How to correctly determine the sex of quails: recommendations

Female and male quails appear very similar. Up to 3 weeks of age, even experts find it difficult to find differences, but as the birds grow older, it becomes clearer how to distinguish a female quail from a male. There are several reliable methods, each of which deserves separate consideration.

Content

Texas quails are considered large birds, so to keep them it is necessary to use not classic quail cages, but larger ones with parameters of 1000x40x30 cm; they are more convenient for breeding birds.
It is recommended to form a poultry flock in the proportions of 1 male to 2-3 females, this allows you to achieve the highest productivity. Birds need to be provided with constant access to clean water, regular feeding and vaccination against the most dangerous diseases.

Chicks

Small quails are kept separately from adults in special breeding boxes, where a special temperature is set for them and food and water are always left out. Chicks are sorted into breeding boxes as the birds grow older: from birth to 4 days, then from 4 to 10 days, and then from 10 to 15. Individuals older than 15 days are separated separately. This division is determined by the temperature conditions of keeping the poultry.

Diet requirements

The industry produces 3 types of complete feed for quail:

1. DK-50 for quails up to 4 weeks. Possible options: DK-50 for chicks 1-10 days and 11-30 days. The difference is in the size of the granules. Differs in caloric content and increased content of protein and limiting amino acids
2. DK-51 for quails from 4 to 7 weeks. Low calorie, low protein nutrition. It is important that the bird does not become pregnant prematurely when its reproductive organs are not ready.
3. DK-51 for quails older than 7 weeks. The feed mixture contains a high concentration of energy, calcium, protein and essential limiting amino acids to ensure high egg production.

A novice quail breeder needs to test the production cycle using purchased feed, and not experiment. Adherents of homemade products claim that they can make feed mixtures themselves, because, in their opinion, this way they can save on feed. Indeed, if you have your own grain and meal, you can copy the recipe and prepare some kind of compound feed.

However, amateurs do not take into account the following advantages of complete feed:

1. Pelleting: The bird is offered pellets of the same size as the seeds of plants that wild quail feed on in the wild.
2. The bird is deprived of the opportunity to choose tasty grains. Homemade compound feed is stratified. The most valuable remains in the dust fraction.
3. Extrusion: during pelleting, feed particles are subjected to heat treatment and the starch is modified. Its digestibility increases. The concentration of energy in dry matter increases. Which is important for ensuring high productivity. Conditionally pathogenic bacteria and fungi are destroyed.
4. Enzymes: to improve the absorption of fiber, cellulolytic enzymes are used, to increase the digestibility of phosphorus, phytase is added.
5. Essential amino acids: excess protein has a negative effect on the bird's body. Therefore, feed is enriched with synthetic amino acids.
6. Vitamins and microelements are added in sufficient quantities and optimal ratios.

Cooking enthusiasts can increase the protein level to 27% or more by adding meal and fishmeal. However, the meal is poor in lysine. An imbalance of amino acids occurs and productivity decreases. The shelf life of most meal, even with proper storage, does not exceed 4 months.

Fishmeal is often adulterated and poisonous urea is added to it so that the analyzer shows a high level of protein. Even if the fishmeal is genuine, it has an expiration date. In addition, the product contains odorous substances that can spoil the taste of meat and eggs.

Be sure to read:

How to increase the egg production of quails, when they start laying eggs and how long they live

Among quail breeders, a four-course feeding scheme is popular, in which grain feed is given in the morning and evening, and wet mash is given in between.

However, the dry type of feeding requires less labor and is more practical from a safety point of view. Enriching the feed mixture for quails with green feed has its pros and cons, with more of the latter: the likelihood of mistakes on the part of the poultry farmer increases.

Approximate feed feeding rates for quails of different ages are presented in the table:

Methods for determining the sex of quails based on external characteristics

There are different ways to tell individuals apart depending on the breed. The most common breed in Russia are Japanese quails.

Table 2. Conditions for keeping quails

Birds should be raised in warm conditions. As a result, pathogenic microorganisms often develop in their feeders and drinkers. Therefore, it is recommended to clean the cages periodically; the birds’ water is changed several times a day.

Skeletal structure will help

When determining how to distinguish quail from quail, you can take advantage of the structural features of their skeleton, namely the pubic bones. The method is relevant when the birds are 2 months old.

As in the case of the method of searching for the secretory gland described above, you need to carefully but firmly pick up the bird and turn it belly up.

