How hard is it to tame baby coturnix?

[vixie-daisy]

Hi everyone,

I have a group of 7 baby coturnix running around in the brooder after hatching a little more than a week ago. This is my first hatch ever (Have some button eggs in the incubator now.. I may have the beginnings of an addiction. Boy do I wish I lived in an area that allows chickens) and I'm just wondering what your guys' experience is with taming coturnix chicks.

The first couple of days they were cuddling up to my hand as it seems it's common for them to do, but after that they've quickly become quite scared of me despite my attempts to take a great deal of time to handle them and be around them daily. Is this normal? They invariably start running around in a panic and doing this "danger, danger!" sort of cheep when I put my hand in the brooder.

I know that taming them is very possible, but how long does it normally take? I kind of expected it to happen more smoothly with chicks I've hatched myself. Any tips on getting them more comfortable with me? I don't expect them to end up as lap pets of course, but I hope they won't always be this terrified.

 

[Sammbalina]

I don't have quail yet, but from what I have seen they love their food. Try feeding them from your hand. Take their normal feeder out and just sit there with the feed in your hand. They should start to associate your hand with food instead of seeing it as a predator. Works with a lot of other animals, so I don't see why it wouldn't work with quail.

 

[007Sean]

To tame any bird, you just have to spend alot of time with them. Putting your hand down into the brooder at their level and leaving it there for extened periods helps to get them to accept your hand as something to not be feared. Picking them up from a sideways motion and not from above will also help in taming them...predators usually attack from above from a quail's perspective.
Presenting treats to them from your hand and just alot of plain old handling them will decrease their fear of you.

 

[DK newbie]

I have 24 chicks that are 2½ weeks old and I haven't really done anything to tame them, but most of them will allow me to touch them without moving much.
They did do this "danger, danger"-sound when they were younger, but it might have stopped when I moved them from their initial aquarium brooder (which they outgrew very fast) to a 2x4 cage (which they have also pretty much outgrown now) that opens from the side, as 007Sean suggests. Also, they mainly made the sound when I picked them up, not so much when I just put my hand in the brooder.. But it might also be genetic. Some birds just are more docile than others.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Yeah, they do kind of get that "AGH predators exist" surge at some point or another. It'll settle down sooner or later, and it'll speed up if you're gentle with them. Put your hand flat in the brooder with food in it, let them come close, don't move at all. They'll calm down eventually.

 

[JaeG]

Millet is a nice treat but try to get it as seeds rather than a spray of millet as they instinctively seem to think its a snake. Once used to a spray they are fine but it's interesting that initial fear is so instinctive.

As others have said, just a lot of time spent with them talking and having your hand in the brooder. They are cuddly initially then they start to become more independent. They aren't big on being touched but they are curious and enjoy interacting with you. Some will always be more curious than others.

Buttons on the other hand are extremely skittish generally. For the first 4 days they like to snuggle under your hand, then they turn into wild little escape artists. I find the coturnix very docile by comparison.

If you plan on hatching your birds eggs choose your friendliest, calmest birds as the parents as personality is genetic with these cuties.