My quail...

[shelleyd2008]

For those of you that don't know, I have 3 quail in my house. There are 2 A&M's and one button.

I cleaned their tank out this morning, giving me a good look at my button. I have known for a few weeks that it was a blue face, and was thinking it was a hen. Well, when I had it in my hand, I noticed all the pretty blue feathers coming in on it's breast. So evidently a boy.

I had asked monarc before how to tell the sex of the A&M's, since they are white, no color differences between the sexes. Well, mystery solved on one at least!! After I put them back in their tank, one was 'chattering' at me. I was sitting here in my room, talking to all you fine people, when I heard it crow!!

Funniest thing I have ever heard, but deffinitely a crow! Now just have to wait and see what the other one is. I guess if I start finding eggs, then I'll know!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Ok, well now the two A&M's are fighting!!

The one that is crowing has started terrorizing the other one, pecking it's head and stuff. The poor little button is hiding in the kleenex box I put in there as a hiding spot. I don't have anywhere else to put these guys, and they are in a pretty small area!! Maybe I can switch them with the baby chickens that have such a big box? I don't know, I need to figure out SOMETHING!!

 

[redhen]

yikes!!..wish i could help ya!..someone will chime in to help...good luck, Wendy

 

[therealsilkiechick]

if they r old enough to breed about 8-9 weeks of age any coturnix quail sex can be told by checking the vent. flip it and press thumb between base of tail and vent. close to the vent is a bulg that's what u want to press on. if it is a male white foam that resembles shaveing cream will come from vent. if it is a girl nothing or a clear liquid will be presant. button quail a male should have a white ring around the neck when they get adult feathers.

coturnix mate by grabbing by the head just like a rooster does and usually balds them in mateing season. males make like a small hen turkey call. buttons should not be housed with them usually coturnix r mean and will kill a smaller even same breed.

if u have them in a tank which i assume is to small for them and there is more than 1 male they will fight to death. if it is a pair they should be fine in the tank long as they can't pop and hit heads on top of it. regular size should be 12 sq " per bird or more and jumbos like xld's should be 12 x 12" per bird or more.
hope that heps,
silkie

 

[shelleyd2008]

They shouldn't be trying to mate already. They are only about 5 weeks old, maybe going on six not exactly sure. As for the button, it is a double factor blue face, so it has always had a white bib on it's chest. There are only 3 birds total in the tank, 1 button and 2 A&M. They have been together since they hatched, the button hatched a day before the A&M's. They have been getting along fine until today. The top of their cage is a window screen, so it is very pliable. The button did knock himself a bit silly when I was trying to catch them to get them out, but normally they don't have any problem. I will have to do some searching on here to figure out how old they are, but I know they aren't older than 6 weeks. Thanks.

Just to clarify, they are not fighting with the button, it is just not liking getting stepped on, so it is hiding!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Ok, I just checked and they are almost 5 weeks old. So they shouldn't be breeding already? The A&M's just finally got all their feathers!

 

[therealsilkiechick]

nope to young to breed so has 2 be 2 males then, one is more dominant or due to size difference. the only other thing i can think of is if to small of houseing for them and is cramped with not enough space.

 

[monarc23]

OMG Shelley it's a male!?!?! YAY!!!!! Oooh i cannot wait until it's mature feathering comes in he's gonna be sooo pretty!!! *I am jealous*!!! Are you happy it's a male instead of a hen? Now ya need hens hehe!

As for your a &ms since your one male is crowing he's somehow already ready to breed. If the foam is presant this just confirms this even more. He's just obviously an early bloomer. THe other could be a hen still...unless it starts crowing too ofcourse lol. If their bums are swollen both males. The swelling is extreemly obvious, it looks like they have an abcess almost it's so poofed up and gross. But nope it's just the males breeding butt! LOL!


by the way I disagree even hens can make the hen turkey call sound "cha deep cha deep cha deep!" the male crow is hard to discribe and imsure that's exactly what you heard not the "Gather up call" (i call the "cha deep da deep cha deep!") a gather up call as they seem to call like that when they're looking for their buddies. THe males crow, now that i've personally heard it at the breeders house, doesnt sound anything like it's saying "co tuuur niiix!"" it sounds like tis' saying "HOW am i doing!?" thanks to Lilralphieroosmamas discription of the sound i agree with her sounds like "How'm i doin!?" LOL!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have seen someone compare it to a cat being choked, and that's pretty much how it sounded! But yeah, there is no mistaking that it was a crow!! I kind of wonder about the other being a male. Would they fight if they had never been around a female? It was more of a pecking thing, the one getting pecked has a lot of booboo's on it's head. Poor baby. I seperated them, kind of. The 'pecker' is in a cage beside the tank, and the button and the other A&M are in the tank.
I don't really think it matters to me if the button is male or female. It sure is pretty though. But you have to hold it to see the blue, it's not OBVIOUS. I hope it will get more blue as it gets older.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

It was "look at MEEEEEEE"! And I always tell him I don't wanna...!!!

Congrats Shelley - it's a boy!!!!