Sexing Coturnix Quail

[wbruder17]

I have several quail of different ages, but none older than 2 months. Ii though you could tell a male by the cinnamon color on its chin/chest....but I have 5 (the oldest group) and 4 of them have the cinnamon color, but I have not heard them crow at all. Nor do I have any eggs from them, and I haven't seen any mating, tho two had small bloody spots on their heads, I assume, from fighting (males?)

The next oldest group (there's only 2 in this batch) already has one crowing, (one A&M coloration, the other regular) also no eggs, but I think they are only about 4 weeks.

The rest are about 2-3 weeks and are a mix of A&Ms and regular Coturnix. Too young to tell, I think.

I want to keep one or two males and we willl be eating the rest, but aside from staring at them for hours to see them mate, how can I tell the males from the females?

Any info on this would be lovely! Thanks so much!

 

[TheRealTimShady]

well, easiest thing to do is just post some photos, A&M's you probably have to vent sex/beer sex, the wild colors we can sex for you, its easy enough.

 

[JJMR794]

If They Dont Get The Proper Amount Of Light They Wont Mate... And Mating Is A Questionable Sign Of Sexes.... Remember Coturnix Roos Subscribe To Jailhouse Lovin' From Time To Time..

 

[wbruder17]

They have access to both indoor and outdoor enclosures at all times, so the light they get is from nature. I don't provide artificial light, so I'm not sure why they aren't laying.

Also, pictures of all of them won't happpen.....too many and they are pretty wild. I don't handlle my quail, peasants or chuukers the way i do my chickens. I was hopiing for physical characteristics like a cinnamon colored chest (as I've been told)
I want to introduce the new birds this weekend....hoping for strength and camraderie in numbers against the 5 full grown quaiil already iin the outdoor run... just wish I could eliminate the "too many males" equation sooner rather than later.

 

[Stellar]

Artificial light helps them lay. They will stop laying with natural light as the seasons change. To lay they need 16 hours of light. You can add led Christmas lights to help stimulate them more. Some colors are easier to sex than others. Vent sexing may be your option for the colors or watch them closely.

 

[The Critter Place]

The problem with trying to help based on a color description, is everyone has a different idea of a color.

Cinnamon to one person, could be one of many to another. Rust, fawn, golden, tan.....

Here's a link to a page from Quaillady's web site with some great pictures of colors and sex of birds.

http://www.stellar-gamebirds.com/Coturnix-Colors.html