Did I get two males?

[Dakota14breyer]

Hello, I'm a first time quail owner and I just purchased two button quail online. I had asked for a mated pair, and I think I got two males instead. The breeder insists that I got a pair, but the more I look at them, the more uncertain I am. The brown one is definitely a male, as he has the bib and I have heard him 'revving up' or growling. The grey one is the mystery one. I have seen both getting frisky on one another, both have done a courtship/showing off dance similar to a turkey's dance, and the grey one has not laid an egg in the week I have had them. The last point is the least telling as I have heard even confirmed females won't lay an egg up to a few weeks after shipping. Any thoughts? I want to know soon if I need to get them two girlfriends or if they're what they were sold to me as.

 

[DK newbie]

The pictures are not the best, but you are right about the brown one, at least.
He actually doesn't have a bib. He might have a white patch in his chin area though none of the pictures show, but that doesn't mean he is male. A 'bib' is a pattern of white and black stripes in the chin area and he definitely doesn't have that.
The way you can tell he is male, is mostly from the last picture: It shows he has blue color on his head and sides and rust red color in his vent area and none of these colors are found on females.

Both of your birds are 'blueface' meaning neither male nor female gets a bib, so the fact that the silver doesn't have one isn't indicative of its sex either.
I'm not sure about the silver - in the pictures where it's seen from behind, it looks like there might be some very pale salmon coloring to some of the vent feathers but I see none of that on the picture where it's seen from the side.
For now I'll say 'most likely female', but pick it up and turn it upside down and have a good look at the vent feathers - if they really are pale salmon colored, it's a male, otherwise it's female. Post a picture of what you see, if in doubt.

 

[Dakota14breyer]

The pictures are not the best, but you are right about the brown one, at least.
He actually doesn't have a bib. He might have a white patch in his chin area though none of the pictures show, but that doesn't mean he is male. A 'bib' is a pattern of white and black stripes in the chin area and he definitely doesn't have that.
The way you can tell he is male, is mostly from the last picture: It shows he has blue color on his head and sides and rust red color in his vent area and none of these colors are found on females.

Both of your birds are 'blueface' meaning neither male nor female gets a bib, so the fact that the silver doesn't have one isn't indicative of its sex either.
I'm not sure about the silver - in the pictures where it's seen from behind, it looks like there might be some very pale salmon coloring to some of the vent feathers but I see none of that on the picture where it's seen from the side.
For now I'll say 'most likely female', but pick it up and turn it upside down and have a good look at the vent feathers - if they really are pale salmon colored, it's a male, otherwise it's female. Post a picture of what you see, if in doubt.

Thank you so much for the insight. Unfortunately I could not pick them up, as they are still terrified of me, but I did get a few more pics. There is certainly some pinkish color to the bottom of the silver one. Not as vibrant as on the brown one, but still there.

 

[DK newbie]

Don't expect them to ever get to a point where they sit still while you pick them up - you have to catch them to get them.
The last two pictures do seem to show a little pink though. I suspect the bird is young and will get more pink in the coming weeks, but I'm pretty certain it's a male.

 

[Kiki]

What is the blue stuff on the floor of your cage?

 

[2 many chickens]

Both are males.

 

[Fishkeeper]

I'd rig a computer fan to that setup, if I were you, to be sure it's properly ventilated despite the solid sides. I'd also give them some branches to climb and some scrub-style fake foliage to hide under, so they have something to do in that little cage.
If nothing else, they look healthy. I'd contact the breeder about the possible sex issue, though.

 

[Dakota14breyer]

Update time!!
I contacted the breeder, and they agreed that they were two males. They gave me a discount to get them both girlfriends and about 3 weeks in, they're all happy! The new girls (Mitsy and Sarah/Sadie) are laying eggs and Jules and Verne strut around like happy little roos, and affectionately preening each of their gals.