Odd behaviour

[cathalmire]

Hi guys, ok so iv been feeding my quail from hand a few time and have noticed something about the 1st hatchling. When i put my hand in he/she starts eating but then climbed onto my hand and flicks the food with the feet and climbs of again and feeds from my hand again. I thought mybe it was to stop the other chicks feeding, has anybody else had this happen?

 

[WIchickMama]

sounds like it is scratching for food, normal behavior I would think but I don't have quail

 

[Nabiki]

This is completely normal. Quail are very messy eaters and will kick their food everywhere.

 

[cathalmire]

I just found it strange as the food was on my hand and only the one was doing it, thinking it was stopping the others from taking the food lol

 

[Blue Penguin]

Yeah quails will do that. Chickens do it a lot.

 

[maycwindu]

It's called a fixed action pattern, which is a behavior that's innate and is triggered by certain stimuli. In chickens and other gamebirds, like quail, they often respond to excited feeding by scratching, even though they don't gain anything by scratching when the food is all right there.

 

[coffee_and_quail]

Totally normal. They kick their food around a lot. I've got a few that also use their beaks to fling it everywhere. Messy eaters.

 

[Zoologist]

Haha, yep they kick food out of your hand my chickens did the same thing it’s just natural instinct