Then, with slow movements, spread the feathers between the bird’s legs, feel the pubic bones under the skin and study their structure. In quails they diverge to the sides. This arrangement of the pubic bones is necessary for egg laying.

In quail, the pubic bones are located close to each other.

Who is Quail

Quail (Latin name Coturnix coturnix) is a small bird of the Pheasant family (or Galliformes), subfamily Partridge. The bird's body length is no more than 20 cm, weight - up to 160 g, which is at least 20 times less than the weight of an average chicken. Note that of all the variety of representatives of the quail family, they are the smallest.

Despite its very short history, breeding quails as poultry is becoming increasingly popular every year.

And this is not surprising, because, on the one hand, the miniature size of the bird does not require large areas, on the other hand, quail are known for their precocity, which ensures high profitability and quick payback for such a business. Both eggs and quail meat are considered a very valuable and healthy product, which also distinguishes these birds from their heavier relatives.

Let's sum it up

Some unscrupulous bird sellers try to sell males under the guise of females. Therefore, a novice poultry farmer needs to study the main differences between male and female birds so as not to make a mistake.

Video - sexual characteristics of quails

Nikolay Zhuravlev chief editor

Author of publication 10/24/2018

Did you like the article? Save so you don't lose!

Quail eggs contain many substances useful to humans and are valued much more expensive than chicken or duck eggs. Those who want to make money from quail breeding never have problems selling their products. However, in order for the number of birds on a farm or in a private farm to increase and the number of eggs they lay to increase, the farmer must maintain the correct balance between the number of females and males. There should always be more “girls” than “boys”. To do this, the owner of quails must be able to reliably distinguish them.

Body structure, color and voice

How to distinguish a female from a male quail by external characteristics? Since it is not possible in all situations to distinguish quails - a female from a male - by behavioral characteristics alone, it is necessary to pay attention to their other remarkable features. In particular, a thorough analysis of the body structure of these birds helps to understand who is in front of the farmer: a boy or a girl

It provides the following key points:

1. Males have noticeably larger heads than females. In addition, the beak of males is much more massive, which can be easily seen by looking at many photos and videos of these birds.
2. The necks and backs of males are elongated, and in general the latter cannot boast of a proportional build.
3. Based on the previous point, it is worth noting that females look much more graceful, despite the fact that they are larger than males.

In determining the sex of quails, it is reasonable to pay attention to the peculiarities of the location of their pubic bones: in females they diverge widely in the area of ​​the cloaca, while in males this is not observed

The easiest way

If there is no time to make observations, all that remains is to conduct a thorough inspection.
One of the most accurate ways is to look in the area between the cloaca and the tail. Quail can be distinguished by the presence of a special gland. Only males have it and it looks like a cone. If you click on it, a white secretion stands out. In this case, in front of you is probably a representative of the stronger sex. Excess males are allowed to be fattened so that there are no fights for dominance in the herd.

Features of keeping at home

When preparing to raise this breed, you should take into account their somewhat larger size, temperament, and gastrointestinal characteristics. Let's take a closer look at the specifics of keeping Texas quails.

Microclimate

The chicks hatch very weak, and the survival rate even with proper care is about 85%

This is why it is very important to first leave them in the incubator for a few hours to dry out and then place them in a brooder set to 36°C.

Air humidity should not be less than 55–65%. The key point is dim lighting (bright light causes stress in quails). In brooders for newborns, lighting is maintained around the clock, and in adult birds - 17 hours a day.

Due to their larger size, standard quail cages are not suitable for Texans. For a family of 15 quails and 5 males, cages measuring 1000x40x30 cm are built. These are the parameters that will allow quails to comfortably exist and reproduce.

It is recommended to cover the ceiling of the cages with soft polyurethane or thick fabric to prevent injuries during takeoff. For a poultry house, 10–20 square meters will be enough. m, depending on the number of birds. The room must be inaccessible to rodents, small predators, and other domestic animals.

Important! Unlike chickens, quails prefer to lay eggs anywhere, preferably at ground level, so it is not necessary to equip them with nests. It is optimal to make the floor in the cages slatted and slightly inclined, attaching an egg collector so that the bird does not accidentally crush the eggs

A canopy fenced with mesh is placed next to the poultry house for walks in the fresh air. In addition to the poultry house cage, you will need the following equipment:

grooved (for better access) feeders and drinkers (outside the cage); Hay or shavings are suitable as bedding; for lighting you will need a pair of 25 Watt bulbs; waste collection tray; exhaust fan (it is important to choose the right one to prevent drafts).

