New quail owner seeking advice on taming

[Oob Child]

They sometimes lay down and extend one leg out. Is that how they cool off?

It's how most quail sleep. They will sometimes even look dead. It gets me every time!

 

[potatoyay]

Cross posting from teh new members section!

I recently got five quail chicks from a local farmer and Im very excited about them!

Maybe a little too excited. I bought them for eggs but I also want to tame them so they aren't afraid of me. I have read different opinions about how to tame quail from being still around them to handling them daily from a young age. I'm pretty sure they are all coturnix, and they're all female. I don't want to scare them so they never become tame. I've had all of them eat out of my hand at least once, and I know one of them seems more inclined to come to me than the others (and another seems to be untamable and very suspicious of me and doesn't want anything to do with me). Anyone have any advice?

i don't exactly remember what i did for my quail, but they're tame enough to be held without squirming around. first, i was able to feed them from my hand. i gave them a lot of grasshoppers which they immediately enjoyed. but then i tried to pick them up, which made them very nervous. but i think i just kept trying to pick them up, then giving them grasshoppers after i held them. eventually they got calmer, but they still get antsy if i try to pick them up.

 

[potatoyay]

I guess I should have been more clear about the brooder. It's basically a small hutch. I keep it outside and they've been fine with the weather. It's been decently hot because it's summer, so they haven't complained. I noticed them panting when I first got them and kept them in a box, but I moved them into their brooder/small hutch the day I got them. They sometimes lay down and extend one leg out. Is that how they cool off?

I only got them a few days ago, but since they've eaten out of my hand already, should I keep the hand feeding up or should I back off for a week to let them get settled? What goal should I set for taming?

once they started eating out of my hand, i tried to pick them up. definitely scared them, as i was trying to pick them up before they were ready. but it eventually worked and they became calmer. so maybe just try and hold them for short periods of time then make it longer? PS: also quail sleep like that, it's super funny