Should I be handling my bobs?

[Missi]

I try to handle my bob youngins at least once a week, I only have 5. They totally flee when I stick my hand in their temporary cage. I don't want them to fear me, though. I know this may be something I can do nothing about & I don't want to purposefully stress them but sometimes I just get this maddening urge to nab one & snorggle the heck out of it it. I just adore them that much. Well when I do, there is a lot of fighting to get out of my hands for a few seconds then when I start petting its little head, it closes its eyes & I wonder either he's really loving his head scritch or he's halfway to a heart attack

I hold them like I've seen in pictures, with the legs between my fingers & the bird's body resting in the palm of my hand, that is after it calms down. When I first grab it, I have to hold it in both hands. All the while it is giving a distressed peep call. Eventually that subsides as well. ADVISE!

 

[animal8]

I don't know much about Bobs, but I think as long as you don't over handle them, they should be alright. They'll get more used to it eventually and I have heard some stories of some Bobs becoming quite tame. More than likely, though, you may continue to have the initial flight response and there's not much you can do about that. I have with the quail at my college (and the chickens) that they like being kept close to your body and they definitely do like having their heads scratched. It's so cute when they close their eyes like that

I think it's quite cool that your birds actually relax when you have hold of them, though. One of the Coturnix at my college never stops struggling when I have hold of her

 

[TwoCrows]

Handling Bob's will stress them. They aren't the handling type of quail. I have always handled my babies a lot just to get them to tame up somewhat, but no matter how much they are handled as babies, when they get to a certain age, they will fear being handled. And as adults their natural instincts are going to be to flee from you.

I have some boys that I can pick up and handle for inspection purposes and they are easy to pick up, however they fight me all the while, and that is only because they have become aggressive. Some of my other boys tolerate me grabbing them and do not put up a fight, but it is not because they enjoy the attention, they are only putting up with me.

Now I am sure there are some Bob's out there that may enjoy attention. I had a female that would get on my lap until she was 6 months old. But eventually she did grow out of it. Good luck!

 

[Missi]

Thanks to both of you

What quail do "like" being handled (other than buttons or cort)?

 

[Missi]

I just nabbed & snorggled another one tonight

Yes, he enjoyed his head scritch but when I loosened his grip & had a chance to wriggle himself out of my hands, he fled! I just caught him & scritched him even more

Get used to it BABIES!!!

 

[NovaAman]

OH MY GOSH! When i was skimming posts I thought it said SHOULD I BE HANDLING MY B**BS! Did a double take!

As for the right question, I think minimally..

 

[xchairity_casex]

i do that with my buttons sometimes they are jsut too darling i need to kiss them even the adult birds they fly around for a few seconds but once i begin to kis them they go calm and relax can even loosen my grip to nothing at all and they sit there like "sigh if you must...."

 

[Missi]

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Thanks for the laugh!!

 

[Missi]

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Awwweeee sounds like I definitely need some buttons! Who may actually appreciate the lovin's I give them!

 

[GoldenSparrow]

Can you post a picture of them?

I have never seen those type of birds