We suggest you read: Signs and treatment of piroplasmosis (Babesiosis) in cattle

Nutritional Features

Like any meat breed, Texans need to be fed a high-calorie diet rich in protein. One bird consumes an average of 45 g of feed per day.

For novice farmers and those who have not yet dealt with quail, in particular Texas quail, useful care tips will be useful:

When purchasing, experts advise paying attention to the number of black dots in the plumage. It is believed that the fewer there are, the better the quality of the breed. It is better to place the cages a meter from the floor (for ease of cleaning and collecting eggs). Quails don't really like to be handled

If you cannot do without it, it is better to do it in a shaded room. For breeding, it is better to use a vertical incubator. Vitamins are given in repeated short courses: taken for 5 days, then take a break for 5 days. A drop of potassium permanganate is added to the water for the chicks.

Texas quail is one of the most popular breeds among farmers due to its high productive qualities, calm, undemanding nature and excellent egg production for meat crosses.

Recruiting a quail family

For the full functioning of the farm, the bird is selected at the rate of one male for 3-5 “girls”. Of course, shifting, cross-fertilization also produces results. However, feeding excess quail is not economically viable. On the other hand, the lack of males will result in the idleness of females, which means a decrease in the “harvest” of eggs. If you consider how much quail eggs and carcasses cost, you can greatly reduce the profitability of the farm.

It’s also not worth keeping or buying cockerels according to strict calculations. You should have some kind of reserve bench in case of sudden death of the producer, his illness or low activity. In addition, the tendency to mate is lower in youth, when the quail has not yet entered into strength, and at an age when it begins to lose it.

Determination by male courtship

You can, of course, distinguish a male from a female in a more natural way, but it is not entirely convenient. When males acquire the ability to mate, the chukar begins to differ from the hen in its behavior; the boys are more active and often “show off” in front of the opposite sex, trying to show their dominance.

But observing the entire quail family in order to identify the male during the mating process takes a lot of time, and making the right choice when the bird is in a cage in large numbers is not very practical. In addition, if the hen does not agree to the cockerel, then she will be aggressive with him and even pugnacious throughout the courtship. In this case, it is better to place such a pair in different cells.

How to determine the sex of a quail

Breeding quails, if only for the sake of their valuable eggs and tender meat, is a good thing. More information about breeding quails is described in the topic of our forum.

How to determine the sex of quails

Every beginning quail breeder is faced with the question of determining the sex of quails. No one wants to make a mistake and find themselves in a situation where all purchased birds turn out to be males—it’s unlikely that you’ll expect eggs and offspring from such birds. I would like at least half of the livestock to be females. Fortunately, quail can be distinguished by some characteristics already from 21 days of age: we will decide.

Let's start with the simplest thing: with determining the gender of breeds whose males and females are distinguished by different plumage. These are breeds such as Estonian, Manchurian golden, Japanese quail (one of the most common breeds) and Pharaoh. The chest plumage of males is rusty or reddish-brown, with virtually no splashes of other colors. Females are lighter in the chest area, with characteristic black spots; it is not difficult to distinguish them.

Males have a characteristic stripe on their neck in the form of a collar.

You can also distinguish males from females by the mask on their heads. In males it is more pronounced.

It’s a different matter with certain colored quail breeds, because they have the same feather color, both females and males. We need to take a closer look, or rather, get under its tail. The skin in the cloaca area in males is pink, and there is a bean-shaped thickening in the upper fornix.

But make sure it's not droppings!

Take the chick in your hands, turn it upside down with your paws and press your finger on the stomach near the cloaca, droppings should come out of it. If it is white foam, then it is a male, if it is an ordinary litter, then, accordingly, it is a hen.

At what age are quails distinguished?

This trick won't work with kids.

Only at about 38-40 days of age does “discharge” appear. Boys grow up, and hormones work.

Females have bluish-gray skin around the cloaca. True, in the first month of life this will not always be easy to determine: the female’s cloaca turns blue over time, but males are always pink in this place.

You can determine the sex of a quail not only by appearance; it is worth following their behavior, it also begins to differ. When the birds grow up, the females become quiet and calm, sometimes squeaking a little. The males, as they should be, become loud, often emit various piercing screams, stand at attention, behave restlessly, and often fight.

With these tips you can easily and accurately figure out the gender of your pets. And if you still intend to start breeding these birds, watch this video, from which you can learn about other details of keeping quails.

