HELP! Quail all look the same!

[someusername]

I'm keeping quail as pets, and I got them from a farm, but the eggs all hatched the exact same quail witht he exact same coloration? How would I tell the difference between them(sorry, i dont have leg bands), like if one is prone to ticks or has diarrhea or something? I'm looking for a way to identify each of my chicks, and the only plan I have is watching their behavior and personalitys

 

[007Sean]

For the zip ties, do you put it on loosely or snugly? I would love to use those because with 45 of them, it's hard to tell them apart. They won't attack their own legs because of the zip tie?

Put them on sorta loose and not snug. You don't want them to be floppy loose but where they will slide up and down the leg. Too loose and they will snag on everything, and put your birds in danger of injurying themselves. Other quail will peck at it at first till they get use to seeing it. The zip ties I use are about 2" long and a 1/8" wide.

 

[New2Chicks97]

Good luck! We have two Buff Orpington pullets that I could tell apart until the one ended up with a heavier comb that flops over. They didn’t have individual names until I could tell them apart. I had the same problem with the two Silver Laced Wyandottes we had until one ended up with a cracked beak that I have had to fix.

Maybe someone here has some good ideas for how to tell them apart. This is one of the reasons that I like Easter Egger chickens each had a unique look.

 

[007Sean]

If I need to keep track of my chicks, I use the smallest z-ties in different colors. Have to be careful and watch them closely as they grow to make sure their leg is not to big for the tie, if it does get too tight, just clip it off and put on a new one.

 

[someusername]

I used to have 2 quail that were the same and one who was different, but out of the same ones, one was very jumpy and hyperactive(yes, she jumped) and the other one would stay where she 2as and even let me pet her. So personality is a great tool, but right now they are chicks, and I can’t really tell their personality.
And what is a z tie?

 

[Lady_Bat]

For the zip ties, do you put it on loosely or snugly? I would love to use those because with 45 of them, it's hard to tell them apart. They won't attack their own legs because of the zip tie?

 

[someusername]

Wont zip ties be too tight? since you cant remove them

 

[someusername]

how do you clip them off? im afraid of getting them too tight when I go on vacation or something like that? If it does become too tight, how do you get it off?

 

[007Sean]

Nail clippers, small pair of diagonials, small scissors work fine for cutting them losse. They don't need to be tight against the leg should have sufficient play to slide up or down the leg. Depending on how long your on vacation, they shouldn't get too snug but if worried that they will, just change them before leaving on vaction.

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

Sorry quail are so hard to tell apart!
my quail are 5 weeks now and I could barely start telling them apart when they were round 3 weeks, some got slimmer, some were fatter, the boys got spot free chests, etc.
Anytime I have a chick I need to mark I mark their head with a sharpie, this works on all light enough chicks. On some darker ones you can color their comb. As for chicks who are too dark for any of that, I just have to separate them with a small group, if I need to be able to see what they are. You can order legs bands though!