Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[Halloweengirl13]

Tibetan

Wild colored female

 

[Halloweengirl13]

I am not completely sure on what the first one is called I have heard British range and Tibetan but brown are what the wild colored ones are sometimes referred to as.

 

[generaldsherman]

Those are not the kind you can sex visually. They are tibetan or british range i think not the regular wild colored ones.

Ok, thanks! I'll wait a few more weeks until the boys start chatting

If they are tibetan, that means I'll get some tuxedos if I breed with the A & Ms I've got, right?

 

[Halloweengirl13]

I do believe that is how you get tuxes something to do with incomplete dominant traits or something, I know I have a freaking ton of them lol and I started with white and wild, and Tibetan. I am trying to breed for better markings on my tuxes.

 

[jak2002003]

My 2 pet white Japanese quail escaped their pen and have been living free for over 3 weeks... I see them every day as they come back for feed and water.

I caught them yesterday when I cornered them in the chicken coop...and put them back in their pen... but they were so unhappy and were frantically pacing up and down and jumping at the sided to get out..... so I let them back out!

They like to squeeze through the fence to the unused field on the other side and they live in the long grass and overgrown hedge that runs along the side my property.

They will squeeze back to my garden and sunbath on the grass next to the fence.. and then go into the chicken coop for feed and water.

They seem really happy and I am so surprised they have not wandered away. They have great natural instincts...... they know me and will stay around when I am there.. but if anyone else comes or they see a large bird they will quickly scuttle back deep into the undergrowth.

They even camouflaged themselves... they are no longer bright white... from dust bathing in the red earth they are now brown . orange and really invisiable when they keep still.

They are super alert... and now very good flying too. They know my small dog... who protects my birds... and they allow him to walk right over them.. but if they hear another dog they are off again.

I know that a predator will probably get them in the end... but for now they are in heaven and I can't stand to cage them up again.

Anyone else have Japanese quail living free?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Since mine are meant for food, I just raise the typical wild type cots. They are really easy to keep and very prolific. I decided a few months ago to cull my mixed flock and purchased hatching eggs from @James Marie . since then I have a much faster turnover and larger birds. Its all in what you want for the cots and the purpose you keep them for. We live off whole foods for our family. Colors and types isn't as important as growth and what it produces for us. They're a superior line and theres no clubs or secrets to purchase them. Just a good, quality bird that is prolific, and nice sized for quail.
My parents are both cancer patients and need protein increases in their diets. Quail, and their eggs are just an amazing tool in their care. Its a shame folks wont share more info about their findings and try to help people that have a real need in their food planning with their flocks. @James Marie had no problem talking to me a few hours to cover my needs.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My 2 pet white Japanese quail escaped their pen and have been living free for over 3 weeks... I see them every day as they come back for feed and water.

I caught them yesterday when I cornered them in the chicken coop...and put them back in their pen... but they were so unhappy and were frantically pacing up and down and jumping at the sided to get out..... so I let them back out!

They like to squeeze through the fence to the unused field on the other side and they live in the long grass and overgrown hedge that runs along the side my property.

They will squeeze back to my garden and sunbath on the grass next to the fence.. and then go into the chicken coop for feed and water.

They seem really happy and I am so surprised they have not wandered away. They have great natural instincts...... they know me and will stay around when I am there.. but if anyone else comes or they see a large bird they will quickly scuttle back deep into the undergrowth.

They even camouflaged themselves... they are no longer bright white... from dust bathing in the red earth they are now brown . orange and really invisiable when they keep still.

They are super alert... and now very good flying too. They know my small dog... who protects my birds... and they allow him to walk right over them.. but if they hear another dog they are off again.

I know that a predator will probably get them in the end... but for now they are in heaven and I can't stand to cage them up again.

Anyone else have Japanese quail living free?

Mine are penned. I am working on a large aviary but they have 1 purpose here, we eat the eggs and the males. I agree any bird deserves room to be free.

 

[Halloweengirl13]

I love my birdies too much to feed them to my cats which is what would happen if they were loose ( I have 5 cats and a couple strays that hang around), I built them a big ground pen with lots of space and places to hide and dust bathe.

 

[Lynn Manes]

Can anyone help me on the gender of my two jumbo brown (at least I think that's what they are) coturnix quail? This is my first round of quail, and I have no clue how to tell. AGE: 2 Weeks 5 Days Bird 1: Above and Below Bird 2: above and below (This one is redder than the first bird plus it's WAY more flighty) Also, how do you tell the gender of Texas A & M? If this is in the thread already, sorry. too lazy to read through 225 pages.

I raise both the white and regular Cortinix quail. I don't rely on looking at the feather patterns on the brown ones, and, of course, we can't do that with the whites. I vent sex all my quail. It's super easy. Males have a large, bulbous vent. Females do not, and they have an obvious female slit in their vent. I would wait til they are old enough to be out of the brooder before trying to sex them though. Hope this helps.

 

[Lobzi]

My 2 pet white Japanese quail escaped their pen and have been living free for over 3 weeks... I see them every day as they come back for feed and water.

I caught them yesterday when I cornered them in the chicken coop...and put them back in their pen... but they were so unhappy and were frantically pacing up and down and jumping at the sided to get out..... so I let them back out!

They like to squeeze through the fence to the unused field on the other side and they live in the long grass and overgrown hedge that runs along the side my property.

They will squeeze back to my garden and sunbath on the grass next to the fence.. and then go into the chicken coop for feed and water.

They seem really happy and I am so surprised they have not wandered away. They have great natural instincts...... they know me and will stay around when I am there.. but if anyone else comes or they see a large bird they will quickly scuttle back deep into the undergrowth.

They even camouflaged themselves... they are no longer bright white... from dust bathing in the red earth they are now brown . orange and really invisiable when they keep still.

They are super alert... and now very good flying too. They know my small dog... who protects my birds... and they allow him to walk right over them.. but if they hear another dog they are off again.

I know that a predator will probably get them in the end... but for now they are in heaven and I can't stand to cage them up again.

Anyone else have Japanese quail living free?

I dont have any living free but I two different times that two different pet quail escaped their enclosure. They both did the same thing...headed for a sunny spot to stretch out in and enjoy the warmth. That was it. They were easy to catch. I have too many nighttime predators where I live to let them stay out at night. I have a nice large wired enclosure for them which they seem to enjoy though there are a few who spend their time on the perimeter peering into the outside world. Rarely do they try to escape though a few times Ive found one in the chicken coop that is attached with a sliding door and ramp. I rarely open the door but when I do there seems to be one curious guy who will check it out and enter the coop.
I wish I could trust my quail to return at night like my free-range chickens do but I know they would not so I have to keep them in the aviary.