Confusion over sex of quail

[metalminions]

Hi

I'm aware this may be really daft, but I'm really confused about whether one of my quail is male or female. I bought 12 eggs off a market stand to try to hatch my first lot of chicks, and had five hatch (although, sadly, one had such massive problems with its feet that we had to euthanase it). One of the remaining four is a lighter colour than the others, and does appear to crow, but is speckled. I read somewhere that males are usually blocks of colour as opposed to females who are speckled so I'm slightly confused. Am I being really thick? It's also the only one of the four which won't eat from my hand and really dislikes being handled, so I'm reluctant to stress it by attempting (and probably failing!), to verify it by examination. Also, if it is male, would it be alright eating the same food as the ladies? They're on growers pellets at the moment (along with treats when I have to handle them), but I am planning to move them onto layers pellets in the near future. Any advice would be extremely welcome! Thanks

 

[jbwildboy]

What kind of quail are they? How old are they now? And don't give layer pellets or crumble until atleast 6 weeks old and yes all of them can eat the same thing. Make sure you have them on the highest protein non medicated feed you can find in your area

 

[metalminions]

They are five and a half weeks old at the moment. I think they are coturnix quail, but I can't be absolutely sure. Due to the different colouring in the fourth one, I 'm not sure if they are even all the exact same species, but I'm pretty sure they are. I suppose this is the problem with buying eggs without a known history.

 

[The Quail Guru]

You can examine the cloaca to see what sex the quail is, it's also the most accurate way. If the quail's cloaca has a small bulge and white foam comes out it's a male, if there is no bulge it's a female.