Identifying Quail Chicks

[threeepeat]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the world of quail and to the BYC forum. I've been researching all things quail for awhile now, and I'm having a great time with it.

I've noticed that there isn't a picture-based guide online anywhere to help identify newborn coturnix quail chicks. I think it would be fun to see, even if identification isn't 100% fool proof for newborns. For e.g., it would be interesting to see all the roux variations as chicks.

I did find this page, which shows a bit. I like it. https://silverhomestead.com/quail-chick-colors/

BYC threads that touch upon it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chick-colors.1479368/page-3#post-24656125
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/identifying-quail-chicks.1398897/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-colour-will-my-quail-be.1399232/

There was another good one with a handful of chicks with lots of guesses, but I can't seem to find it any more.

By the way, it is true that scarlet tuxedo chicks have what appear to be big blond eye brows? Is the light "eye brow" marking a tuxedo thing?

If such a resource already exists for more coturnix chick types, with photos, please point me in the right direction.

I'm attaching a photo of some newborn chicks. 2 days old. The color temperature was affected by overhead heat lamp light, but I corrected it. It's not a sharp pic, but the colors are fairly accurate. Please note the blond "eye brows" on the two roux chicks. Any guesses on the quail types in the photos?

Thanks!

 

[Nabiki]

Te two red ones are most likely rosettas. The rest look like standard wild types, but a lot of the colour variations looked like that as chicks. If they had the stripes and light yellow, they would probably be falb fee. These have the deeper yellow that standards or Egyptians have.

 

[threeepeat]

Te two red ones are most likely rosettas. The rest look like standard wild types, but a lot of the colour variations looked like that as chicks. If they had the stripes and light yellow, they would probably be falb fee. These have the deeper yellow that standards or Egyptians have.

Rosettas, interesting. I'll post new pics as they grow out. There does seem to be a slight red tone difference in the stripes of the two roux chicks. I noticed right away right after hatching. It's subtle, and difficult to quantify, but it's there. Of course it's difficult to tell with such a poorly lit photo.

The (non red) pharaoh-like ones are definitely hard to tell between the wild-type and falb fee. They all seem to have lighter, somewhat muted yellow when compared to the pharaoh chick pics I've seen online. It remains inconclusive. The biggest clue may be that they lack any red tone at all in their yellow, except for the slightest hint of brown/red color near their beaks. It's a flat light yellow, uniform in tone through the stripe. I've also noticed that one or two seem to have somewhat darker, more vivid black stripes than the rest.

On a side note, there are two chicks that seem to consistently stand up and sing a monotone chirp, kind of like a soft alarm sound for the group, or a calling out for something. Can this behaviour sometimes correlate to being future cocks/roosters?

Thanks

 

[Nabiki]

You will almost always have at least one screamer in your hatch. I have not seen a correlation between that and their gender. The only time I've known very early is when I actually have a chick crow. I had one crow while still in the incubator.

 

[threeepeat]

You will almost always have at least one screamer in your hatch. I have not seen a correlation between that and their gender. The only time I've known very early is when I actually have a chick crow. I had one crow while still in the incubator.

You will almost always have at least one screamer in your hatch. I have not seen a correlation between that and their gender. The only time I've known very early is when I actually have a chick crow. I had one crow while still in the incubator.

I think you are likely correct with rosetta.

Here is a link with some good coturnix chick ID pics, including rosetta. (will need to scroll doen to the chick section)
http://www.essexcountyhatchery.com/our-quail.html#/

It would be so great to see a fully populated chick ID guide like this

 

[Nabiki]

I think you are likely correct with rosetta.

Here is a link with some good coturnix chick ID pics, including rosetta. (will need to scroll doen to the chick section)
http://www.essexcountyhatchery.com/our-quail.html#/

It would be so great to see a fully populated chick ID guide like this

The problem is, a lot of chicks look the same until their feathers come in. It helps if you know what the parents look like.

 

[threeepeat]

The problem is, a lot of chicks look the same until their feathers come in. It helps if you know what the parents look like.

I hear you, and that makes sense. It's fun to look at though. Lots of guess work!

These chicks are from a Falb Fee line that is said to hatch 70% true, and from a Scarlet/Range line that can still hatch out Scarlett, Red Range, Range Tuxedo, Scarlett Tuxedo, Egyptian and White.

