~~~~~Button Sexing? (pic heavy)~~~~~

[Littleducky]

I have been trying to sex my buttons. I remember someone saying that you could tell them apart from their vent feathers. Red vent feathers means one or the other. I just can't remember.

Please let it be that red vent feather means I have just a few males and a whole lot of females.... However I think that it is the other way around. Please let me know

Also if anyone could help me with what colors I have that would be great. I have an idea just want to know for sure. Think I have alot of mixes.

 

[monarc23]

you do have several hens, however some of those birds havent molted into their adult feathers yet....so some that look like hens now can easily molt out to be roos. BUT from what i saw, looks like only 2 roos I saw out of that big bunch...but i'd give it some time first

First picture is a roo on the left looks like a redbreasted and the one beside him on the right looks like a roo as well, but i cant tell the color.


Button quail roos dont always have rusty vent feathers so it's not always best to go by that all the time but if in adult plumage htey do have them then that's a dead give away it's a roo.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Poor babies! I think your flash was kind of bright

Only button quail males have red, rust, or pink vent feathers. Females never have these. I was told that all button males did, except for whites, pieds, and splashes, but have heard from others that they have ivory or silver males that don't have them, so I don't know.

It is hard to tell what colors you have, I know I saw one redbreasted hen (pic #2 in the front), and it looks like you have some silver, some cinnamon or cinnamon blue face, and some that look like a coturnix, so they must be wild colored

 

[monarc23]

my silver male had nada for color on his vent, nor do some blue faces, and yep the whites and the splashes, oh and the pieds too.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I know someone else had said they had a silver that didn't have colored vent feathers. I'm not sure if my blueface does or not? I'll have to go look at him! I think he does, but I'm not sure.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
he may i've seen some really pretty blue faces with bright red feathers on their vents and others that are almost completley blue (those are my favorite) LOL! But the blue itself is a dead give away that it's a hen so theres never much worry there when it comes to buttons. Blue is boy

But for any newbies dont confuse that with silver or slate......grey does not mean boy

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

My silvers and whites don't have colored vent feathers - they are solid. Only way I can tell the silver is a male is from the bib. I think my other males do have the colored vent feathers though.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
he may i've seen some really pretty blue faces with bright red feathers on their vents and others that are almost completley blue (those are my favorite) LOL! But the blue itself is a dead give away that it's a hen so theres never much worry there when it comes to buttons. Blue is boy

But for any newbies dont confuse that with silver or slate......grey does not mean boy

I still can't tell the difference between slate and silver, so I'd be no help there! I'm thinking the slates are the ones that are grey with yellow stripes as newbies, and the silvers are yellow with grey stripes, with ivories being most all yellow with a 'tint' of grey on them. Makes sense, but idk

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
and that makes complete sense why mine didnt! LOL! (cuz i got him from you).

 

[Littleducky]

YEA!!! I am glad that I have more hens than roos. I was worried that I had a whole bunch of boys.

I have to laugh about the flash being to bright. They were just standing there sleeping when I took the pic..

I think that I have some narcoleptic buttons. One minute they are running like mad and then WHOA i'm tired gonna take a nap. I guess thats good they are calm.

Thanks for all the help. I came home from work tonight and took a closer look and I do have atleast one blue/red breast I think he grew new feathers while I was at work. They change so fast..