How does breed affect egg production?

Quail breeds are divided into meat, egg and meat-egg. Representatives of egg breeds have the highest egg production.

Japanese quail

This breed is a kind of standard for egg production, meat productivity, and other characteristics. “Egg” indicators of the Japanese breed:

• number of eggs per year – 250-300 pieces;
• weight of one egg – 9-12 g;
• the beginning of oviposition is 35-40 days.

Japanese quails have a high fertility rate - it reaches 90%. Under favorable conditions, females are capable of laying 320 eggs.

Advantages of the Japanese breed:

• undemanding to living conditions;
• resist diseases;
• rapid weight gain - the weight of an adult bird is reached on the 40th day of life;
• Sexual characteristics appear on the 20th day - the birds can be placed in different cages at an early stage.

Pharaoh

This is a meat breed, but their egg production is not much behind that of the “Japanese”. They lay an average of 220 eggs per year. Egg weight is 12-16 g. The fertility rate of the Pharaoh is as high as that of the Japanese breed - 80-90%. Pharaoh successfully combines high egg production with weighty carcasses - the bird is twice as heavy as egg quails. Female pharaohs weigh 300 g, while the weight of egg-bearing quails averages 140-180 g.

English

The breed was developed by the British; they have been bred in Russia since the 80s of the last century. There are two subspecies of English quail - white and black. These quails do not differ in anything except their feather color. Their egg production rates are the same - they lay 270-280 eggs per year. The weight of one egg is 10-11 g.

But the fertility rate of “English” breeds is lower than that of previous breeds – at 75%. The white breed is especially promising for industrial breeding - they not only lay a lot of eggs, but are also distinguished by their attractive pale pink carcasses.

Estonian

Record holder for egg production. Female Estonian quail lay up to 320 eggs per year. Egg weight – 12 g. Fertility – 95%. The best choice for cost-effective breeding of egg-laying quails.

“Estonians” are valued for their versatility; they are cost-effective for any direction - egg or meat. The bird quickly gains weight and lays a lot of eggs. The breed was developed by Estonian breeders in 1989 by crossing the Japanese breed with Pharaohs and English white quails. The resulting breed was different from all previous ones:

• a combination of high egg production with good weight gain;
• high life expectancy;
• duration of oviposition;
• good survival rate.

Tuxedo

This is an egg-meat breed, bred by crossing white and black “English” breeds. The breed received its name for its original color - the back, wings and tail of tuxedo quails are dark, and the neck and belly are white.

Tuxedo quails are often kept for their beauty, but they are also excellent laying hens - only slightly inferior to the Japanese and Estonian breeds. Females lay their first eggs at 6-7 weeks of age.

Manchurian

These beauties are excellent layers of eggs. It is difficult to even determine which direction they belong more to - meat or egg. Golden birds are very beautiful - they are often kept for decorative purposes. The birthplace of the breed is China. A characteristic external feature of the Manchurian breed is the pattern on the head.

The body weight of golden quails is less than that of broiler breeds, but greater than that of egg-laying breeds. But in terms of the number of eggs laid, they are inferior to the leaders - Japanese and Estonian quails.

Marble

A hybrid of the Japanese breed, characterized by a smoky color. The streaks on the plumage resemble the structure of marble. Color varies - quails can have light gray, gold, white and other plumage. In terms of egg production and other indicators, they do not differ from the Japanese breed. Very high egg production and relatively large eggs - up to 10 g. An ideal breed for decorative keeping.

For comparative egg characteristics of these and other popular breeds, see Table 1:

Table 1

Features of behavior

The experience of a huge number of breeders shows that once birds reach full maturity, determining the sex of quails becomes much easier than in the case of babies. The reason for this is very prosaic: having become adults, the birds in question acquire all their characteristic features, on the basis of which it becomes quite simple to distinguish males from females. One of these signs is the behavior of birds, after analyzing which one can draw the first conclusions regarding the gender of pets. Thus, quails can be distinguished from quails by the following character traits:

1. As a rule, adult males behave much more active than females. First of all, this manifests itself in pugnacity and restlessness, which are characteristic of girls to a noticeably lesser extent.
2. Tendency to frequently demonstrate “vocal abilities.” It is worth noting that for small quails everything is exactly the opposite, as already described earlier.
3. Often, identifying a male is made possible by his desire to stand tall, while such initiatives are completely alien to most females.

