Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[monarc23]

I put up some 3 week and 1 day old chick sexing pictures (for brown only but it applies to goldens) so anyone with chicks right now who is curious how you can sex your browns and goldens check out the sexing part.

Tibetans (british range), Tuxedos, and A & Ms you normally have to wait until they are breeding age and are calling and laying eggs because they don't really have physical characteristics to sex them apart from eachother. Remember though if your birds are outside and not under artificial lighting this time of year you probably won't see them breeding calling and laying eggs until spring time. Under artificial lighting however you can get them to lay and call as soon as they're mature (6-8 weeks old- though some have had them mature MUCH younger---like say 4-5 weeks). So always keep that in mind when sexing.

Niki

 

[shelleyd2008]

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Yes, that would be me for one. Mine were mature at barely 5 weeks, and wouldn't you know? They're both males AND they're in the house!

 

[Buster]

Is there a concern in quail that they take flight while they are housed in a coop and break their necks on the ceiling? What about in a brooder with a mesh top?

 

[what was i thinking]

o thank you very much, monarc. just what i was seeing and thought. i think i have two hens. will check again but there is a lot of rust out there.

 

[monarc23]

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Not really in my experience, the older they are the calmer they are (unless something is seriously after them). My youngsters (under 6 weeks old) seem to be more high strung than the adults. I've never ever lost an adult from bonking yet. I did just reciently loose a golden coturnix chick to bonking though....at 2 1/2 weeks old.

Hardware cloth in the brooder is what ended my goldens life. I use chicken wire or hardware cloth in my adult pens and have not had any problems with bonking. Some will tell you differently though as some have lost adults to bonking...I never have they tend to calm down as adults.

Half of my brooder is nothing more than a towel draped over it, and hardware cloth ancors the heat lamp at the top of the brooder, and that's where my golden bonked

.

 

[monarc23]

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you're very welcome I was thinking of your question when I decided to look at my two browns, and when I saw a noticable difference I thought i'd post it for you and others to see

 

[shelleyd2008]

Does it work for the normal or dark brown buttons as well? I have one that is pretty dark colored, not sure what the 'exact' coloring is, but I just noticed it is getting red on its breast and maybe its belly.

 

[what was i thinking]

i sort of thought that it was for ME.

thanks that is what they look like. mine are three weeks and two days today so it was perfect.

 

[monarc23]

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yep and great im glad it helped!

 

[monarc23]

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It sorta does and then it sorta doesn't. It depends on what color they are genetically (their adult color). But SEVERAL colors, males will get red on thier tummy ESP. their vent/flank area....a very dark rusty red, nothing compaired to the light rusting of a coturnix. Keep an eye out for that, and a bold bib (but even then depending on the color may not have a bib) but it's safe to say that several colors males do show bibs and the red rusty vent-flank-sometimes chest belly area.