How to keep button quail tamed into adulthood?

[Diveks]

Hey so from my previous threads i posted about hatching out buttons. well they are out now and i would say tamed? I have at least 3 that are somewhat imprinted, they will yell for me until i whistle back or put my hand in. the rest will follow in the yelling if someone starts it. I have them in the office so i am with them around 16 hours a day. well i brought them to the bedroom unintentionally last night and they watched me sleep as half of the house electricity died.

I will usuall answer to their yells by whistling (usually every 10 minutes) and I will 'peck' at their food and water while while whisting or doing the calling noises. They will all run to me when i whistle and will sometimes cuddle under my hand or go under and out from under my hand. Is there any way for me to keep them 'tamed' through to adulthood? I just don't want the quails to thrash around when i am cleaning the cage ect, having them take treats from me would be nice too. I have noticed when something scares them or something changes in their environment they will run to me and hide under my hand, of course i won't intentionally scare them. Any tips or experiences? this is day 1-3 for some of them.

 

[Nabiki]

You have to keep spending time with them. The more time you spend interacting with them, the calmer they will be. If they take treats from your hand now, just keep feeding them treats from your hand. Every single day.

 

[Diveks]

You have to keep spending time with them. The more time you spend interacting with them, the calmer they will be. If they take treats from your hand now, just keep feeding them treats from your hand. Every single day.

other than their feed, what treats can i give them and when can i start feeding them treats?

 

[Nabiki]

other than their feed, what treats can i give them and when can i start feeding them treats?

There are a lot of things. Meal worms, popped popcorn, most garden veggies. Just make sure to keep the treats to 10% or less of their diets.

 

[Diveks]

There are a lot of things. Meal worms, popped popcorn, most garden veggies. Just make sure to keep the treats to 10% or less of their diets.

thanks ill get some treats, maybe ill break up some sprouts for them

 

[little-beep]

I have ONE super tame button quail whom i parented as a singleton from hatch.... he is just ADORABLE.. When the others run away, he is running TOWARDS me.......

..... he loves my hair... I spent hours daily with him every single day sometimes 2 or 3 times daily..

here's a 3 week old button hen I'm working on -- talking to them while pampering them helps

 

[Diveks]

I have ONE super tame button quail whom i parented as a singleton from hatch.... he is just ADORABLE.. When the others run away, he is running TOWARDS me.......

..... he loves my hair... I spent hours daily with him every single day sometimes 2 or 3 times daily..

here's a 3 week old button hen I'm working on -- talking to them while pampering them helps

aww would love mine to be like that, right now all of them still runs towards me. did yours start off running away from you or did all of them like you at first and started running as they age? they seem to like hanging out with me even when i am not in their brooder. they will sit on my side of the tank and pile up there (well exept for one that is a loner and prefers to sleep alone most of the time).

 

[little-beep]

aww would love mine to be like that, right now all of them still runs towards me. did yours start off running away from you or did all of them like you at first and started running as they age? they seem to like hanging out with me even when i am not in their brooder. they will sit on my side of the tank and pile up there (well exept for one that is a loner and prefers to sleep alone most of the time).
View attachment 3018993

My experience has been that they LOVE me when they are tiny chicks and want me to hold them all the time --- But around 2 and 3 weeks their instinct is to run AWAY from me.... That's when I have to really increase the amount of time I spend holding, talking & loving on them to break the 'nature' to run away. My boy (the hair lover) still is nervous because of their natural instinct, but once I pat his cheeks and talk to him and bring him up to my EYE level, he is fine, or he will just hang out in my hair if I'm sitting back with my laptop like right now. He is sooooo FUNNY and sometimes I think he might be a wee bit retarded... hahaaa...(see photo below of him with stick legs in the air in my hair)

 

[Diveks]

My experience has been that they LOVE me when they are tiny chicks and want me to hold them all the time --- But around 2 and 3 weeks their instinct is to run AWAY from me.... That's when I have to really increase the amount of time I spend holding, talking & loving on them to break the 'nature' to run away. My boy (the hair lover) still is nervous because of their natural instinct, but once I pat his cheeks and talk to him and bring him up to my EYE level, he is fine, or he will just hang out in my hair if I'm sitting back with my laptop like right now. He is sooooo FUNNY and sometimes I think he might be a wee bit retarded... hahaaa...(see photo below of him with stick legs in the air in my hair)

View attachment 3019000

wow i would love some trusting chicks, what did you usually do to bond with them? do you pick them up, just treats, or take them out of the brooder. and if so at what age would be a safe time to do so?

 

[little-beep]

wow i would love some trusting chicks, what did you usually do to bond with them? do you pick them up, just treats, or take them out of the brooder. and if so at what age would be a safe time to do so?

I've never used treats because I want them to eat the high protein feed. I don't think treats are important anyway == I spend as MUCH time with them as possible picking them up and keeping them near my face as possible. My current batch need a lot more "mommy" time to get them to be like my hair-loving boy (sweetpea) ... I really need to put in more time with the little munchkins to get them up to Sweetpea's standards -- he doesn't run and freak out like the others because he knows I'm safe due to alllll the time I spent with him in my hands and sitting on my computer.... LOL.....

and....