A little help in sexing

[Skyle]

Howdy
2 weeks ago I hatched 3 quails from supermarket eggs, 2 pharaoh and a manchurian (I think). This is my first time with quails, so I don't know if I'm right or wrong.
Now that they are developing their chest feathers I'm seeing only dotted feathers, so... I think they're all females or they all feather out like this and then the males grow rusty feathers (so I have to wait some weeks more)? Can someone please help me? Thanks in advance

1

2

3

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

They look female to me, but it may be too early to tell. Their heads are still yellow, and sometimes feather patterns change.

On a side note, we had an earlier thread about how supermarket (refrigerated) eggs all seem to turn out female. Congrats on hatching out eggs from a carton. I think a number of us who haven't been all that successful incubating hatching eggs are jealous.

 

[FloorCandy]

IMO the first bird looks female, but it’s early and can still start looking male. The others are too soon to tell, but aren’t showing signs of being male yet.

 

[Missinasworld]

can I ask what brand supermarket eggs? I am just curious. I tried that first before I found a local breeder..never did get any to develop! but your babies look great

 

[Skyle]

Thank you all! I'll wait another week or two
The eggs were from an italian supermarket; they were not refrigerated and also stored with the pointy end down, so not the worse storage for hatching
At first I tought that nothing will develop, after the first candling I saw that something was growing in there, but I was still too negative to think that someting will hatch and I thought that until I saw the chicks out of the eggs

 

[FeatherTay]

How'd they turn out?

 

[Morbo the quailer]

I too think that the dots on the feathers may fade..but they look female to my untrained eyes..

Great story thank you for sharing.

 

[Skyle]

How'd they turn out?

They turned out all females. The first one began laying at about 40 days old. By the age of 60 days all three were laying
Unfortunately I found the third one dead about a month ago. Even if I made the ceiling of their run low, I think she bounced and hitted very hard the wooden frame that holds the net of the ceiling. The net is a bit loose so, even if hitted, it's not too hard, but it's enough predator proof. The wooden frame that holds all the net together it's not soft, though. They jump very rarely, so I don't know what scared them so much