Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[hosspak]

yah its all fun and games until one passes! I don't want to sound cold or anything, but I'm warning you if these are her first pets.....

Yes, it's all fun and games... but even death is part of life's lessons. The only way to deal with it is to be honest and truthful, they will understand.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

So far this seems to be the message board anyone has been replying to. I'll find one soon I hope. I originally went with button quail because they are so small and I planned on keeping them inside my house. Plus I have a 4 yr old that I wanted to show her how long it took to hatch and I wanted to show her the stages of growth from hatching to the size they are now. She enjoys them so much. She watches them all the time and calls them her babies. She never handles them because she knows they are fragile. She feeds them from her hand and she helps me clean their cage weekly. It's helping me teach her so much about caring and loving animals at the age of 4.

This is an excellent life lesson she will always remember and treasure. Has she collected eggs yet, that will be very exciting for her too!

 

[gartmand]

Thanks Clawstar. These are one of her pets. I also have a 9 yr old dog and a 20 yr old quaker and an 20 yr old sun conure. All one owner (me). I know we both will take it pretty hard if (when) any of them do pass. I remember my pets as a child passing. It was painful but the joy they brought in my life when they are here is worth the pain when they are gone.

What is the life span of a coturnix vs a button?

 

[gartmand]

Jchny2000- She has yet to collect eggs. I'm not sure who will be more excited when it does happen. It's funny when I tell someone I have quails. They ask Why? what are you going to do with them? Do you live on a farm? Do they fly? Wait, What? You have quail?

 

[dragon30276]

Thank you sooooo much

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Jchny2000- She has yet to collect eggs. I'm not sure who will be more excited when it does happen. It's funny when I tell someone I have quails. They ask Why? what are you going to do with them? Do you live on a farm? Do they fly? Wait, What? You have quail?

I raise coturnix. We use the eggs as food. the extra boys are food for us too. I have a farm, we raise pigs, turkey, duck, muscovy, geese, chicken and goats. Its a farm, I want my family to know what they eat is what I raise here. We do use many of the birds to feed our family. that's why I keep them.

 

[Bushmansbliss]

Does anyone have thoughts/knowledge on hermaphrodite quail? Yes I know its a strange question, but I was culling some quail recently and one of the "females" (calling it female because of identical feather patterning to other females) had testes. If anyone knows anything about this or can point me in the right direction to locate information on it, I would be greatly appreciative.

 

[Sill]

Does anyone have thoughts/knowledge on hermaphrodite quail? Yes I know its a strange question, but I was culling some quail recently and one of the "females" (calling it female because of identical feather patterning to other females) had testes. If anyone knows anything about this or can point me in the right direction to locate information on it, I would be greatly appreciative.

If you butchered it and only found testes then it was a male with some female coloring. If it was a true hermaphrodite it would have had an ovary too.

I have had some young roosters with iffy coloring. If they show any speckling on the neck or chest they are culled, I want my roosters to look like roosters.

 

[Bushmansbliss]

I guess if it seems obvious it probably is. Do the males often get female coloring, and if so is there any suggested methods to know those males from females (other then if they crow).

 

[hosspak]

I guess if it seems obvious it probably is. Do the males often get female coloring, and if so is there any suggested methods to know those males from females (other then if they crow).

I don't have a lot of experience with this yet, but I have seen people look at them and they can tell right away... Too fast for me to tell. However, if you squeeze the vent area and white foamy stuff comes out it's a boy. But if a female was just inseminated she will also excrete some foam but I think not as much as the male. It's not 100% but it's better than, "Eenie Meanie Minie Moe!"