Tenn red: boy or girl?

[featherworks]

Hello all... This is first time in this section. A couple of us at the fire house caught a quail in the engine bay yesterday and I took it home. It is in one of my empty duck pens right now. I am pretty sure it is a tennessee red, but I'm not sure if it is a male or a female. Here are a couple pics in hopes that someone will help me with it's gender. I can't get over how tame it is. It will almost let me get close enough to catch it if I wanted to.

Thanks in advance for your help, Phil

 

[TwoCrows]

It is very difficult to sex these birds. And it does look to be a Tennessee Red. Either vent sexing or just watching them mate, who is crowing and who is laying an egg. Some think you can sex them by that white spot on the chest, but that does not always work. Some males can have dark or black feathers on the head, but since you only have one, it is hard to compare. I am thinking it may be a female with a lighter head. I keep only females in my clan and this bird does look similar to my girls. They are gorgeous birds aren't they? Only time will tell on this bird, laying or not laying eggs. Good luck!

 

[TheRealTimShady]

gonna take a wild stab and say female, not really sure. I just thought that males had more white on them.

since you just moved her you won't be able to tell unless you here a crow, as she won't lay until next year(season is over for bobs)

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote:
Tennessee Reds are not like Northern Bobwhites with the white stripe on the face. These guys can nearly look all the same. Like this bird.

 

[Missi]

Beautiful bird! Wow

 

[TheRealTimShady]

Quote:
Tennessee Reds are not like Northern Bobwhites with the white stripe on the face. These guys can nearly look all the same. Like this bird.

yea i know, i've been researching the tenn. red alot as i want to get some, i've personally noticed the males have more white, it could always be wrong tho.

 

[featherworks]

Thanks aolt for all the feedback. I have had chickens and wild type ducks for the past 7 years, but after only a day of having this little jewel I WANT MORE!!! I have a 20x20 covered aviary that still has an old pond in it. Because they were wild type ducks, there was no housing. What type of housing should I add for about a dozen of these birds?

Phil

 

[TheRealTimShady]

darn...20x20 you could house ALOT more then that lol...

anyway, housing, they don't need much, a nice enclosur of sorts would be nice to get out of the elements. they like wicker baskets turned on the side to nest in.

you could litterally put a box with a hole in it lol, just something to get away in.

 

[featherworks]

I am going out of town next week, so he or she will have to make it for a week. There are lots of weeds and seeds in there now and there is about 1" of water in spots in the pond. I have seen it eating like crazy and also have seen it hop down in the pond and walk to the water level to get a drink. There are several 5 gallon buckets on their sides all around the pen and a few piles of limbs and sticks in there as well. If all is well when I return, I am getting a few bobs from my Deputy Chief. He raises several thousand at a time for gamebird farms. His birds are 15 weeks and 9 weeks right now. Is there any way to tell how old this bird is?

Phil

 

[TheRealTimShady]

its an adult lol.....thats about it

it sounds like you got a fine setup for them in there. if you have any extra GBS lying around i would put some in the back of each bucket just incase. i woould normally NEVER say this, but if you don't have gbs, chick feed will work for the week, since you're leaving. but gbs if you can.

can we get a shot of the full aviary, i'm dying to see what this looks like, sounds great.