Is your child an avian enthusiast in the making who likes the companionship offered by birds like quails?
Then gifting them with pet quail breeds perfect for kids might be a great way to pull their heartstrings and keep their boredom away.
There are about 20 species of quails in the world that you can choose from, but some are undomesticated and have aggressive tendencies.
So, to help you find the docile and friendly quail bird species perfect for your child, we gathered:
- A list of the most child-friendly quails species you can choose from
- Hints on where to find and how to raise quails as pets, and
- The answers to frequently asked questions about quails perfect for kids
This will help you weigh in the best quail breed options for your kids and learn some insight about the responsibilities that come alongside being a quail owner. So, let’s get right into it.
Top 7 Pet Quail Breeds That Are Perfect for Kids
Here are the different quails with a good reputation as pets that can pass as child-friendly feathery friends for kids.
1. Coturnix Quails – The Pet Quail Breeds That Are Perfect for Kids
The Coturnix quails, often known as the Japanese quails, are among the most popular quail breeds for pet purposes. They are medium-sized, with a length of 6 inches and a height of 4 inches.
But in case you don’t know, there are different variants of Coturnix quails, including British Range, English White, Manchurian Golden, and Texas A&M.
These birds make an excellent pet quail for kids and companions, and their eggs are also nutritious despite their tiny size. They come in various hues, including Gold, White, Tuxedo, Range, and Fawn.
Coturnix quail as pets are peaceful and serene and sometimes cuddly. They don’t take up a lot of room, and they’re ideal for raising quail for meat and eggs.
2. Celadon Coturnix quail
The Celadon Coturnix quail is a beautiful subspecies of Coturnix quail distinguished by its solid blue eggs. Celadons make excellent pets as well as meat and egg producers.
These quails are pretty hardy and generally calm, especially when they feel safe. They nestle in North America and weigh around 15 ounces when they reach full maturity.
The eggs of Celadon Coturnix quails are also blue, thanks to their rare recessive gene.
3. California Quail
The white-rimmed blue-gray feathers on the California quail’s head and the tear-shaped topknot jutting up from its head make it a famous bird. It’s just as popular among aviculturists as the Coturnix quail.
The California Quail is a stocky bird around 10 inches in length. Any good breeder in your area can provide you with a well-bred flock.
They look visually pleasing and are frequently kept as a source of entertainment.
4. Bobwhite Quail
The Bobwhite quail is a tiny wild quail prevalent in North America, named after its ‘bob white’ call. It’s 8 to 9 inches long and comes in brown, black, and white colors.
Despite being a wild breed, the Bobwhite quail have been domesticated over time and makes an excellent pet. Most people are raising Bobwhite quail for training hunting dogs. You can source your Bobwhite quails from breeders and hatcheries in your local area.
5. Blue Scale
If you want to experience the joy of raising a wild quail, the Blue-scale quail is the species for you and your kids. This breed is uncommon, yet you may find it primarily in Kansas and Mexico.
They have a calm temperament and develop at about six months.
The hens produce spotted eggs because they may crossbreed with Gambel and Bob-white quail.
6. Button Quail
Button quail, commonly known as Chinese quail, is one of the world’s most beautiful quail breeds. It originated in Asia and is now available all around the world. They are also the tiniest quail, making them famous among bird enthusiasts.
Silver is the most common color for button quail, but it’s also available in other variations.
They look visually pleasing, but they’re sensitive, so you should handle them carefully.
7. Mountain Quail
Like the Blue-scale quail, the Mountain quail is not very common and relatively expensive. Mountain quail adults have a deep brown, olive coloration with a blue-gray breast.
They have a plump figure and mature in about six months. Even though they can be violent at times, they can be good pets when tamed before handing them to children.
Where to Buy Child-Friendly Quails
If you’re wondering where to get the quails mentioned above, here are some places you can check out.
Hatcheries
You can find child-friendly quails like Coturnix on hatchery websites by simply hitting the “Game Bird” section. Since quail chicks are tiny and need enough warmth or heat in the shipping container, most hatcheries impose a minimum for the chick number you can order.
Quail Breeders
You might also find pet quails on from breeders near you. If you struggle to locate them, joining social media groups for quail enthusiasts and attending local swap meats might help.
Pet Stores
If you still haven’t found a pet quail yet, try searching for pet stores in your area. They might have the child-friendly quail perfect for your kids. However, you need to ensure that the store has a good reputation and they sourced the bird the right way.
One way to do this is by researching the origin of the bird and how it was raised and fed.
Pet Quail Care Tips for You and Your Kids
Keeping quail pets with your kids come with some challenges along the way. So, to help you succeed in raising this bird, here are some quail care tips to keep in mind.
1. Keep Their Home Predator-Proof
The quail coop and the runs should be secure from expert diggers and predators like rats who can attack your quail due to desperation and hunger. Remember that rats are omnivores that feed on both plants and animals. The thought of your pet quail being a snack of rats is terrifying, but there have been instances in which rodents attack quail birds.
It’s a nightmare we all want to avoid. So, we recommend securing your coop and running with a highly durable wire mesh and making sure the rats can’t dig their way into the coop.
2. Get Ready for the Winter
Some quails are cold hardy, but when the temperatures drop to the freezing point and the cold wind blows, your birds may need to be relocated. Some people opt to move the cage into a garage, while others cover the ventilations instead and leave their homes outside.