It makes sense for the breeder to observe the behavior of his charges during the mating season, since it is least difficult to distinguish a quail from a quail at such a time

In an effort to attract the female's attention, the male tries to grab her by the head and lead her away with him in a similar original way

It is important to take into account that the analysis of the behavior of quails in determining their sex is not able to provide an absolute guarantee, and therefore it requires additional confirmation, which will be discussed further

Appearance says a lot

It is possible to distinguish a girl from a boy in quails at the age of 21 days.

Sex determination in quails is based on external characteristics:

• the male is distinguished by bright red plumage on the chest, without dark spots;
• Regardless of breed, cockerels have a uniform, solid color;
• boys have a contrasting color of feathers on the head compared to the rest on the body;
• The crop of cockerels is lighter than that of hens;
• The quail's beak is darker than that of the quail.

However, the color of the plumage of representatives of some quail breeds practically does not reveal their gender. In this case, secondary signs will help.

How to distinguish female from male quails

There are several parameters by which you can distinguish a male quail from a female. If you use all these indicators together, the likelihood of error is minimized.

By external signs

Let's start with secondary sexual characteristics, that is, everything that will help determine the sex of a bird without looking under its tail.

First of all, let's pay attention to the color. The differences in color between male and female quail are shown in the table:

The differences in color between male and female quail are shown in the table:

With the so-called colored breeds (for example, Lotus, or English white, Turedo, or white-breasted, tuxedo, marbled and others), things are more complicated; such birds have practically no differences in color. As a hint, you can use a parameter such as the size of the bird. Quails are usually much larger than quails (the difference is on average 20–22%, that is, it is very noticeable, it can be detected both visually and by weighing).

But despite this, the female does not look heavy at all; moreover, she is much more graceful and elegant than the male, her physique seems very proportional.

It must be said that quails initially grow much faster than quails, so it is possible to distinguish chicks by comparing their sizes at the age of one and a half months, and an experienced poultry farmer will cope with this task even earlier.

Another indicator is character. Girls, as befits the fair sex, are distinguished by their quiet and calm disposition. Restlessness and a passion for sorting out relationships, often in the form of a fight, are notable traits of males. Before an attack, cockerels usually stretch their necks, as if standing up “in front” and thereby revealing their gender.

Thus, trying to separate boys from girls solely based on the behavior of birds is a thankless task; you should not trust the results of such an “examination.” But this indicator can be used as an additional hint to check yourself once again.

By gender

Another way to determine the sex of a bird is to study the primary sexual characteristics, that is, in fact, the genitals. In males, the skin in the cloaca area is pink with a bean-shaped thickening at the top (this is a secretory gland). In females, this same area has a dirty gray tint, but you need to keep in mind that this “blue discoloration” in girls occurs with age, so this method is not suitable for determining the sex of chicks.

There are certain differences in the structure of the pelvic bones: in the pubic area in females the bones are located in the shape of a distinct “fork”, while in males they are almost parallel to each other.

As was said, quails are very precocious.

They reach sexual maturity by one and a half months, and at this age the sex of birds can be determined even by their voice:

• males make rather sharp, hysterical, shrill sounds that are not very pleasant to our ears;
• The females either remain silent or whistle melodiously.

By secretory glands

However, the most reliable way to determine the sex of a quail is considered to be “analysis” of the secretions of the secretory glands, or, to be more precise, the very presence of such glands. This method is applicable only to sexually mature birds and young animals that have reached 40 days of age; in younger individuals, the secretory glands are not yet developed.

So:

We catch the bird, carefully turn it over with its breast up and with your free hand we spread the feathers in the lower area of ​​the tail. Just above the cloaca in boys there is a barely visible tubercle (growth, “bump”). Girls do not have it, we will only see a smooth surface of dark pink or blue color, depending on the age of the bird. To check, gently and lightly press your finger on the area above the cloaca. If at the same time there is a discharge of white foam (not to be confused with droppings!), there is no doubt: this is a boy.

