Coturnix Males Help Anyone???

[Highland Moongazer]

Try putting a tarp/canvas sheet over them, that stopped mine for a couple weeks (which put on a good amount of weight).

The difference between 7-8 weeks and 12 is *huge*, especially in jumbos. I can't imagine all the work of culling would be worth it if they were that young and regular sized.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I had a bachelor pen of 40 males, and they crowed constantly. Covering them might help muffle the sound but I don't think it will stop them from crowing. One male per 10-15 hens is ok, too, though 1-5 is optimal for fertility.

 

[NancyDz]

Yea i had this problem with 6-7 males... gotta have enough females for each or they will continue to do this. I tried everything, covering them, separating, putting together, no light,
I even put them in a box inside a closet ... they still crowed. I was ready to butcher too... instead I listed them on freecycle and got rid of them asap

Good luck!

Nancy

 

[skywatcher]

I like in the country my quail are caged about 16 feet from my bedroom window and yes they crow throughout the night I myself enjoy there calls. In the late mourning and throughout the heat of the day they are quite. My quail don't crow constantly there are 10 males in 2 cages I swapped the males to different females they crowed alot more the first few days. You just turn a fan or radio on so you can fall asleep or just keep 2-3 males.

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
I don't have this problem with mine. I have 2 males with 8 females in one pen and 5 males in another. The males will crow back and forth during the day, but once night falls they don't make a peep UNLESS we go outside and turn the light on OR they see/hear something that scares them. Could it be that you have predators in your area? Is there a lot of noise in your neighborhood at night (cars going by, etc.)? We live on a dirt road with NO traffic at night, so the only noises my quail hear are from the occasional neighborhood dog, a distant train, tree frogs, etc. When the Great Horned Owl comes around, it does spook them a bit, but I can understand why they'd be spooked - that sucker is HUGE!

 

[simplyscrambled]

I had the same problem. I had a 'bachelor pad' of about a dozen mails. The only A&M mail started first at about 5 weeks, crowing every hour throughout the early morning. Then during the next week, he got joined by the others. It went from every hour, to almost continuous and drove me crazy!! I live in suburbia, and I was getting cranky from being woken up, and worried about irate neighbors losing sleep as well...like your hubby, I was threatening to process each and every one!

I lasted shy of 7 weeks old. I really wanted to wait until 12 weeks, but I had it. They were small, but still delicious!

I kept one golden roo with 4 females, and the first night he crowed once or twice at night, and now, rarely. And only 1 male is different than 13 of em crowing!

Next 'batch' I'll just process the males when I can't take the crowing anymore, and process the extra hens at 12 weeks.

 

[quailbrain]

We kept four roos for the girls. The rest were processed at 7 weeks old. Just ouldn't take the risk of a neighbor being upset by them as we ourselves already were. Another lesson on our experience I guess. We are going to do the same. Process extra males at 7 weeks and extra hens a 12 from here on out.

 

[NancyDz]

Quote:
I don't have this problem with mine. I have 2 males with 8 females in one pen and 5 males in another. The males will crow back and forth during the day, but once night falls they don't make a peep UNLESS we go outside and turn the light on OR they see/hear something that scares them. Could it be that you have predators in your area? Is there a lot of noise in your neighborhood at night (cars going by, etc.)? We live on a dirt road with NO traffic at night, so the only noises my quail hear are from the occasional neighborhood dog, a distant train, tree frogs, etc. When the Great Horned Owl comes around, it does spook them a bit, but I can understand why they'd be spooked - that sucker is HUGE!

Actually the males were in a more protected area than the rest of my quail who were quiet.
I tried them in the house, in the garage, etc, etc... nothing shut them up. They were A&M's I wonder if those crow more? The same bird shut up when I put them in with females so I'm pretty sure that was the problem. They never crow now... maybe once a week I hear a crow from my quail.. they are busy with other things now


Nancy