Quail Sexing?

[snailquail]

Hello! So, I recently hatched 20 coturnix quail on October 4, so they are nearing 6 weeks! I just moved them out to their coop (picture because they look so tiny there and its adorable) and I'm curious if I have to wait until spring to tell who are hens and who are roos? there hasnt been any crowing or anything from them. Do males only crow in the spring and summer when they get enough light? I'm not providing artificial light because I am more about lifespan and health than efficiency right now because theyre also my pets, so is it more of a waiting game?

 

[Nabiki]

If you're not going to give them supplemental light, then, yeah, you're probably going to be waiting a while. You might still get a bit of crowing. Right now my roos sound like toys with dying batteries.

 

[Quaicken108]

Also if you wanted to know sooner you could try vent sexing them. If you don’t know how To do it there are lots of videos on YouTube and stuff. Just saying because I’m seeing mutations that aren’t all feather sexable. Or eventually you‘d have to find the culprit for an egg or crow. Good luck!

 

[snailquail]

Also if you wanted to know sooner you could try vent sexing them. If you don’t know how To do it there are lots of videos on YouTube and stuff. Just saying because I’m seeing mutations that aren’t all feather sexable. Or eventually you‘d have to find the culprit for an egg or crow. Good luck!

thank you!!!! yeah definitely with my little tuxedo babies feather sexing isnt a thing.. I'll look into vent sexing to see if I'm confident enough to do it !

 

[Nabiki]

Don't be surprised if you're not getting any foam either. They don't foam much during the winter either without supplemental light.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Almost 100% certain way to sex them is to throw a bunch of mealworms in the cage. The males will helplessly hold the worm in its mouth and call for the females to come get it. The females will be frantically gathering whatever they can before heading to the males for what they know is a foodie call.

I think I saw this tip somewhere on the BYC forum a while back. It works.

 

[Nabiki]

Almost 100% certain way to sex them is to throw a bunch of mealworms in the cage. The males will helplessly hold the worm in its mouth and call for the females to come get it. The females will be frantically gathering whatever they can before heading to the males for what they know is a foodie call.

I think I saw this tip somewhere on the BYC forum a while back. It works.

That would probably work for button quail, but in my experience, it won't work for coturnix.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

My quail are coturnix.

 

[Nabiki]

My quail are coturnix.

Then your way isn't 100% because mine certainly don't act like that!

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Then your way isn't 100% because mine certainly don't act like that! View attachment 2430624

Okay, I stand corrected. I'm just speaking from my own experience. Weird thing is, today I saw a hen feed another hen from her "tribe." She didn't make that "buku-buku-buku" sound the males make though, nor did she try to jump on top.