I want buttons, but how to make sure i get 1 boy and 1 gal?

[laughingull]

I would love to get a pair of buttons, but each time I consider it at the feed store I am thrown off by my inability to sex them. They have them in large flocks in the cages and though for some colors sexing seems easy, when all the colors and sexs are in one cage i find it far more challenging. Any recommendations or links to sites that have vent sexing for dummies or anything like that? I think it is a bit crazy that the feed store refuses to sex them given their housing needs etc.- seems a tad irresponsible not to sell them in pairs or at least say what sex they are? I guess they just don't know how either.

 

[laughingull]

There are great pics here: http://www.stellargamebirds.com/Button-Quail.html for sexing... but I am a bit slow and still don't know what I am looking for??? (ie I am still struggling to find the concrete differences between pics? and if i can sort it out on the how to pic I doubt i will do much better on a squirming bird) My search continues...

 

[Stellar]

You can try my website and see what brings you. I have some vent sexing on there which you found already LOL

Boys have red feathers on their vents or anywhere on their feathers. Boys are bright and blue, some are cobalt blue, females are duller colors, more brown shades. It's really tough with feedstores. I don't feel they should be selling them in large quantities like that, they are not like the coturnix or chickens in that matter. Just my opinion.

 

[laughingull]

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Thanks! You have the most thorough bit on button vent sexing that I have found (yur website pretty much rocks

!! ) I must just be slow because I still cant imagine really being able to tell- but I am sure it takes practice? And then there is the problem of not knowing how old/ if the birds are breeding right? Yep, the crazy thing with button quail is how sad it is to imagine how confusing it must be for territorial little birds that want to live in private pairs having to live in crowded flocks. Worse yet, if that is how folks see them housed in the pet store/feed store they are likely to replicate those conditions at home.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Thanks! You have the most thorough bit on button vent sexing that I have found (yur website pretty much rocks

!! ) I must just be slow because I still cant imagine really being able to tell- but I am sure it takes practice? And then there is the problem of not knowing how old/ if the birds are breeding right? Yep, the crazy thing with button quail is how sad it is to imagine how confusing it must be for territorial little birds that want to live in private pairs having to live in crowded flocks. Worse yet, if that is how folks see them housed in the pet store/feed store they are likely to replicate those conditions at home.

You can tell on most by the color of the vent feathers, no need to vent sex them. If it has red/rust/pink colored feathers around its vent, it's a boy! Plus, males and females of all colors except white are different colored. If you have a cell phone you could take pics while at the feed store then post them to BYC and we'd let you know who to get

 

[laughingull]

Quote:
Thanks! You have the most thorough bit on button vent sexing that I have found (yur website pretty much rocks

!! ) I must just be slow because I still cant imagine really being able to tell- but I am sure it takes practice? And then there is the problem of not knowing how old/ if the birds are breeding right? Yep, the crazy thing with button quail is how sad it is to imagine how confusing it must be for territorial little birds that want to live in private pairs having to live in crowded flocks. Worse yet, if that is how folks see them housed in the pet store/feed store they are likely to replicate those conditions at home.

You can tell on most by the color of the vent feathers, no need to vent sex them. If it has red/rust/pink colored feathers around its vent, it's a boy! Plus, males and females of all colors except white are different colored. If you have a cell phone you could take pics while at the feed store then post them to BYC and we'd let you know who to get

Great- thank you!!! Feathers it is! Haha- I love the idea of getting BYC feedback on my phone while in the feedstore!!! But alas, I own one of the the last cell phones in existance that does not have camera or internet. Maybe I will try my best, bring em home then post the pics to see how i did then trade one out if I got 2 of the same sex

...though I fear I would already be too attached and that would lead to 4 buttons and ....

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
You can tell on most by the color of the vent feathers, no need to vent sex them. If it has red/rust/pink colored feathers around its vent, it's a boy! Plus, males and females of all colors except white are different colored. If you have a cell phone you could take pics while at the feed store then post them to BYC and we'd let you know who to get

Great- thank you!!! Feathers it is! Haha- I love the idea of getting BYC feedback on my phone while in the feedstore!!! But alas, I own one of the the last cell phones in existance that does not have camera or internet. Maybe I will try my best, bring em home then post the pics to see how i did then trade one out if I got 2 of the same sex

...though I fear I would already be too attached and that would lead to 4 buttons and ....

Just take your digital camera there and take pics. Try to pick some that look like male and female (boy with red feathers, girl without). Tell the feed store people to hold them til the next day, I doubt they sell them that quickly. Go home, post the pics to confirm, then go back the next day and collect your birds. Or just order a pair from quaillady

 

[laughingull]

Quote:
Great- thank you!!! Feathers it is! Haha- I love the idea of getting BYC feedback on my phone while in the feedstore!!! But alas, I own one of the the last cell phones in existance that does not have camera or internet. Maybe I will try my best, bring em home then post the pics to see how i did then trade one out if I got 2 of the same sex

...though I fear I would already be too attached and that would lead to 4 buttons and ....

Just take your digital camera there and take pics. Try to pick some that look like male and female (boy with red feathers, girl without). Tell the feed store people to hold them til the next day, I doubt they sell them that quickly. Go home, post the pics to confirm, then go back the next day and collect your birds. Or just order a pair from quaillady

Great plan- thanks!!! I would love to order a pair from quaillady, just wish I could shrink distance and shipping costs between the two coasts (I am on the opposite side of the country with a lot of winter in between.) I am sure hers are amazing compared to what my feed store will have, but I don't need anything fancy as I doubt I will raise any of their offspring, just looking for more mini- omlets

 

[Rainwolf]

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and they will be mini!

 

[laughingull]

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and they will be mini!

true that! & i thought coturnix eggs were half-bite sized, might not notice the button egg when i chew