How to mark male quail?

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

So my boys are starting to crow, and I want to be able to identify which ones are male at a glance so I know how many I will keep, and how many for breeding. What should I use to "mark" the ones that are male? I don't have any leg bands that go that small.

What do all you guys do?

 

[AHappychick]

I keep a bottle of Bluekote and spray a bit on the neck of all my males after I see them crow. Not pretty but it works well.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I got a bag of 4" zipties and put one around the leg when I see them crow.

 

[CARS]

I use zip ties also. You can buy them in many different colors from any automotive parts store. (autozone, napa, checkers, etc. I bet the area Walmart has them in the automotive section of the store)

 

[saddina]

I have a can of 5 colored zipties from the hardware store for led banding, boys get blue. Once I decide which are breeders and which go to the grow out pen, breeders get a yellow and blue. Hens get pink and then green for keepers. If you vent sex as chicks, you can get a food color marker set, and put a dot on them, boys blue, girls purple, I cant seem to even get mini zip ties on newborn chick feet.

 

[zhekaz]

Will zip ties work for button quails? Their legs so tiny...

 

[kingmt]

Quote:

& yes they will pull down to nothing but leave them loose on there legs.

It seems like everyone has the same questions all at once around here. I use the zip strips also but for quail I would only mark my hen breeders because everyone else is going to be dinner & I don't think the zip strips taste very good. I have used them to bake but not for taste.