Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I really don't find them flighty, they zip around like crazy it's true but very very easy to catch.

I think as @kenya said, they are not really flighty per se, but they are skittish if they hear sudden noise or movement, or if you don't "announce yourself" prior to coming into their space, and they will flush. Don't forget, these birds are on the menu for every kind of predator, so they are wired to run in order to survive. In my experience, it also has to do with colour variety and with individual personality. We have had hens that come running when we enter the run, and others that hang back, waiting for treats or feed to be dispensed, and will wait for me or my husband to exit the pen before they investigate. There have also been some very special hens that wait to be picked up, knowing that there are treats in store. We/I always talk to them as I'm approaching their housing, and as chicks try to talk to them and handle them often in the course of cleaning out their brooder and feeding/watering them. There are always stand-offish birds in the flock, but that's okay in my books. Diversity makes for an interesting flock.

Ok thank you
I guess maybe they will get better in time
They fly up and hit their heads on the pen roof
They are California Valley Quail
I do talk when I approach them so I don’t spook them
Also try to spend time sitting in front of their cage and just talk to them

Sounds like you are doing things right. How high is your quail enclosure? I don't know much about cal val quail, but have heard they tend to be more on the wild side. Treats go a long way too. I use songbird seed in a container that I shake as I approach. I spread some in the run for them and try to entice them to eat out of my hand. Don't expect success the first or second or third time, but keep it up and they may warm to you.

I will keep trying
Maybe I should start holding them?
I haven’t because I was afraid they would have a heart attack

Sorry. Didn’t answer your question. Their pen is 4’ x 3’ and 2’ approx high. There are 6 quail in there

I can understand that you are afraid to handle them, but ideally it's best to get them used to being handled by you early on. So do pick them up, not too often, but from time to time, and snuggle them up against your chest in your hand. That provides warmth and makes them feel secure. Do you have somewhere in their pen where they feel they are protected? Even a cardboard box with one side cut out will help them to feel like they are not always exposed/vulnerable. As for the 2' height of your cage, I think that's standard for conventional pens. Our current quail tractor is a walk-in height for us, so we have not had issues with any hitting their heads, but our first (raised) pen has a 3' height ceiling, and we did have the odd one hit it's head, so we added bubble wrap as padding to inside of the roof. That may be something for you try that if they are flushing and hitting their heads a lot.
Just curious, do you have a place for them to dust bathe? Ours really appreciate a shallow pan filled with sand or peat moss, or both.

Mine love love love the sandbox, really for quail I like a higher ceiling as they do tend to flush straight up hitting their poor little heads.

kenya wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:58 pm

Mine love love love the sandbox, really for quail I like a higher ceiling as they do tend to flush straight up hitting their poor little heads.

Ours all love the sandbox too.
And I agree, a higher ceiling is better. But if the pen is already built, I don't think it would be all that easy to retrofit a higher ceiling.

Yes they do have sand in a section of the pen but don’t go in it?
I sprinkled food on top of the sand but it is untouched
On one corner there are several cedar bronchus stood up with a hiding place in behind. They only use that if I have my head stuck in the pen to feed?
I’ll start picking them up every day