A few questions.

[CuteQuail]

I have a few questions.
#1 Do my corturnix quail need a food limit (they are 1-2 weeks old)?
#2 I put my quail in a sand bath and they immediately started eating the sand. Is that OK.
#3 I have 3 quail how are 2 days apart. 2 are big but the other one is small. Is this normal.
Thanks in advanced for your help!

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi

No food restrictions, let them eat as much as they want. It's fine for them to eat the sand. The little one will catch up.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Yes, as long as your sand is normal play sand/granite sand/outdoor sand and not, like, chinchilla dust, you should be fine. My sand bath serves as dual purpose grit too (though I live on a granite mountain and collect it in the yard).

 

[CuteQuail]

So its fine if its like a all you can eat sand buffet. Because that is what was happening.
Also, how do you tell the diffrence from a male and a female.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

They might just be hungry if you've been limiting their food until now. Hopefully they figure out it's not actually food :S They'll still certainly peck and scratch at it, though.

You can't until ~3 weeks for feather sexable patterns like wild-type/pharoah, Italian, Manchurian, falb fee, etc, and 6 weeks for most other fancy colors. In the former, males have solid colored chests and females have spotted. In the latter, you have to squeeze their junk and males have white foam that comes out (yes really).

 

[CuteQuail]

No, I haven't been limiting their food but I just feel like the quail are eating too much. Maybe because I haven't let them in there for long. Thanks for the help and to see if they are a male or female, I'll just stick with observation other than your other option.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

No, I haven't been limiting their food but I just feel like the quail are eating too much. Maybe because I haven't let them in there for long. Thanks for the help and to see if they are a male or female, I'll just stick with observation other than your other option.

Yeah honestly they usually start crowing and mounting around the same time you can vent sex them. I have only had to do it a couple times.

 

[CuteQuail]

Also I need to ask another question. What is the best way for a quail to pass away. I've had this question on my conscience and need it settle. Should I let them reach old age or butcher them or something else.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Also I need to ask another question. What is the best way for a quail to pass away. I've had this question on my conscience and need it settle. Should I let them reach old age or butcher them or something else.

I think if you are keeping them primarily as pets there is no reason not to let them pass away from old age (being ready to euthanize when they are in pain, stop eating, etc).

For chicks that are struggling/suffering/deformed, high-ether content starting fluid from an auto shop works great. just put them in a container, spray it on a towel, lay it over top. There is an article on here somewhere about it I must find....

For adults that's not quite sufficient, so if you have to put them down you can firmly snap their necks, remove their heads with shears, or destroy the brainstem by thwacking or pithing. All of those methods have their ups and downs and the humaneness of them depends largely on the skill and technique of the person doing it.

 

[CuteQuail]

OK but is it a good idea once my quail stop laying eggs that I butcher them?