Tame button quails

[T3rrorToff33]

As some of you may have gathered, I intend on breeding my button quails. My general goal is to try and tame down chicks, and select a small number of them that I would then keep as pets in addition to my non tame quails.

I have read that tamed button quails don't get along with each other well and don't pair up... is this true? Does anyone here have first hand experience taming down button quail chicks and having them in pairs/groups?

Edit: I will NOT be keeping those hypothetical tamed chicks with their parents btw, they would have their own separate enclosure!

 

[nchls school]

I used to raise button quail in my science classroom. If they are raised together, the chicks, they will not get very tame. They will eat out of a person's hand but that's about it. Tamer or wild shouldn't matter as far as them getting along. We found that pairs and trios did the best; normals and silvers even nested and raised chicks.

 

[T3rrorToff33]

I used to raise button quail in my science classroom. If they are raised together, the chicks, they will not get very tame. They will eat out of a person's hand but that's about it. Tamer or wild shouldn't matter as far as them getting along. We found that pairs and trios did the best; normals and silvers even nested and raised chicks.

Ohhh!! So did you ever raise single ones that were tame and paired them up later? Id be fine with a trio of quails that at least accept me being near them without running for cover but I'm definitely curious.

My roo and pied hen are pretty chill for button quails though, so I'm hopeful that their chicks will have a certain predisposition for being a little less skiddish.

 

[nchls school]

Ohhh!! So did you ever raise single ones that were tame and paired them up later? Id be fine with a trio of quails that at least accept me being near them without running for cover but I'm definitely curious.

My roo and pied hen are pretty chill for button quails though, so I'm hopeful that their chicks will have a certain predisposition for being a little less skiddish.

No, I never raised a single chick alone, but I would guess it would imprint on people and not other buttons; having nothing to do with its own specie.

In time, even the wilder buttons become accustomed to people.

 

[Canina]

I am a first time button quail parent. I’ve been with them pretty much all day every day of their lives and clean their cage/change food and water multiple times a day with them still in there and they are happy to just move around me or inquisitively peck me or jump on my hands if my arms are in the cage. We started with just picking one of them up and holding one of them on rotation for 30 seconds to a minute every day then putting them back, always trying to end on a calm positive note before they get too stressed out. I like to just let them take their time hopping off my hand rather than just scooping them up and dropping them in the cage like I’ve see some people do. Now we take the out for a few minutes at a time every so often, let them wander about the hallway where my partner and myself sit on the floor supervising- they jump into our laps. They are two males and they are super bonded- like I low key think they’re kind of gay for eachother.

 

[T3rrorToff33]

I am a first time button quail parent. I’ve been with them pretty much all day every day of their lives and clean their cage/change food and water multiple times a day with them still in there and they are happy to just move around me or inquisitively peck me or jump on my hands if my arms are in the cage.

Thank you! That's the kinda answer I was looking for all my button quails were bought from a local breeder at 6 weeks old so i didn't get the chance to bond with them and they just look at my hand angrily at best lol.
I'm considering keeping a pair/group of males but I can hear my hens calling when I'm in my room so I'm worried two males might gore each other in that case. Otherwise, I relate to the gay quails lol my two girls were attached at the hip when we first got them and still are very closely bonded even with having their roo now. I like to call them my "quail throuple"

 

[FloorCandy]

@Ravenlover has raised singles. I believe they separated the one alone with no other chicks until it was an adult, and then they would let it breed with others, then take it back out. But this was during lockdown, and with a regular schedule it might be hard for you to provide enough companionship to a single quail and still have a job. The singleton chick will be very needy for attention.

 

[Ravenlover]

@Ravenlover has raised singles. I believe they separated the one alone with no other chicks until it was an adult, and then they would let it breed with others, then take it back out. But this was during lockdown, and with a regular schedule it might be hard for you to provide enough companionship to a single quail and still have a job. The singleton chick will be very needy for attention.

Ah shana didnt fully accept king so i did take him back and as she was slowly likeing and accepting lucifer she ended up going broody with his eggs right before he moved in so he didnt get a chance to move in yet both king and luci are hand raised by them selfs

 

[Ravenlover]

@Ravenlover has raised singles. I believe they separated the one alone with no other chicks until it was an adult, and then they would let it breed with others, then take it back out. But this was during lockdown, and with a regular schedule it might be hard for you to provide enough companionship to a single quail and still have a job. The singleton chick will be very needy for attention.

Yes u need to give them lots of attention if ur single raising a button they will develop a great personality if u dont they will ve scared of u all the time

 

[Canina]

Thank you! That's the kinda answer I was looking for all my button quails were bought from a local breeder at 6 weeks old so i didn't get the chance to bond with them and they just look at my hand angrily at best lol.
I'm considering keeping a pair/group of males but I can hear my hens calling when I'm in my room so I'm worried two males might gore each other in that case. Otherwise, I relate to the gay quails lol my two girls were attached at the hip when we first got them and still are very closely bonded even with having their roo now. I like to call them my "quail throuple"

I'm snot an expert but glad any anecdote or insight I can give can be even a little bit helpful. Yeah I would be extremely cautious leaving two boys alone especially if they weren't together from day 1, but I have to say my boys are really cute together. That's probably the fujoshi in me talking!

I really hope over time they get used to you. I forgot to mention, whilst cleaning I made a point of ignoring them so they don't think my sole interest is capturing them, a predator mentality. I go about it in a calm, deliberate manner but don't slow right down or fret over every single movement. I also spend some time just being close, observing with the cage open. When I am done cleaning and changing food/water I can try to pick them up. Then when they've had enough interaction I shut the cage and don't need to interfere with it any more for the time being and they also have the fresh memory of 'oh that scary weird person tried to eat me again but oh look they brought more cucumber slices and a mealworm'. Then I will observe them resuming going about their business after the cage is shut further reaffirming that I'm not always on a mission to get them 9but when I do 'get them' it's not the end of the world either). Best of luck,

Give it a few months and you'll be posting 'Help, my boys cry every time I leave the room!' xx