Quails-maybe?

[MonkeyZero]

Heya

My friend is giving away quails. Just the commons. She'll give em to me for $20 for 6. Is it worth it? Ill get my silkies first, but is that a good price? Any advice? I heard you raise them like chickens
Oh yeah
how do you tell the gender? 5 are a light brown, when one is a darker brown.

 

[monarc23]

by common do you mean Coturnix? If so on the Quail forum you can see how to sex them on my Coturnix Educational Post

as for the price, how old are they? if they are like 5+ months old that price is a little pricey for 6. They start not laying well around 8+ months old

 

[MonkeyZero]

These

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Quail

About, 8.5 months of age since hatching. and laying(they dont know who is laying though....).
They spent $5 for each bird, so they said they'd give me a discount
I am not gonna eat the eggs. PRobably give them to the chinese ladies, or the stores, or incubate them(broodiness rocks) down the street who ask me if I have the eggs(they knew I HAD hens and thought I had quails for some odd reason).

Uhoh
Seems like there are 5 males to 1 female!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Those are known more readily as Coturnix or Japanese Quail... "common quail" is more of just an extra name for the same bird

if theres 5 males and one female i really feel bad for that hen. Is there anyway you can just buy the one hen and one roo? That hen has got to be torn to shreads by now.

 

[MonkeyZero]

Nope, shes healthy!
They dont even fight! ALl they do is grab the back of her neck and....

you get the picture(no details needed lol

). The males knock each over off when doing so! Its funny but sad!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
she's lucky, most roos rip the hens scalp completely off when fighting over a hen, even just one roo with few too hens will scalp their hens. she's lucky she has easy going roos. Poor thing needs more hens though im sure her back is sore litterally...i know my hens get ripped up.

 

[MonkeyZero]

Most of the males sit on eggs sometimes..