What have you discovered?

[LoveInNature]

Once I had children owning animals took on a new meaning. I had no idea that they did these crazy things until I saw my children interacting with them without prior experience, knowledge or reference.

So I would like to hear from our readers and posters alike who have discovered what these adorable animals are capable of and explain how it is achieved.

This should go without saying that the contributions are fun facts and do not involve stress to the animal involved.

As you can see this is a very relaxed bird. The children found that as long as the birds head is well supported and they rub the top of the birds head, it's feet will stretch out and it will go to sleep.
@Binki

 

[Binki]

Hahaha I can't get over that picture

Well I never knew I could be a quail's celebit boyfriend but I'm a girl unless she's a lesbian? In which case I would still accept her but as she's only a few months old and I'm not into animals that way, I don't think there's any chance for us LOL.

Oh and I never knew how much they loved being in a sleeve... It's the same behaviour I seen the chicks doing with their mom in the aviary in her wing feathers

 

[MageofMist]

I recently discovered that quails have a stalking behaviour like a big cats.
When watching the chaos unfold after giving a handful of mealworms, I noticed some doing something odd, with their bodies close to the ground and slowly creeping closer before dashing over to try and nab the mealworm from the other quail's beak! XD

I also found out that quails love meat more than seeds, as they will try to eat my hand when I offer a handful of millet, literally shoving the seeds aside before viciously pecking at my hand while shaking their heads like dogs do with rope toys! Even when I try and hide my hand fully under the seeds, they will peck at any exposed parts of my skin they find. Vicious little dinosaurs, they are. I still love them though, even though they all would probably eat me if given a chance!

 

[crimsonmama]

Haha cute thread! I think quails make really interesting indoor pets! As most of the time they are kept outside most keepers probably don't get to observe all their funny little ways? I have been keeping my quails indoors in a open top pen because it's been frosty outside and then my female laid eggs and is sitting on them (day ten today). So she is upstairs in a pen where it's warm and quiet.

Anyways... The funniest thing I saw is the male wags his tail side to side like one of those dogs with a stubby tail! He makes a purring-growl happy vibrating sound and wags his tail when we call "treats" and shake the bag of meal worms.

 

[MageofMist]

Apparently a tissue box is grade A enrichment for baby quails. I filled the nestbox with tissue as the hen only has interest in nesting on it, and the babies are standing ontop of it and are pulling it out of the hole, shaking it, then dropping it and pulling out more. XD

 

[Binki]

Hehe!! I never knew they were so similar to chickens, scratching and dustbathing and tidbitting and squatting

 

[cshma11]

What is tidbitting?

 

[Binki]

What is tidbitting?

It's when a chicken or quail picks up a piece of food and drops it while making a special sound to call over another quail (and sometimes people xD).

It's a good normal behaviour for chickens roosters and quail roosters but I've also seen female chicken and female quail do it with no males around and another mother quail made the sound and did the actions to her babies in the aviary, it's like, "hey! Hey look! Over here!! It's so great look, come here and get some, hey!"

 

[Binki]

Perhaps this comic strip will explain further, LOL

!!

 

[MageofMist]

It's when a chicken or quail picks up a piece of food and drops it while making a special sound to call over another quail (and sometimes people xD).

It's a good normal behaviour for chickens roosters and quail roosters but I've also seen female chicken and female quail do it with no males around and another mother quail made the sound and did the actions to her babies in the aviary, it's like, "hey! Hey look! Over here!! It's so great look, come here and get some, hey!"

My male quail does it when offering food to the hen and chicks XD Though sometimes he does it when I walk by the cage, pecking at the bowl or cage bars making fast peeps before looking up at me asking for treats, and then whines and crows if I don't give them treats, such as when I am watching them.