Culling and sexing

[Cribbs74]

Hello,

I have been raising Coturnix quail for the past 2 yrs and enjoying it. I generally cull during spring/ summer however this year I let it get away from me and now I have too many birds. I do not like culling females and I am trying to avoid that. Last 2 sessions I sat outside the cage and waited for the males to crow and then banded them so I knew they were males. The problem is late season, not only do they stop laying, the males stop crowing. So now I have no idea what is what. Is there a trick to sexing or is the crow the only way to determine sex?

Ron

 

[cherrynberry]

Hello,

I have been raising Coturnix quail for the past 2 yrs and enjoying it. I generally cull during spring/ summer however this year I let it get away from me and now I have too many birds. I do not like culling females and I am trying to avoid that. Last 2 sessions I sat outside the cage and waited for the males to crow and then banded them so I knew they were males. The problem is late season, not only do they stop laying, the males stop crowing. So now I have no idea what is what. Is there a trick to sexing or is the crow the only way to determine sex?

Ron

I believe males start to produce foam when they are sexually mature. So if you look at their vent/back end, there should be foam for the sexually mature males. This is just what I have found with my birds (who were feather sexable anyway).

@Kiki could probably help a lot more though.

 

[Nabiki]

Sexing in the fall can be tricky. The males are far less likely to crow and foam, and the hens are slowing down on egg laying if not quitting entirely.

You can start providing them with extra light to bring them back into sexual activity, or, if you have the time and patience, bring them one by one into the house in a tub or something. Males will often start to crow if they're lonely/stressed.

 

[FloorCandy]

The hens who have laid should have noticeably wider vents.