Quails have been domesticated and kept as pets for hundreds of years and this transcends to todays’ generations.
Quails make good pets with their soft sounds and they are also beautiful to look at. When trying to adopt a pet quail the coturnix species is actually the best to be kept as a pet as they are gentler and calmer than the Bobwhite quail.
You have been looking for what or where to read up about quail as friends.
Today, this article will discuss how and why quails make good friends, whether they are cuddly, easy to keep and whether the like human beings .
Reasons Why Quails Make Good Pets?
Quails make good pets for humans as they are cute and entertaining people have kept various different birds over the course of time and the quail is not an exception.
It was an attraction in ancient Asia and today people are becoming more interested in getting a quail as a pet.
Some reasons why quails make good pets include:
1. Cute
Quails are super cute and with their adorable and fluffy weathers, they are irresistible to most humans.
Their chicks are small and they don’t grow too large in adulthood so you have to always watch under your feet so you don’t step on your pet.
2. Nutritious Eggs
Whether or not your female quail is mated or not, she will lay eggs.
Female quails do not have to mate before laying, however the eggs produced will not hatch into chicks because they were not fertilized.
This gives you the opportunity to get free eggs and eat as many delicious eggs as you can.
Quail eggs are quite the delicacy and getting them from your pet(s) is a good reason to keep quails close.
3. Entertainment
Watching quail pets carry out their calls, moves and antics can be highly entertaining to watch.
Watching them peck each other playfully, mate or jostle for food can be really fun to watch.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on the required space for quails in your farm
4. Ornamental
Quails are usualy kept for their beautiful plumes and are usually displayed for ornamental purposes.
Though not all species of quails are excessively beautiful or ornamental in nature. The few which are kept as pets are rarities and can sometimes be seen with bird collectors.
5. Low Maintenance
Quails are typically inexpensive to keep. Once you give them good food and provide them with enough supplements to grow healthy.
Though their immune systems are not as strong as those of the birds, as long as they are not exposed to cold or diseases, they will not require any extra cost on your behalf.
You can build a quail cage yourself to reduce the cost and provide all the necessary materials needed.
Are Quails Friendly?
Quails are quite tame and friendly with humans especially if you raised them from chicks.
Several flock keepers have reported that their chicks were quite tame though the behavior slightly altered as they matured and they were sometimes skittish.
The best way to befriend a quail or any bird for that matter is to come with treats, if you feed them treats regularly from time to time, they come to associate your presence with nice treaties and can relax around you.
This could take some time and getting used to though as quails are naturally skittish because they are prey birds, it would require some time and effort before they trust.
The process might even take longer if you are a stranger around them.
The male quail who have a reputation for being aggressive are surprisingly super friendly and relaxed around people.
They would often come around to say hi if there’s a visitor.
Also check out this article on why it is a bad idea to house quails and chickens together.
Do Quails Like To Be Handled?
Quails are quite skittish in nature and they are nervous about being handled.
If you keep quail flock you would definitely have one reason or the other to want to handle them.
This could be for health checks or you might just feel like cradling and stroking them.
Understanding that it might take a while for the quail to get to trust you is an important step in getting there.
To gain your quail’s trust you shouldn’t startle, shout at, chase your quail or grab it as this would only make it more terrified of you.
Some species of quails such as the Coturnix are also better at being tamed than the button quail species.
Raising your quails from chicks and interacting with them every time would help them come to recognize you and relax around you.
Care for them and let them get used to having you around, some quail owners also talk to their pets and pretend to carry on normal conversations with them.
Reaching out gently to rub the head from time to time would get the quail used to your hand and it even works better when you are offering food.
Are Quails Cuddly?
Quails are not exactly very cuddly animals. They prefer to socialize with their own kind and are nervous around humans because of predator status.
As a flock keeper, if your birds have gained your trust then they might let you handle them from time to time and will come to trust and recognize you.
You can also train your birds with time to become more cuddly but the fact is quails are not exactly the huggy touchy types of pets.
Are Quail Easy To Keep?
Before thinking about keeping quails, you should actually know the things you have to do and the activities involved in keeping quail.
Though when compared to other birds, quails are relatively easy to keep, they are smaller in size and are not easily susceptible to diseases like chickens.
To keep quail birds successfully, there are certain things you should keep in mind and they include:
- Housing
- Feeding
- Keeping the environment clean
- Protecting flock from predators
- Medical attention
- Lighting
- Essential equipment
These are all aspects in which you as a prospective flock owner should look into and to properly understand the care of quails.
Do Quails Like Humans?
Quails when they are raised from chicks come to recognize their owners and can act as companions with them.
By caring for them, feeding them and relating with them the birds will come to recognize a specific individual over time.
They show their affection by flocking around the person and also sometimes walking with them while the person is going about their duties.
Not all quail will get very friendly but due to the process of care and affection, they will come to relax around humans.
Conclusion
There are several reasons why you should have quails as your favorite pets. Those cute balls of feathers can be so lovable.
Knowing that you can care for your birds and they will in time recognize you is a great reason to get them as pets today.
