An Unexpected Flock

Two weeks ago, my friend Gen sent me a photo of baby chicks and quails from her floral design class. Her teacher had them up for sale. I absolutely love birds, and the moment I saw them, I felt an undeniable pull like I needed to have them in my life. The thought of raising quails excited me, and I became determined to get a couple. Over the next week, I threw myself into research, learning everything I could about quail care. I read articles, watched videos, and made sure I was fully prepared. I asked Gen to let her teacher know that I was interested in purchasing a few of the quails. To my surprise, she thought I was crazy. She hadn’t expected me to take her message seriously, she was just showing me the cute little birds, not trying to sell them to me. Despite that, my parents were surprisingly on board with my plan, though they assumed I was only getting one quail. Little did they know, my heart was already set on getting four. Finally, Friday, February 28, arrived, and it was time to put my plan into motion. Throughout my 6th period, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I knew my parents wouldn’t be thrilled about me bringing home multiple birds, but I kept reminding myself that everything would work out. When I arrived at Gen’s class, I was met with an unexpected sight, an empty classroom, covered in plants but void of any quails. For a moment, I worried that something was wrong. Then her teacher finally arrived, carrying a small box. Inside were the four tiny, delicate quails. The moment I laid eyes on them, I knew I had made the right decision. They were so small, so innocent, I was completely in love. I handed over $20 and walked out with my new babies, feeling a surge of joy. As I got to my car, I carefully placed their box in the front seat and buckled them in for safety. I couldn’t stop smiling. I named them, Charlie, Sage, Willow and Basil. 3 girls and 1 boy.  Before heading home, I made a quick stop at my job to drop off my timesheet, then drove to Tractor Supply in Nipomo to pick up feed and bedding. When I finally arrived home, my parents’ reactions were exactly what I had expected, shock. They had only approved of one quail, not four. But once they saw how happy I was, they let it go, as long as I took full responsibility for them. I set them up in a large bin in my room, filling it with bedding, a couple of hides, a dust bath container, and their food and water. Their permanent home I had ordered for them was a spacious rabbit hutch which hadn’t arrived yet, but this would do for now. At that moment, I realized my room had officially become a mini zoo. With my cockatiel, Faye, my leopard gecko, Kai, and now four baby quails, I was up to six animals in one space. That first night, I felt bad hearing their tiny cries from inside the bin. Wanting them to feel more comfortable, I decided to let them roam freely in my room for a few hours. It was adorable watching them explore, but as expected, my floors quickly became a disaster with poop everywhere, food scattered, and water tracked all over. I ended up pulling my rug off the floor to prevent it from getting ruined. For the next few days, I kept letting them run around, but by Sunday, I’d had enough of the constant cleaning. I came up with a solution, I laid down newspapers and used my brother’s books to block off a small play area for them. It worked perfectly. They got to stretch their legs, and cleanup became a breeze. I love these sweet babies so much. It feels like such a blessing to have them in my life. Watching them grow and bond with me has been so rewarding, and I can’t wait to see them thrive.