Methods for finding differences

You can distinguish between girls and boys in a quail farm using different methods, including:

• Differences by gender. The best time to determine the sex of a bird by the first signs that appear is when it reaches three weeks of age. During this period, birds reach sexual maturity and their final plumage is formed. Until they reach maturity, sex can be determined, but indirectly and far from accurately. For example, a quail is more restless, unlike a male quail, which does not move willingly.
• Determination by color and type of feather. Recognizing a bird by its plumage depends on the selected breed. There are breeds with wild colors, and there are those that are almost impossible to identify by their plumage. At three weeks of age, the bird is completely covered with feathers, and the farmer or breeder can already distinguish the sex of even such chickens. The plumage differs in the chest area and around the eyes: the most variegated plumage is on the breast of females, and the breast is covered with many black spots. The feathers of males, on the contrary, are not so bright and are often monochromatic. In cockerels, contrast in the feathers is observed around the eyes; in hens it is absent. The quail boy has a kind of mask drawn around his eyes. The cheeks and front throat plumage of males are lighter than those of females, but the beak, on the contrary, is darker in males.
• Determination by external signs. Boys are smaller in size and weight than girls, but males have larger beaks and heads. The female quail sex has a more rounded shape, while the stronger half has a more elongated body structure.
• Identification by voice. If the color of a bird does not allow you to determine its gender due to the uniform plumage of the breed, then there is another simple way to differentiate, by its voice. Starting from about a month and a half, females begin to sing. Naturally, their singing is significantly different from the nightingale; it rather resembles a whistle. If we look at the male’s singing, then it’s difficult to call it singing; it’s more like a cry. Moreover, the boy constantly screams, unlike the female. This method makes it easy to separate the birds before feeding; when the pets are hungry, you can hear them very far away.

But it is not always possible to distinguish a male from a female in a quail farm using similar methods. Depending on the breed, age of the bird and the experience of the breeder, incorrect conclusions are possible. There are four breeds with which errors will definitely not occur:

1. Manchurian.
2. Estonian.
3. Japanese.
4. Pharaoh.

Basic breeding rules

After all that has been said about the meat and egg productivity of these quails, it is logical to conclude that they are very popular. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to buy a truly pure breed. Many farms breed quails “for themselves” without monitoring the quality of the livestock, which negatively affects the product.

Also, instead of the Texan, they can sell its “relative” - the English quail - whose dimensions are smaller. It is necessary to select breeding quails from certified points of sale.

If you, in turn, want to breed Texans, special attention should be paid to breeding selection, which will allow you to get the same large, highly productive bird. In addition, you need to know the basic rules:

1. Eggs for breeding are stored for no longer than a week, then hatchability decreases.
2. The storage temperature before the incubator must be at least 18 °C.
3. The incubation period is 17 days.
4. It is not necessary to turn the eggs in the incubator.
5. The age of quails laying eggs for breeding should not exceed 9 months.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with Rhododendron (63 photos): what is it? Planting a “rose tree”, caring for a flower in the open ground. Description of garden rhododendron and other species

Did you know? In the old days, quails were fighting birds, and some breeds are still kept for fighting in the countries of Central Asia.

Characteristics

Adult quails can be sent for slaughter as early as 4-5 months, since during this period they reach the required weight, and their meat has the best performance.

Appearance

Texas quail have a compact, round body with a convex chest and a straight back. The legs of such birds are large and powerful. The head and neck are small. The bird's beak is small, light (it can be pinkish or beige), sometimes there is a dark spot at its end. The inconsistency of the beak with the main species characteristics not only serves as a reason for culling the bird, but also indicates health problems.

Character

Texas quail has an easy-going and calm disposition. Even the chicks have low mobility - unlike other birds, they do not fuss and do not jump around the cage. Adults are calm and slow in behavior, they do not start fights either with representatives of their bird flock or with representatives of other breeds found in the enclosure. For this reason, they are recommended for novice poultry breeders to buy.

Productivity

Female quails begin laying eggs from the 50th day after hatching (a delay of 5 days is possible). The productivity of this breed is quite high - quails produce up to 260 eggs per year (from 4 eggs per week). The eggs of this breed are as large as for quails, their average weight is 16 grams. In record-breaking laying hens, eggs can reach a weight of 25 grams, but this is rarely observed. Read about the benefits of quail eggs here.

As for meat, quails reach an average weight of 450 grams (females weigh more than males). With targeted selection, it is possible to achieve a bird weight gain of 700 grams (for females). They gain the required weight by 4 months from the moment of hatching.

It is possible to determine the sex of Texas quail chicks only from 50-55 days from the moment of hatching (this procedure cannot be performed earlier). To do this, you need to look at the chick's cloaca. So, in females it is elongated, shaped like an oblong pink slit without any secretions. In the male, the cloaca becomes round by the 50th day from the moment of hatching.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with Rose or Rosehip, how to distinguish it

Estonian

The light stripes on the feathers of the Estonian quail look a bit like the quills of a porcupine.
According to farmers' reviews, the Estonian quail can be called the most versatile breed. Appeared as a result of breeding work, which was based on Pharaoh and English. It matures quite quickly, laying hens begin working from 1.5-2 months and produce at least 300 eggs per year.

