New quail owner seeking advice on taming

[HutchButch]

Cross posting from teh new members section!

I recently got five quail chicks from a local farmer and Im very excited about them!

Maybe a little too excited. I bought them for eggs but I also want to tame them so they aren't afraid of me. I have read different opinions about how to tame quail from being still around them to handling them daily from a young age. I'm pretty sure they are all coturnix, and they're all female. I don't want to scare them so they never become tame. I've had all of them eat out of my hand at least once, and I know one of them seems more inclined to come to me than the others (and another seems to be untamable and very suspicious of me and doesn't want anything to do with me). Anyone have any advice?

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Cross posting from teh new members section!

I recently got five quail chicks from a local farmer and Im very excited about them!

Maybe a little too excited. I bought them for eggs but I also want to tame them so they aren't afraid of me. I have read different opinions about how to tame quail from being still around them to handling them daily from a young age. I'm pretty sure they are all coturnix, and they're all female. I don't want to scare them so they never become tame. I've had all of them eat out of my hand at least once, and I know one of them seems more inclined to come to me than the others (and another seems to be untamable and very suspicious of me and doesn't want anything to do with me). Anyone have any advice?

I have never tamed a coturnix quail but imo you should gradually work up to being picked up starting as young as you can and slowly work your way up to where you want to be at.

 

[Nabiki]

Coturnix quail are the tamest of the species of quail that you can raise. Don't expect them to be tame like chickens. If you spend a LOT of time with them from hatch on, they can become very tame.

If you just want them to be reasonably calm around you, just spend time near them. Mine don't have a healthy fear of feet, but they don't like to be picked up and held. They don't eat from my hand, but I've never worked to get them that tame.

 

[sourland]

Patience and feed will eventually get the job done. Let them come to you - don't catch and force yourself on them - it will only intensify their fear.

 

[HutchButch]

Thanks for the advice! I've noticed when they're picked up or otherwise separated from the flock, they start making a much louder cry than usual. Is that like a "come pick me up I'm lost" alarm?

Also, do quail have the same fear instinct of being held on their backs that chicken chicks do? How do I check for stuff like pasty butt or observe under their wings?

Also, when do I switch them over from brooder to hutch? I have five at about 12 days old and the brooder is about 2'×2'. I use sand for litter, but a recent rain made it get all wet like beach sand. I tried building their brooder to be waterproof, but I guess it didn't work as well as I wanted...

 

[Nabiki]

Quail are most comfortable in a covey, so if they're separated, they will call for their covey mates. Sometimes you can use this to sex your non-feather sexable coturnix since males will often start to crow if they're alone.

I think almost all animals have a fear instinct about being held on their backs. That does expose their soft, vulnerable underside, after all. My birds don't like it, but they will tolerate it. Mine know me and trust me to an extent.

The general rule for kicking your quail out is six weeks. They are fully feathered and basically adults at that point. If your weather is reasonably mild, you can put them outside as early as 4 weeks. It can be done earlier depending on your climate.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Thanks for the advice! I've noticed when they're picked up or otherwise separated from the flock, they start making a much louder cry than usual. Is that like a "come pick me up I'm lost" alarm?

Also, do quail have the same fear instinct of being held on their backs that chicken chicks do? How do I check for stuff like pasty butt or observe under their wings?

Also, when do I switch them over from brooder to hutch? I have five at about 12 days old and the brooder is about 2'×2'. I use sand for litter, but a recent rain made it get all wet like beach sand. I tried building their brooder to be waterproof, but I guess it didn't work as well as I wanted...

It all depends on where you live I live in a very hot are 90+ almost 24/7 right now and they go out at 3-5 days old but if it’s colder I would not put them outside for at least 2-4 weeks.

 

[HutchButch]

I guess I should have been more clear about the brooder. It's basically a small hutch. I keep it outside and they've been fine with the weather. It's been decently hot because it's summer, so they haven't complained. I noticed them panting when I first got them and kept them in a box, but I moved them into their brooder/small hutch the day I got them. They sometimes lay down and extend one leg out. Is that how they cool off?

I only got them a few days ago, but since they've eaten out of my hand already, should I keep the hand feeding up or should I back off for a week to let them get settled? What goal should I set for taming?

 

[Nabiki]

I guess I should have been more clear about the brooder. It's basically a small hutch. I keep it outside and they've been fine with the weather. It's been decently hot because it's summer, so they haven't complained. I noticed them panting when I first got them and kept them in a box, but I moved them into their brooder/small hutch the day I got them. They sometimes lay down and extend one leg out. Is that how they cool off?

I only got them a few days ago, but since they've eaten out of my hand already, should I keep the hand feeding up or should I back off for a week to let them get settled? What goal should I set for taming?

Only you can set your goal for taming. How much time do you want to spend with them? What level of tame do you want? The tamer you want them, the more time you need to spend with them.

You've already done well with getting them to eat from your hand. If you take a break, they are likely to revert back to their normal level of behaviour, which is calm around you, but not really tame.

 

[Cool-breeze7]

Best tip I have is mealworms. By far the favorite treat for my birds. Even the skittish ones forget their afraid of a stiff breeze for those snacks. Be sure to offer some form of grit if you offer anything other than feed crumbles.