[sabrina]

hi we're thinkin of keepin quails as pets..done a little bit of research much of it conflicts tho. could anybody help..i'd like to know if they're ok to be kept inside the house?we have a cage standing about 3 ft high and approx 2ft wide..do they fly and if so do they fly well-this will be the determini factor whether we get some or not..any other useful information will be very much appreciated...Thanks

[Chookiechook]

They fly fairly well but with terrible accuracy, dont perch and smell!!

I would not by choice have them inside.... though I do keep the chicks inside for the first week to give them a head start but by the end of the week I am gaggin!!

Great for eggs and do become tame though not actually friendly as such.

Very easy to keep and sound nice in the summer

[Mulberry1990]

Some people keep them in the bottom of aviaries as they clean up the seed dropped by other birds.
I keep my 6 outside in a chicken run, and they are very flighty, if they get spooked they fly straight up until they hit the roof and fall back down again.
They do smell horrendous if you get too close to their coop (i.e. when i have to craw in to shut them inside to move the coop) The smell is horrible!!!
They are clean birds and don't take much looking after, we make sure ours have food and water, fresh grass every week and clean bedding. Other than that they just do their own thing.
Ours are pets, but they're not really pet like animals if you know what I mean.
Mine just sit in a corner all the time, wander out to get food and go back to the corner. They are cute little birds, but mine definitely do not enjoy being handled. They will let you pick them up to put them inside, but if you hold them too long they flap like mad until you let them go back to where they want.
I love my little quail, but there are better birds if you just want them as pets.
I've had my quail for about 5 months now, and although they're all old enough to lay I had one egg a day for the first two days and nothing since. Hopefully they'll start again soon =D They were good eggs when they did lay though!

[Sassy]

I wouldn't have thought they will make good pets as they are very flighty and will not appreciate being handled. All my research said they smell but have had mine for nearly a year now, with an egg a day during the laying season from each, and I don't find them smelly. I do have a very sensitive nose. I must point out though that they are kept in a barn not at home. All my friends and their children find them very cute but they are wild animals in essence.

[tosca100]

OH kept Chinese painted quail in a box cage once, but as others have said, they were very flighty and would be better if they had some decent cover. They didn't smell too much though.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I have to say I really like my quail and they are far easier to look after and smell a lot less than the ducks but that isn't really a high bar to set! I have kept them inside for a while due to having to separate a couple that were getting picked on and the worst problem I had with that was the amount of dust they seem to generate rather than smell. The advantage was that they continued to lay over winter due to the supplemental light but have to say wasn't really worth it for all the dust and am very happy to have them outside again now.
Mine live in a sheltered rabbit hutch and all seem very happy with that.
As has been said they don't really like being handled but mine love mealworms and happily run up to me for their treats and those that are regularly handled will sit in my hands while being stroked gently, they just don't like being encircled and panic if this happens.

[sabrina]

thank you for all the info..going to give it some more thort..but still very tempted

[Chookiechook]

Sabrina .... it all depends if you want them as a to look at and lay eggs pet..... or a cuddle and snuggle pet.

I have just bought an african grey parrot..... while he is a great look at and listen to pet if I were to cuddle him I would lose at best a finger at worst an eye!!!

He really seems to hate me which is a shame as he was rather costly..... but so long as he doesnt hurt me I will tolerate his nasty nature as he is very comical with his speaking

[tosca100]

Sabrina .... it all depends if you want them as a to look at and lay eggs pet..... or a cuddle and snuggle pet.

I have just bought an african grey parrot..... while he is a great look at and listen to pet if I were to cuddle him I would lose at best a finger at worst an eye!!!

He really seems to hate me which is a shame as he was rather costly..... but so long as he doesnt hurt me I will tolerate his nasty nature as he is very comical with his speaking

Sorry to hear about your African Grey. Did you know they usually have a preference for either male or female humans? I f you have one that prefers the opposite sex it may never be a "pet" for you.

[Chookiechook]

Yeah had heard that and specifically went for one that liked its lady owner

Didnt care much for the husband either

Ahh well, live and learn....... if it wants to live it had better learn to like me!!! 

[sabrina]

chookiechook hi really sorry about yr parrot-maybe in timet'll come round??
Thanks for everybodies advice..we have got ourselves a couple of quail(japenese variety)and they are very beautiful,so far they don't mind bein handled at all,aren't bothered by the dogs,but,they do seem to poo alot..only got them on monday but they seem very chilled,no eggs yet,but they're pretty young-can't wait for that..Whiile i'm here,could i ask what is maybe the best thing to put in the bottom of the cage?so far i have lined it with newspaper n wood shavings-is there maybe anything better??cheers look forward to replys