Ok why are they so skittish?

[gabrielle1976]

My 8 baby quail are a few days old now , and the older they get the more they just have a huge cow anytime I go to change there bedding or give them fresh water or anything. My chicken chicks spook but nothing like the franticness of these baby quail.
Oh and are they sapose to PLAY in there water , mine do , they dig and scratch and sit in there water dish

Oh and are they a certian type of quail color wise I mean , they are aufully cute I wish they werent so scared of me

 

[jhm47]

Quail, pheasants, wild turkeys, wild ducks, they are all wild birds that have not been bred in captivity for many generations. You will just have to learn to move slowly and quietly, and they might settle down just a bit, but they will never be as gentle as chickens.

 

[sweetshoplady]

They'll get to where they associate you with food. My breeders all eat out of the cup that I use to fill their dishes. They like having a bite or two or 3 before I actually "serve their dinner."

Adorable babies!

 

[Bettacreek]

They look like coturnix, regular browns probably (or jumbos). Maybe not though, if they're so skittish. Mine cram into the corner closest to the toilet when I use the restroom (yes, they're in the bathroom, lol). And, I can't get into the brooder to feed them or anything without being MOBBED. Good luck with the stinkers.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yes they do look like brown coturnix, it would be hard to tell if they are 'jumbo' or normal until they are grown. Eventually, you will have to nudge (smack) them away from your hand when you go to feed them, as mine always associate my hand with food! Thank goodness they don't peck to hard!

 

[Tala]

Don't worry, my chicks were terrified of me until about 2 days ago. Took them over 2 weeks to come around. Now they have decided that I take them outside and bring them bugs, so I must be good. Now they stand at the door and call for me and run at me when I open it!!!!

 

[magikchick]

Mine seem to settle down as they got older. Now they rush to me for food. I can pick them up with no problem.

 

[gabrielle1976]

Thank you everyone , I am glad to hear they should settle down soon, they are so funny they look like popcorn sometimes they hop strait up, I guess this is why people say they hurt them selves on the top of the cage if youre not carefull, right now they are in a big utility tub and it dosnt have a lid, When will they be able to jump out , Ill asume its sooner then chickens would be able to the way they bounce?

Coturnix is what they are I was just curious as to there color cuase some people have posted about all sorts of colors , regular brown is fine with me. I have them on Unmedicated chick starter and ground up cat food till I can go get the game bird stuff , I have 8 babies and the smallest bag I can get around here is 50 pounds ,

I just hope they dont dehydrate while IM gone every day as they epmty there water dish by playing in it about 45 minutes or less after I put it in there

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
coturnix are very domesticated, they've been produced, kept captive etc for many many mannnnyy years probably much longer than most other quail species.

If quail aren't handled from hatching, and hands moved around them slow they will be skiddish. It does take work to keep them calm, but during chick stage they are skiddish normally because they are babies and it's thier survival instincts. Mine too get scared during cleaning. What stops that is removing them ota new cage while doing so

Mine cry for me and run towards me if I got something they want just takes time and pacience

 

[sweetshoplady]

A week to 10 days, they'll have their wings. When they do, you will have what I call an airport with pilots in training. They will fly out and land on the ground, and proceed to run around til you get them back in.

I woke up one morning at 3 am with my ringneck pheasant jr pilots landing on me. They got moved to where I could contain them better.