This is my first ever hatching and it was um, eventful. I ordered the 12 falb fee and 12 scarlet/range eggs, perfectly timed for the start of an unexpected, unprecedented Arctic freeze down in my part of the country.

The breeder recommended Canada Post and I opted for the most expensive, quickest option. You know, nothing but the best for my future line

When the eggs arrived, the box had a white paper "Live Eggs" taped to it. On the back of this paper, kind of hidden, were notes from various Canada Post staff along the way. These notes essentially disclosed that CP elected to send the eggs over freezing high mountain passes by truck rather than flying, and that the temperature in the trailer that housed the eggs was -10C (14F). And one person closed with , "If these are live eggs, they dead now."

I wasn't really sure if I should bother incubating after reading these messages. The breeder said, you will never know until you try. I tried.

I candled the eggs before incubating and that revealed nothing. I guess I won't candle eggs before incubation ever again lol. Two of the 24 eggs had tiny little potential cracks. I put all the eggs in the incubator anyway.

For unknown reasons, I candled on Day 9 and 22/24 were developing! I removed the two that weren't.

Unfortunately, more adventures were in store for these poor eggs.

On day 10, we had a power outage for about an hour and a half. All I could do was fill up a hot water bottle, place it beside the incubator, and bury it all with more blankets and jackets. By this time, the outdoor temperature was even colder than before, and on its way down to -31C (-24F).

On day 11, more fun - my two hygrometers in the incubator (yes two) started disagreeing with each other. One (or both?) were failing, and I just wasn't sure which one. They were suddenly 2 degrees C (4 F) apart. What should I do? Choose one and hope that I'm lucky, or split the difference and hope for the best? Ugh@!

I kind of trusted one unit slightly more than the other, so I split the difference with a little bias toward the one if that makes sense.

I really wasn't sure if they were cooking.

Well, in any case, just for a bit more stress, I then mistakenly put the eggs in lock down early - on day 13! Duh!@

Fast forward to...

Day 16. My first egg hatches! Yes!!! Oh no.... the poor chick couldn't walk! It's little head was twitching as it dragged itself around the incubator, twisting and falling, over and over, and over, for hours. It was so sad to see. My very first poulty hatch-ling!


12 hours later, six more eggs began hatching. So the result of 7/24 may be something, considering the challenges, and the other six seem normal (to me).

I did a lot of research on the first chick's issues. I learned about stargazing and wry neck. Apparently, stargazing presents as a head pointing up, and wry neck presents as a head pointing down. This chick definitely had its head pointing down, so it may have wry neck. It's feet and legs appear normal. It just struggles to use them.

The much more experienced quail people in the web-verse have some differing opinions on what to do, but generally (maybe) it seems that stargazing is a vitamin b1 deficiency, and that wry neck is a vitamin E deficiency.

NutriDense was recommended by many but is not available in my area, so I opted for one available poultry vitamin boost that included b1, E, and selenium. I tried the eye dropper feeding method at first, but then just put the super concentrated vitamin-electrolyte mix in to the brooder water.

The twitching of its head stopped fairly quickly while still in the incubator, but in the brooder, it continued to drag itself around on its belly, front stroke. It really looked exactly like a baby turtle on the beach, fumbling to the water.

Two days after introducing the vitamin water, the chick was walking. Well, I say "walking." Standing and moving on its feet. I don't know how much of a role the vitamin water played, but I'm pleased that the chick is improving.

On the positive side, when placed in the brooder, this chick immediately found the water and food without any difficulty (swimming around on its belly), and continues to have a great appetite just like the others. It fits in with the rest 100%, but it has a funny walk and a low profile (doesn't seem able to stand up tall at times like the others).

I also tried to use the dropper to feed the chick a blended mixture of organic chicken egg yolk and a bit of kelp. Just once, but that possibly could helped as well.

Sorry, I didn't intend to write a novel here haha. It's just very interesting to me!

 

[Nabiki]

You've certainly has an adventure. You'll learn as you go, like most of us!

 

[Linita]

I found this online although I don't know about accuracy, you guys tell

https://www.deviantart.com/quirky-quails/art/Colours-705557154

Hope it helps

 

[threeepeat]

I'm posting some updated pictures of the chicks now @ 1 week old. I've also used natural day light instead of the heat lamp, so the colors will be more accurate and hopefully revealing! Does anyone else want to chime in on guesses?