3. Embrace “Safety First.”
Startled quails tend to fly and bump into the ceiling of their cage. Although it may seem nothing serious, it can cost a quail’s life. But you can prevent such accidents by covering the roof or ceiling with a soft covering. Placing shavings, branches, and other greens can also help them make feel at home and comfortable in their coop.
4. Give Them the Right Quail Food
Providing your kid’s pet with food that meets quail’s basic nutrient requirements is crucial for their growth and prevents feather pecking.
Quail birds low in protein tend to peck their feather (composed of proteins) to cover up for the deficiency. So you have to make sure they receive 24% crude protein in their starter feed to prevent it.
You can downgrade it to a quail feed with 18% to 200% protein when they reach the age of 10 weeks if you can support them with leafy greens.
5. Look Out for Parasites
Take a good look at your pet quail’s feathering from time to time and check if there’s any parasite that’s infesting it. If you see some tiny lice in it, it’d be best to treat it right away with lice treatments similar to those used for chickens.
What Kids Could Learn When Raising Pet Quails
Taking care of quails as pets requires time and hard work, but there’s so much more to pet quail pets than what meets the eye. Kids can also learn lots of valuable life lessons and skills from raising pet quails, and they include the following:
Gentleness
Quail chicks are tiny, sensitive animals that need firm but gentle handling to ensure they won’t accidentally fall or get hurt. Even the adult ones need to be handled with care.
So, raising pet quails can help them be gentle and caring towards other animals and thoughtful of their needs.
Sense of Responsibility
Cleaning the quail coop, feeding the birds, and tending to their needs will naturally be part of your kids’ routines if they’d keep a quail as a pet. Neglecting these duties can mean the death of their birds.
Therefore, with your guidance, you can teach them how to be responsible and accountable for their bird’s life by giving them pet quail breeds that are perfect for kids.
Value of Patience
Waiting for at least 18 days before the Coturnix egg hatches and seeing them gradually grow into beautiful adult quails can teach children the importance of patience. Other breeds like Bobwhite quails take longer to mature(15 weeks).
And as they wait for their pet quails to be fully developed creatures, they’ll be encouraged to do a better job feeding and taking care of them.
Entrepreneurship
This may be a big word for children, but whatever they call it, the point is they’ll learn how to make hard-earned money. Many kids often have it easy in life that they don’t know the importance of hard work.
So, this is an excellent opportunity to teach your kids how to sell quail eggs or meat and earn some bucks that they can use for their needs.
Of course, they can’t take care of their pet on their own and learn, so your guidance is crucial in this process. But rest assured, it’ll be a fun and exciting journey that will help your kids grow to become responsible individuals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Quails
Are quail good pets for kids?
Quails can be wonderful pets for kids and a source of entertainment for adults. The eggs of most quails are edible too, and they also provide healthy meat, so having one is like shooting three birds with one stone.
Are pet quails friendly?
Some quails have aggressive tendencies, but many are friendly, easy to raise, full of personality, and fun to play and interact with. That’s why quails like Coturnix are a popular pet choice.
What are the friendliest quails?
The Coturnix or Japanese quail is the friendliest, easiest to raise quail breed. They’re the top choice as pet quail because of their calm temperament and excellence in meat production and egg-laying department.
Do quails like to be handled?
Quails birds like Coturnix and Bobwhite can be quickly tamed and handled effortlessly, but it takes some time and practice for other quail species to get used to their humans.
Can you bond with a quail?
It’s pretty challenging to tame all the quails in your flock since it demands time and practice. It’s even harder to tame a fully-grown quail, but if you choose child-friendly pet quails such as Coturnix and Bobwhite quails, bonding with them will be easier since they’re pretty easily tamed.
Are quails noisy?
Male quails can be noisy, especially during the breeding season, and they can call most of the night. However, Coturnix or Japanese quails are quiet, and their noise is less annoying.
Is it easy to keep quails?
Quails and easy to keep and raise, and they’re prolific egg layers.
Do quails poop a lot?
Quails poop a lot, but they can be composted in several weeks and months and used as a fertilizer. Their droppings are high in nitrate, so make sure to decompose them first to prevent your plants or crops from getting burned.
Can you keep quail in a birdcage?
Yes, quails can live in the same aviary or cage as finches, pigeons, canaries, budgies, and other tiny docile parrots. But they need plenty of space to run around the quail cage since they prefer to dwell on the ground.
They can also be kept in quail coops, pens, rabbit hutches, or even in chicken coops with an attached run as long as it’s safe and secure, away from rats and other predators.
Do quails make good pets?
Pet Quail Breeds That Are Perfect for Kids Summary
So, that’s it! That wraps our compilation of the quails perfect for kids who are into avians and bird keeping.
As mentioned earlier, Coturnix or Japanese quails are recognized as one of the most child-friendly quails due to their calm and docile temperament.
Aside from producing meat and eggs for the table, these pets can also pass as cuddly pets that provide entertainment and companionship.
Beautiful quail species such as California quails can also be your kid’s avian feathery friend.
And although Bobwhite and Mountain quails can be aggressive at times, they can also make wonderful pets when tamed.
So which of those child-friendly quails are the best for your kids? Please share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
READ NEXT: Complete Guide to Raising Quail as Pets
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