If the bird is not overcooked and slaughtered at the age of 4-5 months, when the carcass reaches 140-160 grams, the meat will be very juicy and tender, without excess fat. Fertility and hatchability are high. When sold on the market, Estonians look more profitable than Japanese due to their larger size and better muscularity.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the Best wet food for cats: rating from “PetObzor”

Detailed description of the Estonian breed {amp}gt;{amp}gt;{amp}gt;

Color characteristics of different types of quail

Wild quail species have a uniform color in the head and neck area. The thoracic region is yellow, bright red or brown. In wild females, the plumage in the thoracic region is a lighter tone than in males.

They can also be distinguished by noticeable dark spots on the chest. Cockerels do not have inclusions, so they are immediately noticeable.

Quails of any variety have a mask around the eyes, which is much more pronounced in boys than in females. Also, males have a noticeable “collar” on their neck.

Some representatives of quail breeds bred at home do not have gender differences in feather coloring.

But there are domesticated species of quail that are similar in color to their wild relatives. For example, Pharaoh, Estonian, Manchurian. Therefore, they can be divided into girls and boys according to the color of their plumage. Let's take a closer look.

Pharaoh

Quail of this breed has an ocher-yellow or red color without dots or spots. A dark “mask” is visible on the head.

The color of quail feathers is brown interspersed with dark dots on the chest. There is no "mask".

Estonian

Males of this breed have a brown mandible. The goiter is a shade lighter. The color of the head is dark brown, with three light stripes. The flight wings have light stripes, the beak is dark, and its tip is light.

Quails of this species have a lighter color than quails. The cheeks and area under the beak are grayish. The chest, like the crop, is gray-brown in color. There is no mask.

Manchurian

Chickens of this breed have uniform coloring of the head and body, dark “strokes” are noticeable on the breast, and there is no mask.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with How to distinguish natural marble from artificial

The cockerel is red in color, the mask is ocher-red. There are no inclusions on the feathers in the chest area.

More details about the species are described in the article “Breed of Manchurian quail”.

External sexual characteristics

Since the demand for eggs is high, many people decide to keep quails.
Keeping laying hens requires certain conditions that differ from raising poultry for meat. To get results, you need to create a comfortable temperature and ensure that the food contains all the necessary nutrients. Without them you can't wait for eggs. For decorative purposes, males are preferable. Sex determination often depends on the breed. For example, representatives of the Japanese variety have obvious differences already at 4 weeks. The cockerel has red feathers on its chest, without dark spots. Females have gray plumage with some yellow.

Video “How to determine the sex of a quail”

From this video you will learn how to quickly determine the sex of a quail.

Featured Articles

By what signs can you tell a turkey from a turkey?

How to distinguish a turkey from a turkey: basic sexual characteristics. Common and most non-standard methods for determining the sex of a bird.

Farmers breed quails for different purposes. Some strive to provide themselves and their loved ones with a dietary product, others simply like these miniature birds walking around the site and keep them as decorative decorations, and for others, quail have become a good business. But whatever the purpose of organizing a poultry farm, the poultry farmer needs to know how to distinguish quails. And this is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.

It is very important for a farmer to learn to distinguish a female quail from a male.

Different living conditions are organized on the farm for birds of different sexes. In addition, males and females are brought together from time to time so that they give birth to offspring, and it is imperative to be able to understand them. Let us immediately make a reservation that such recognition should be carried out only after the chicks have feathers and they have already passed into the status of young animals. While there is no feathers, it is impossible to distinguish hens from cockerels.

Important. Experts say there is still a chance

Young quails are much more active than “boys”. This is expressed in loud squeaking and restless behavior. But of course, there is no 100% guarantee that you were not mistaken.

It all depends on the goal that farmers pursue by breeding birds.

1. Owners are often interested in females, since quails are mainly bred to produce eggs - a valuable and useful product. The identified “girls” are placed separately, appropriate food is selected, the temperature in the cages is monitored, etc.
2. Ornamental species are more focused on “boys” - they create less trouble, behave calmer, and the amount of meat or egg production is no longer so important.

