Which quail should i cull?

[tinkatwerp]

So I started out with 10 coturnix quail. They all turned out to be male. So I put them all in a big coop (40 square feet) and have just been letting them grow while I try to hatch other eggs. I killed 6 already because they cooed way too much, now I'm down to the last 4. 3 out if the 4 have bald spots on the back of their heads from trying to rape each other. I don't want them to death so I thought I would cull some, but since they're all doing it to each other idk if that would help at all. What if I killed all but one? Would that one be incredibly lonely? What's the best option here? I need to keep at least one alive for permit reasons

 

[dc3085]

The one that has feathers on his head is the one I'd start with. He's obviously meaner than the others

 

[LizardKing]

The one that has feathers on his head is the one I'd start with. He's obviously meaner than the others

LOL!
Too true!
Unless you want the toughest quail on the block, then breed him but he might be gay.

 

[tinkatwerp]

So I culled the one with feathers. Upon furthure observation they are still picking the crap out if each other.

 

[dc3085]

They may have already developed the habit of picking and pulling on feathers, although it is almost always one or two birds causing the most trouble. Once in a while I'll get a bachelor cage that causes problems like you're having but usually they don't fight so much when there are no females present.

I've never tried to break a coturnix of feather picking, they are pretty difficult to reason with, so I've saved my breath and just eaten those ones. Eating two more would be the easiest way to do solve this or you could partition their cage to keep them away from each other.

 

[tinkatwerp]

So eat all but one? I'm ok with that, the only thing I'm worried about is if that last one be *ok* alone. Like will being on his own stress him out too much?

 

[dc3085]

It will probably stress him out a little bit but I've kept them on their own for months while waiting for new hens to hatch and grow up.

 

[sniper338]

one will be fine by itself... your best bet you can do if you wanted to keep a few more is just separate them where they cant get to each other... Males will end up making each other bleed if kept together with no females and can easily end up killing each other. You can buy a rabbit cage for like $15 and it will work fine to keep a bird in...

 

[Sill]

Just be prepared when you separate them they make even more noise!

 

[COsteveo]

What kind of jerk sold you 10 roos? The odds of buying 10 unsexed chicks and having them all be male (or all female) is less than 1%.