How do I sex dark coturnix varieties?

[SamG347]

You tell me.....that is why the dark coloration/mutation coturnix frustrated the %#@% out of me. I loved my Jumbo browns and goldens. Otherwise I would just put my mutation colors into the breeding cages and if I walked by and saw a bird that I thought was a hen crow...would pull him out if I knew there was already 1-2 other males already in the cage. Never really did the single bird sit and stare when I was running 100+...that was back when I started with like 12.

 

[JJMR794]

Yeah................... Think I'll Just Stick To Quail Porn.

 

[canter6]

I hope no one was thinking that I just isolate one single bird and pull up a lawn chair and wait till it lays an egg.
Most roos crow and are tagged in the grow out pen. That happens over the course of time, and while I'm doing other things like feeding watering etc.. The remaining birds are cycled through a few spare roo pens. Most checks only take about 10 seconds. A lone roo (ABLE TO) will usually crow in less than 5 seconds. A lone hen will make her call in around 10. Those that make no noise are put back in the grow out pen because they are not ripe yet. Over the course of a few days during normal operations the rest are usually sorted out. I'm not suggesting that this is the fastest most efficient or accurate way of doing things, but it works out fine for me right now.

I'll most likely switch my bulk stock to jumbo browns and keep some token Almost&Maybes for the heck of it. From a total time/efficiency standpoint. I can visually sex browns in a timely manner, and don't have to go poking around in any poo chutes.