Bob white quail thread!!

[peachncrm37]

How old are they?

I didn't record the hatch date. I believe around 6 weeks old though.

 

[Jharper]

I didn't record the hatch date. I believe around 6 weeks old though.

Oh, that is a little young.

 

[peachncrm37]

Oh, that is a little young.

Yeah this is my first go around with bobs. The coturnix were easy to color sex by 3-4 weeks. These guys are going to take a while longer.

 

[TwoCrows]

Bobs can be feather sexed at 12 weeks of age, sometimes a week earlier.

 

[peachncrm37]

Bobs can be feather sexed at 12 weeks of age, sometimes a week earlier.

Thanks I kind of wondered if it wouldn't take a while longer. I'm such an impatient person, ha.

 

[TwoCrows]

And they don't start laying until the following spring after hatch. If they were hatched in the very early spring, sometimes they will start laying at 6 months of age. They are very late to mature compared to Coturnix.

 

[peachncrm37]

And they don't start laying until the following spring after hatch. If they were hatched in the very early spring, sometimes they will start laying at 6 months of age. They are very late to mature compared to Coturnix.

Wow really? No wonder its a bit harder to find them. Lol. So mine are young now, they won't lay until next year?

 

[TwoCrows]

Because they are not sexually mature until they are older than 6 months old. Slow growers, Bobwhites. Same with all the native US quail....Gambels, Blue Scale, California's, ect...Coturnix have been domesticated for thousands of years and bred for quick meat and eggs. So they mature faster. Where as the new world quail such as Bobs have only recently come on the scene and are still relatively a wild species of quail. They take their good ol' time growing up!

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote:
Oh, and your Bobs will lay this year. Probably not until mid summer.

 

[peachncrm37]

Because they are not sexually mature until they are older than 6 months old. Slow growers, Bobwhites. Same with all the native US quail....Gambels, Blue Scale, California's, ect...Coturnix have been domesticated for thousands of years and bred for quick meat and eggs. So they mature faster. Where as the new world quail such as Bobs have only recently come on the scene and are still relatively a wild species of quail. They take their good ol' time growing up! 

Good to know. I enjoy them. Just wanted to make sure I don't have too many males as Ive heard they will kill each other.