are harder to get rid of.... Just like roosters or buck rabbits, you only need so many, the rest are table fair! I hope you enjoy your birds... Bill

 

[Fat Daddy]

BTW, You can expect a total shut down in egg production for a week or two. This is totally normal... Move'n coturnix is a violation of quail law and is punished by, as JJ put it,"NO EGGS FOR YOU!" Good luck. Bill

 

[SkyWarrior]

Thanks. I figured the egg production would stop for a few weeks. Chickens have that law too.

I also figured the guy who raised them (he bought them as live chicks from Texas) just wanted to get rid of some males. He's giving the rest of the spare males to train hawks for the birds of prey group out here.

I think he might be a vegan as he hasn't bothered picking up the eggs from his blue scale quail in some time. Either that, or he is afraid they'll get loose. I know that's a fear of mine.

You're right on temperament. The difference is astounding. The blue scales are really wild birds in captivity.

 

[wishful suburbanite]

Old thread, I know, but I was just thinking that myself. Mine might make one attempt to get away and then they'll give up after three seconds and you can just pick them up and they accept it.

Some of mine seem to go all ragdoll when I pick them up and don't even kick me or anything. Both my parents were petting one of mine at the same time as I held it last night and it really wasn't all that worried.

I'm not sure anyone's really breeding for docility since these birds were mostly meant for eggs and meat. It probably just came about after so much domestication.

 

[KonQuail]

I brought quails from different sources and I must say that the Jumbos were really calm. That said, when I started hatching my own quails the first generation was jumpy and didn't let me pick any of them up. The originals from the farm are still relaxed and won't put up too much of a fight when i'm trying to catch them. Things have gotten a bit better now that I've introduced the first generation to the originals.

 

[veggiecanner]

Mine would fly straight up and hit the top of the cage when I got them. They are in wire rabbit cages. So I put card board on the top of the cages for a few days. When they got closer to laying I took the cardboard off and hung shop lights over the cages. Now they come to see what I bring them. On these hot days I give them a dog bowl of water to wade in. On alternate days it is filled with sand.