Sexing 4 week quail (with photos)

[chellejay]

We're getting ready to put our 4 week old quail outside into their enclosure. It measures 2m x 5m, so I feel comfortable putting all of them in there (we have 11) but I figured now is a good time to sort out the roos from the hens and work out exactly what we are going to do with the extra boys we have.

I am not sure on the names of the colour-variations, so perhaps someone can help me with that. If I call something 'Tibetan' and it's not, feel free to correct me.

I have 5 Italians (3 roos and 2 hens).
The Italians I am fairly sure about sexing, and I have included a pic of one of the least obvious, but I am still sure it's a hen, I'm just posting for confirmation.


4 Tibetans (I only have photos of three for some reason...). I can't sex these!! I suspect this first fella (named Bigfoot) with the white markings is a rooster. He's the boss of the brooder!


These next two are slightly smaller than the Tibetan above.




Then I have one that is a silver sort of colour (Dr Fluffikins)



This one is named Bandit. I think she's a Pharaoh variety (although you can't see the definite lined pattern in the feathers in this pic, she's much darker and not really like the Italian colour from the top). I'm guessing (hoping) she's a hen.


And this one is Warrior. Is this what's called Tuxedo Tibetan? I'm guessing female. She's one of the smaller quail.




I would ideally like to keep 2 roos. And if any of my kids favourites happen to be male then I might need a third!! The two most dominant roos are Bigfoot (pic above) and one of the Italians. Should I keep the two largest? Or, if keeping a second roo, should I deliberately choose one of the smaller, less dominant, Italians (or one of the named quail above if male.).

If I only have about 6 females, I know I should not have more than 2 roos in the same enclosure. But in a space 2 x 5m with little hidey-holes etc, could I have 6 female and 2 (or 3) roos? I don't really want to have to divide the enclosure.

Advice appreciated!!
Chelle

 

[JaeG]

Only your Italian and Pharaoh can be colour sexed and they both look like girls. Your lighter Tibetans look like they are actually barred Rosettas (my favourite colour), and even the darker ones look like Rosettas rather than the very dark Tibetans, and with the white on their chests they are more specifically Rosetta Tuxedos. I'm not sure about the silvery one sorry. Very pretty though.

If you sit and watch them for awhile you may hear the male chicks deepening 'voice'. Their cheeping will sound lower/deeper. I can hear the odd one in my pen of 3 week olds but there's 22 of them so it's hard to know who's doing it. And they only do it sometimes. But otherwise it's a waiting game to see who crows.

 

[chellejay]

Looking at the sticky here on colour variations, I can see now that mine are Rosettas. Thanks for that. I think I just assumed that Tibetan was more likely.
I've spent so much time just watching them, and I've only seen the two biggest ones crow (mine make a great big rumbling noise!). Even the other two Italians that I am very sure are males have never crowed. Hopefully there won't be any aggressive behaviour over the next week or so while I identify them, and work out what to do with the extra males. We're all very excited about moving them into their enclosure tomorrow, so I suppose we'll just put them all in there together for now.

 

[rita2paul]

Looking at the sticky here on colour variations, I can see now that mine are Rosettas. Thanks for that. I think I just assumed that Tibetan was more likely.
I've spent so much time just watching them, and I've only seen the two biggest ones crow (mine make a great big rumbling noise!). Even the other two Italians that I am very sure are males have never crowed. Hopefully there won't be any aggressive behaviour over the next week or so while I identify them, and work out what to do with the extra males. We're all very excited about moving them into their enclosure tomorrow, so I suppose we'll just put them all in there together for now.

they are really sweet birds. mine are 7 weeks this week, i have some the same colours and it can make it difficult to sex them, i have vent sexed them and it's still hard to tell, i have two deffo males with my girls and the one male is boss and the other is very quiet not once has he crowed yet i know he is a male. i also have a male pen and only one does the crowing. perhaps you get a dominate one in the pack.

 

[chellejay]

I looked at the vent sexing, and had a sticky beak under their tails, but I've got no clue! I'll leave that to the experts (or until I am more familiar with them).
We put them in their enclosure, and the silver quail crowed for the first time! Darn it! Fingers crossed the two rosettas are both female. Even if they are, we are down to 6 female and 5 male. The kids have named 3 of the males, so we will probably have to keep those ones. We'd like about a dozen females, so will put more eggs in the incubator once the girls starting laying (or wait until after winter, possibly), but am I guaranteed to have trouble with 3 males and 6 females? These quail seem pretty relaxed. Do the roosters definitely become possessive/territorial as they mature? Or can we just wait and see what happens? (I don't want a rooster to appear to be okay, and then suddenly attack).
Thanks!