Bob white quail thread!!

[bdfive]

Thanks, I was so stressed and disappointed with how the hatches went. I was so confused with what sexes I had and it turned out my two boys were from the last hatch of only 3 chicks. I could finally see the difference at @ 10 weeks, it was almost overnight. I had pics at 8 weeks and all of them looked alike. Then BOOM, the collar showed up and the head was white-white.

I need to go back through this thread and read your posts to see if they are going to end up on the table for dinner or if they too are pets with use of eggs and perhaps hatching some chicks.

 

[Shawneegyrl]

I need to go back through this thread and read your posts to see if they are going to end up on the table for dinner or if they too are pets with use of eggs and perhaps hatching some chicks.

The Snowflakes are eye candy, hope to hatch a few chicks to sell locally to pay for their feed.

I only eat the cortunix, cheap and grow fast.

 

[bdfive]

 The Snowflakes are eye candy, hope to hatch a few chicks to sell locally to pay for their feed.

I only eat the cortunix, cheap and grow fast.

What do you mean "The Snowflakes are eye candy"? I've seen pictures of them. If they are easy to sex I'd like to have some.

 

[dc3085]

I think she just means they are pretty birds. Snowflakes are easy to sex like all bobwhites are but you can't sex them until the molt into their adult feathers. It takes a few months before they molt into feathers you can sex them by.

Here is a link on sexing and aging bobwhites. The same rules that apply to northerns apply to snowflakes regarding autosexing.

http://agrilife.org/texnatwildlife/files/2010/09/A074.pdf

 

[Shawneegyrl]

I think she just means they are pretty birds. Snowflakes are easy to sex like all bobwhites are but you can't sex them until the molt into their adult feathers. It takes a few months before they molt into feathers you can sex them by.

Here is a link on sexing and aging bobwhites. The same rules that apply to northerns apply to snowflakes regarding autosexing.

http://agrilife.org/texnatwildlife/files/2010/09/A074.pdf

That is right, they are just sooooo pretty. My experience is that mine are pretty wild. After feeding and caring for them 20 weeks, they still panic every time I open the cage door. I have even sat quietly and talked to them. They just don't get it.

Snowflakes are still a bit expensive and with the hatch problems I had, these fellows are like gold to me. They will not get eaten.

They are destined for an easy life!

 

[Shawneegyrl]

dc3085, I just went thru the thread about trying to get quail to go broody. I was wondering about the bobwhite. They still seem pretty wild compared to my coturnix and I wondered if they would brood successfully.

I do know of a lady who had two Snowflake hens that went broody, but she had no rooster so there were no fertilized eggs for the girls to raise.

I used to have a bantam cochin who was a great broody and raised several clutches of quail. I did not realize that there was so much to be concerned about with chickens and quail. Gosh - mine may be doomed.

 

[dc3085]

Your quail most likely aren't doomed yet I'm adamant on the subject because I don't want to be sitting here in ten years saying keep your finches and parakeets away from your quail or they'll get sick lol. Also some of the diseases like MG are causing big problems with wild populations who's territory overlap with infected poultry. MG is one of the only diseases that affects poultry that also affects waterfowl which is an indication of how serious it is. There are only a handful of other diseases that affect waterfowl in North America.

The bobwhite is pretty much going the way of the coturnix as well. I can't think of an example of one brooding out its own eggs. I'm not nearly so knowledgeable about bobwhites as coturnix so it may be a little more common than I suggest but in my conversations with people who are much more into bobs than I am, I'm finding that they just don't go broody anymore.

Part of that may be that most people collect eggs daily and never leave enough for a hen to build a clutch so the instinct never triggers. I'm not sure how much of a factor that is though, considering a broody chicken will sit on anything remotely resembling an egg, and don't always need a pile of eggs to go broody. Part of it may be the types of cages and pens they are kept in. I would guess that it more based on diluted genetics than on environment though. There may also be a critical role played by the hen that incubated birds just don't get exposed too therefore never have the brooding desire. It's a question I would really love to see answered.

But the short answer to your question is most cage raised quail will not brood eggs. Button quail do occasionally but that is happening less often by the year. Again though it'll never change if no one works at it. One leg up bobs have on coturnix is their love for building a nest. Give them peace and quiet, more space by far than you'd think they would need, provide plenty of nesting material, and try to simulate a natural environment all the while hoping for the best.

 

[azer]

This little bobwhite quail is a gray and white... This was from shipped eggs... Can't wait to see how he will look once he gets his feathers...

 

[bdfive]

Azer, your chick is adorable. Will you be able to raise it where you can hold it when it's an adult? I'm so sad to say my White Bobwhites are dying. I've wormed them but it's not helped. Not knowing anything about quail I don't know what method to take to save them. Birds can get so many different diseases. I've probably come to the conclusion problem is because they are on the ground and in a avairy with a couple pheasant but I've read others do the same without problems. I just don't know what to do. I'm down to 2.

 

[redrooster99]

Azer, your chick is adorable. Will you be able to raise it where you can hold it when it's an adult? I'm so sad to say my White Bobwhites are dying. I've wormed them but it's not helped. Not knowing anything about quail I don't know what method to take to save them. Birds can get so many different diseases. I've probably come to the conclusion problem is because they are on the ground and in a avairy with a couple pheasant but I've read others do the same without problems. I just don't know what to do. I'm down to 2.

Are they near chickens.