Quail hatched in October, shouldn't they be laying by now?

[IT Farmer]

Check your local feed store. All the ones in my area carry Gamebird Starter, a Gamebird Maintenance, and a Gamebird Breeder. It is almost always much cheaper than TSC and usually comes from a local feed mill which means it is much fresher. Nothing wrong with TSC feed but I know that livestock feed for cows and horses always looks much better coming from the feed store then TSC. Just my opinion but to each there own.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

I found these in the quail yard yesterday so I guess I was just a few days early in my expectations I guess I have at least 3 females then

 

[IT Farmer]

I found these in the quail yard yesterday so I guess I was just a few days early in my expectations I guess I have at least 3 females then

If you have the regular old Pharaoh Coturnix then you should easily be able to distinguish the males from females. Females have speckles/dots all over their chest where as the males have a rust colored chest (no dots or speckles).

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

They are all different colors. One is almost pure white. 2 are cream colored. Most are various freckled browns. But some have obvious "whiskers" and those are likely the boys, right?

 

[gatrapper]

I had a similar problem until I balanced my male to female ratio and switched to regular chicken layer crumble.

 

[NY Coturnix]

They are all different colors. One is almost pure white. 2 are cream colored. Most are various freckled browns. But some have obvious "whiskers" and those are likely the boys, right?

Whiskers?

Just to add to the discussion. You need to add light to get eggs though the winter. I had chicks hatch in late November and had eggs at 6 weeks. Game Bird starter and what I've learned just recently a 16% layer crumble that you'd feed chickens is fine for fully grown quail. Didn't know that until an argument broke out on here over a similar topic. Mine have been on that now for a couple weeks and I've seen no change in their egg laying and it's $4 cheaper by the 50# bag at Tractor Supply.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

They are all different colors. One is almost pure white. 2 are cream colored. Most are various freckled browns. But some have obvious "whiskers" and those are likely the boys, right?

Having a beard is equally likely for male or female. In Coturnix quail the beard is part of winter plumage but over the centuries of domestication some have fluffy chins all the time too, and some are always smooth. This is the same hen in summer and winter plumage.

If you want help sexing your birds post some images! Hens typically have a speckled breast without any reddish color and males have few to no speckles and a reddish brown throat and face. This can vary depending on type and some are not feather sexable at all, you will have to vent sex them or watch their behavior.