Silver or White Button Quail?

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

Hello everyone!

I have two new babies from a clutch that hatched 4 weeks ago. The mother is basic brown and the father is silver. Judging by the feathers of the babies, the brown one is definitely female, but I am unsure of the little “white” one? Is it white or silver? The vent feathers are all white and the head feathers are not in all the way yet but I certainly don’t see a bib. I would assume it is a silver female, but in the second picture you will see my red breasted hen, she came from these two parents as well. The whole skipping generations color thing has got me amazed and confused

I plan on keeping the red breasted and the little “white” one as well as the original parents. I have a friend who will take the little basic brown girl. I am just worried if the little one is white that I won’t be able to sex it, I hear that’s hard, and I have had roo fights in the past and don’t want that again!

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

@DK newbie any ideas?

 

[backyard pigeons]

Hmm. Likely a female but white is HARD to sex.

@ButtonquailGirl14 , any ideas?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Wait till it starts to mate or crow.. it white. Pretty babies!

 

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

Thank you so much! So it’s definitely a white one and not a silver one?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Thank you so much! So it’s definitely a white one and not a silver one?

yes

 

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

Omg how cool! I will never understand button quail genetics! Also, the silver one (male) sings a lot and I can hear one of the babies singing frequently too (I know it’s a baby because it’s real high pitched, not sure which one but I think it’s the white one). Do males sing more than females?

Should I be worried about roo fights?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Omg how cool! I will never understand button quail genetics! Also, the silver one (male) sings a lot and I can hear one of the babies singing frequently too (I know it’s a baby because it’s real high pitched, not sure which one but I think it’s the white one). Do males sing more than females?

Should I be worried about roo fights?

they kids sing differently too.. it's kinda hard to explain... Maybe try to get a video of the chicks singing.

 

[Murphy_the_Hooligan]

they kids sing differently too.. it's kinda hard to explain... Maybe try to get a video of the chicks singing.

I will! I hope I’m safe to keep them all together for now until I can watch more closely. The red breasted is 6 months old and still hasn’t laid an egg! I thought they were overcrowded but the cage is 8 cubic feet (16 if you count the airspace but I don’t since they are ground dwellers)

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I will! I hope I’m safe to keep them all together for now until I can watch more closely. The red breasted is 6 months old and still hasn’t laid an egg! I thought they were overcrowded but the cage is 8 cubic feet (16 if you count the airspace but I don’t since they are ground dwellers)

you can't.. once they mature they WILL kill each other!