I have been hatching my cotournix quails as per normal and have got a weird chick from my most recent hatch (last night) which has me skeptical. I currently house some cot's in with my Bobwhites as they grew up together and don't fight, plus there is so much room in there it would be a waste. My bobwhite mates with his ladies in particular but I have seen him on a tux hen a few times. I was curious and read up on the "bob-bird" hybrid and saw that any hybrid is only from a cot-roo to a bob-hen. My bobwhite hens get mated by the cot quail roos but since they arn't laying yet I haven't actually incubated their eggs; and if I were getting hybrids, or that hybrids were possible I would separate as I want pure birds.
The chick I got (only one, and it hatched the latest, a second that looked similar died) makes a very distinct noise, nothing that any of my japs have made before. He has the most unusual markings on his face (quite like a rosetta chick but very thick black markings, he is a very dark colour in general also), so it doesn't really resemble a bobwhite chick in the face. It is also tiny compared to all the other chicks, and runs very very fast just like a bobwhite. His beak is quite normal as far as I can tell, I'd assume it would be more "bobwhite" like if it ever were a hybrid.
Has anyone actually hatched one of the "bob-bird" hybrids? I'd like to see some photos so I can see for myself, as I can't find any convincing photo that it even exists. I just want to know so I can separate my bobs if I need to. I originally was told they can't hybridise so I thought it was ok to house them together.
I will try to take a photo of him in the morning as my camera doesn't do too well in unnatural lighting (indoors). For all I know he might just die before he gets too big. He might just be a funky looking jap, which is what I am hoping for.
The chick I got (only one, and it hatched the latest, a second that looked similar died) makes a very distinct noise, nothing that any of my japs have made before. He has the most unusual markings on his face (quite like a rosetta chick but very thick black markings, he is a very dark colour in general also), so it doesn't really resemble a bobwhite chick in the face. It is also tiny compared to all the other chicks, and runs very very fast just like a bobwhite. His beak is quite normal as far as I can tell, I'd assume it would be more "bobwhite" like if it ever were a hybrid.
Has anyone actually hatched one of the "bob-bird" hybrids? I'd like to see some photos so I can see for myself, as I can't find any convincing photo that it even exists. I just want to know so I can separate my bobs if I need to. I originally was told they can't hybridise so I thought it was ok to house them together.
I will try to take a photo of him in the morning as my camera doesn't do too well in unnatural lighting (indoors). For all I know he might just die before he gets too big. He might just be a funky looking jap, which is what I am hoping for.
