Kai: On our homesteading journey, we’ve acquired many animals. I love our chickens, pigeons, rabbits, and fish. Everything has its chore load, but they all get taken care of, and have their own values and place in the permaculture ecosystem. Aside that, many are beloved pets. However, there will always be that one thing that makes you crazy.

I was the last person in the world to dislike any animal, but I really have to say, the quail have challenged me. 😂

Now don’t get me wrong – coturnix quail are awesome egg layers, more productive and reliable than even our current chickens, it’s just quail themselves… they are anxious little balls of fluff with strange behavior that has been anything but consistent.
They’ll gorge one day, and not another, spill food, water, bump into things and hurt themselves. I can see why other quail keepers tell you to watch the ceilings of their enclosures! On top of that, we’ve had quail fly away and lose toes because of their erratic behavior.
Some are super flighty, while I’d say others are overly trusting.

Never in my life have I been able to say I was not particularly thrilled with an animal- especially a bird. It’s a quirk that I get good natured teasing for now.
We’re not giving up on them, but I must say, their unpredictability makes them a difficult creature to work with.
Anyone else understand what I’m talking about, or have a homesteading quirk that they just can’t explain? Love to hear about it!