Quail cuddle puddles

[MageofMist]

They are so sweet cuddled together! Thats a really interesting idea, I have one small room where letting them out would potentially work with a lot of patience. Did you try it when the were chicks? I've read that the older Chinese Painted quail get the less tameable they become, but also don't want to stress them out a lot when they're so young.

I actually find the opposite to be true, chicks always seem to suddenly fear you 3-5 days after hatching no matter how much you coddled them after hatching, whilst adults are quite easy to keep tame. I had Panic from a chick, but only really focused on taming her as an adult after her chick-born human fear set in.
10 day olds *should* be large enough to keep track of, so it is up to you whether you want to start trying to room-tame them now, or wait another week or so. Just try sitting in the room with them and putting treats down around you to encourage them to approach and investigate, don't try and force them to be near you as that won't work.

 

[ButtonBag]

Thanks for advice! I'll definitely give it a go, they're still eating out of our hands each day (after an initial panic – what a great name by the way) which seems like a good sign, so I'll leave it another week or two perhaps then see what they think of being let out the brooder

I'm loving all the cuddle pictures by the way, so thought I'd better contribute my puddle from when they were a couple of days old:

 

[maadroj]

Heart-shaped cuddle puddle!

 

[FloorCandy]

Thanks for advice! I'll definitely give it a go, they're still eating out of our hands each day (after an initial panic – what a great name by the way) which seems like a good sign, so I'll leave it another week or two perhaps then see what they think of being let out the brooder

I'm loving all the cuddle pictures by the way, so thought I'd better contribute my puddle from when they were a couple of days old:
View attachment 2255128

I find they (I have coturnix, but it works for hamsters and rodents in general as well) panic less when approached from the sides and scooped, I have a door in the front of my brooder, it is a panel from a rodent cage, I cut a hole in the side of the bin and put it on. Once they are large enough for my largest brooder, they have entered their more fearful stage, but opening the door and letting them eat from hands works well, and they would very often wrestle over who got to stand in my hand and kick the food out. Even as adults they usually approach me eagerly if I open a side door in the pen, they generally ignore me if I open the top now. I have told many people who marveled at our tame hamsters, if you want to tame a small prey animal you need to have a side door, prey is terrified of death from above.

 

[ButtonBag]

That's good advice, thanks. We have a permanent large terrarium with front opening doors ready for them to move into when they're older, but just a regular tub for the brooder. I want to give it a proper clean tomorrow but I really don't know how I'll get them out of there with minimal stress, they'll stand on my palm to eat but as soon as you move to pick them up, even from below, they're at the other end yelling and boinking off the netting over the top.

 

[FloorCandy]

Here’s my big brooder, the mid sized one is visible to the left, it also has a door. Once they see the lid move or see you looming, it’s too late, they’re already worked up lol. I just kneel down and approach from their level.

 

[ButtonBag]

That looks good, I think I'll try and construct something like this for them if it's going to help them be a bit less skittish. How many weeks do you typically keep them in the brooders?

 

[FloorCandy]

That looks good, I think I'll try and construct something like this for them if it's going to help them be a bit less skittish. How many weeks do you typically keep them in the brooders?

I had 19 last time and they were gross! I put them outside at 3.5 weeks I think, because it was colder. The next hatch was supposed to be less eggs but I ended up putting 15 in the incubator, And all are developing, I may have a ton again, but they will get put out at maybe 3 weeks because it’s so warm, strugglers may get a couple extra days inside.

 

[MageofMist]

Scrappy, tell ya boyfriend to get out his water bowl so I can fill it!

 

[Quailerino]

My tamest quail (or better my daughter's) doesn't cuddle puddle at all, as she hates other quails ...
... she already nearly killed three other quails , till she got into solitary confinement

But she loves humans
View attachment 2254985

Does this count as cuddle?

This is such a lovely picture! What a special bond this quail and human have.