Is gently holding chicks, despite their protests, a good method for taming them, or is it better to be placidly present and let them take the lead? Any other tips for taming?
We have 13 California valley quail chicks, now 3 weeks old. I've been talking/singing/whistling to them since they were eggs in the incubator, because we intended to try to keep them as pets. We realize it's more challenging to tame them in a large group, we just didn't expect so many of our eggs to hatch (14 out of 15; and sadly one post-hatch casualty). They live in our bedroom for now (aviary coming soon), and we spend as much time as possible next to them, hand feeding several times a day in addition to refilling the feed in their brooder so they don't go hungry.
Several are relatively comfortable around us, the first to come out of the brooder to eat and explore the nearby area (before rushing back inside). They'll climb into our hands while eating and will sometimes allow us to raise our hands a little higher (but generally quickly hop off once they notice). One has hopped onto a knee briefly to look around before calmly hopping back off.
Are we doing enough, or do we need to try to hold them so they learn they won't be harmed in our hands? They seem to get a bit more shy as time passes. If we try to gently pet them (back, neck, chest or head), they either move over like they feel crowded or squeak and zip away.
We have had to catch them to move around to deep clean their brooder a few times, and a few to treat their feet, and I'm worried that's why they're more wary now. On the other hand, I'm worried we should have held them a lot more as tiny chicks and now missed our window of opportunity (I tried a couple of times, but they were so scared they were vibrating, and I decided not to risk their health).
We know it won't be simple and they'll never be fully tame, but we'd like to try our best. I've seen some folks here seem to have really good bonds with their wildish quail. I'd love to hear about your experiences, successful or not! All advice welcome. Thank you!
We have 13 California valley quail chicks, now 3 weeks old. I've been talking/singing/whistling to them since they were eggs in the incubator, because we intended to try to keep them as pets. We realize it's more challenging to tame them in a large group, we just didn't expect so many of our eggs to hatch (14 out of 15; and sadly one post-hatch casualty). They live in our bedroom for now (aviary coming soon), and we spend as much time as possible next to them, hand feeding several times a day in addition to refilling the feed in their brooder so they don't go hungry.
Several are relatively comfortable around us, the first to come out of the brooder to eat and explore the nearby area (before rushing back inside). They'll climb into our hands while eating and will sometimes allow us to raise our hands a little higher (but generally quickly hop off once they notice). One has hopped onto a knee briefly to look around before calmly hopping back off.
Are we doing enough, or do we need to try to hold them so they learn they won't be harmed in our hands? They seem to get a bit more shy as time passes. If we try to gently pet them (back, neck, chest or head), they either move over like they feel crowded or squeak and zip away.
We have had to catch them to move around to deep clean their brooder a few times, and a few to treat their feet, and I'm worried that's why they're more wary now. On the other hand, I'm worried we should have held them a lot more as tiny chicks and now missed our window of opportunity (I tried a couple of times, but they were so scared they were vibrating, and I decided not to risk their health).
We know it won't be simple and they'll never be fully tame, but we'd like to try our best. I've seen some folks here seem to have really good bonds with their wildish quail. I'd love to hear about your experiences, successful or not! All advice welcome. Thank you!
