Ok, going to start with this happened almost 20 years ago and I still cry about it.
What I did: meticulously hand tamed my first batch of coturnix quail. They were so docile, they would sit in my lap and cluster under me when I was in their walk-in pen.
The consequences: They had no understanding that human feet could harm them. One snuggled down behind me, I took a step backwards and..... I can’t ever forget that feeling or sound.
The fix: All subsequent quail hatches are fed and cared for, but not tamed. Some strangely still grow that social on their own and we have to be VERY conscious of where those little idiots* are every second anyone is in the pen.
Lesson learned: Quail are little birdies with little birdy brains. We can’t expect them to analyze situations and “logically” respond to danger. It’s MY job to keep them safe, not train away their natural tendencies that help keep them alive.
*clarification: we love our little idiots very much