amorous boy quail

[ozzie]

Currently I've noticed that 1 of the quail (nearly 8 weeks of age now) is constantly trying to mate with the others. The others are starting to show signs of scalping and they are frantically trying to get away from him. It's hard to sex them because they are mainly white and I know this one is a male because I did Niki's "foam test" on him. Questions I have are :
1. do males only mate females? ie I can tell the females by the scalping on their heads and the others that are unscalped are just males that haven't "come of age" yet?

2. should I separate this male from the others - none of the others seem to be willing participants - or am I being naive here - ie I should just let them be rather than wait for the females to be receptive and then letting him back into the fold.

PS I don't know if any of the others are male or not because only this one is showing signs of wanting to mate the others.

thanks
ozzie

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Just observe the others if you take that roo out and if you have any other roos they may take over where he left off.


ETA now that you know teh foam test you can check the others the same way and know right then

 

[ozzie]

Okay I've sectioned him off into a separate area and peace reigns again...before I did that everyone was just flying widely around the cage and bonking their heads because he was frantically trying to mate everything and nothing would stand for him...he ain't happy but at least everyone else seems to be

I'll try the foam test on the others but so far none of them seem to have that swollen vent and all I get is poop...or white stuff... I'll try again tomorrow.

ozzie

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
haah if you get poo you're squeezing the wrong area it's not the vent itself it's above the vent. If theres no swollen bag likething on theo thers they're hens at that age

 

[ozzie]

haah if you get poo you're squeezing the wrong area it's not the vent itself it's above the vent. If theres no swollen bag likething on theo thers they're hens at that age

O...I must be doing the wrong thing...I'll turn the boy over and have another look so I can use him as a reference

ozzie​

 

[monarc23]

Quote:

O...I must be doing the wrong thing...I'll turn the boy over and have another look so I can use him as a reference

ozzie

you'll get it once you see a very mature roos gland you'll completey know the difference

they are like apples on their butt! LOL!

 

[jetto]

How old are they when considered "mature"? Kristi

 

[ozzie]

Found a pic from another forum's reference section about the 'apples' on their butts...the boy that I've got hasn't got one that big but the pics were very helpful (maybe they only get that big when they are fully mature ie maybe 10 weeks?)

http://coturnixcorneruk.forumotion.com/reference-section-f35/hints-on-sexing-quail-t589.htm

PS Niki I tried and tried vent sexing them (from your pics) when they were little chicks but to be honest I couldn't work it out... so I just had to wait till they started crowing or foaming...

ozzie

 

[jetto]

Thank you! Mine are 5 weeks old so a little ways to go yet. Kristi

 

[ksukristin]

I'm in the same boat...mine are 3 weeks old so I'm just trying to distract myself from trying to guess! It is difficult! I am so curious!