Females are more in demand in farming

Having found out which quails will be needed first, we proceed to determine their sex. There are several ways here.

At what age can you determine

Females are purchased for egg production, meat production and breeding. The purpose of raising males is for decorative function, meat and also reproduction. Females require more careful care and frequent changes of food. Representatives of the masculine gender are less whimsical. If quails are required for breeding, then it is necessary to form families of one male and 3-5 females.

It is possible to approximately distinguish girls from boys starting from the 20th–21st day of life, when the formation of plumage ends. Puberty occurs later - at 40–45 days. It is from this time that the floor can be installed with greater accuracy.

How to distinguish a quail from a quail at a young age

Up to 3 weeks, sex differences in these birds can only manifest themselves in behavior. It is believed that girls are more restless, active and loud. However, this method of determining gender is inaccurate. More experienced quail breeders, starting from 5–7 days of age, can determine gender by plumage. To do this, they take the chick in their hands, spread the wings with their fingers and analyze the axial feathers. For girls they are different in height and thickness, for boys they are even and identical.

Important! Quail breeders have noticed that if you form families of young females and more mature males, then there will be more females in the litter. If the female and male are of the same age, then they give birth to approximately the same number of chicks of both sexes.

Breed characteristics

When do quails start laying eggs?

The weight of a male of this breed is 370 g, a female is 480 g. The meat yield per bird is, on average, up to 260 g. There are isolated cases when females weighed half a kilo or more. However, all such situations should be considered as a pathology - such weight is primarily explained by obesity. Females of this weight are unsuitable for breeding.

Features of the appearance of Texas quails are as follows:

1. The birds have a stocky and dense build.
2. The bird's back is wide and arched. The quail's chest protrudes slightly forward.
3. The eyes are dark uniform in color, the neck is short, the head size is medium.
4. The plumage of this bird species is white with small black specks. The Texas broiler has a short tail.
5. The legs have a muscular appearance.
6. The beak of the Texas quail is light in color; in some birds the tip is black.

When a Texas white quail is seen, the behavior characteristic is primarily one of poise and calm disposition. Fearfulness is not inherent in him. Texas bobcats are considered by some to be somewhat phlegmatic.

Not shy

This Texas-bred breed is not considered to have any special requirements. However, to obtain good results, it is necessary to raise quails in accordance with certain conditions.

Female White Pharaoh quail begin laying eggs 60 days after birth. Eggs weigh from 12 to 14 g. Although this breed is bred for meat, broiler quail eggs are also very healthy. They have a therapeutic effect during radiation exposure, help in situations where there are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in some other cases.

Description of the Texas Quail breed suggests that the bird's meat has an exquisite taste. It is tender and has less calories than chicken meat. Unfortunately, Texas quail are prone to obesity. If you do not monitor your diet, the meat may lose its quality.

Due to obesity, meat will lose its taste

Although this bird is valuable as a meat breed, the productivity of white quails is manifested in high egg production. In one year, Texas quail can lay at least 20 dozen eggs. Moreover, quail eggs are widely known due to their taste and usefulness.

The peak productivity of broiler quail laying hens occurs in the fifth and sixth months. This productivity is combined with an insufficiently high fertilization rate.

From the moment they are born, White Quails quickly gain weight. It is not uncommon for birds to weigh at least 150 grams at five weeks of age.

Important! With good productivity, the amount of feed that birds of this breed consume is no higher than when raising most other bird species

Texas White Pharoah

The meat breed was bred in Texas, where it got its name. A feature of Texas quails is their fluffy and loose plumage.

. In addition, they differ:

• wide back;
• rounded breasts;
• short legs, tail and neck;
• large and dark eyes;
• flesh-colored beak, the tip of which is black.

The live weight of males is 300-350 grams, and females - from 350 to 400 grams. The Texas Pharaoh is able to gain a lot of weight in a short time. With good fattening, the bird gains weight up to 500 grams. It is valued for its very tasty meat; the brisket has especially excellent taste.

Quail lays fairly large eggs

, the number of which is 100-150 pieces per year. She begins to lay eggs at two months. When keeping this breed, it is necessary to avoid bright light and drafts.

Hygiene and disease prevention

Keeping quails includes maintaining cleanliness in the poultry house. The premises are cleaned daily, and the cages are washed at least once a month using a disinfectant and then thoroughly dried to prevent fungus.

We invite you to read: Kidney failure in cats: causes, diagnosis of the disease and methods of treatment

At the sparrowhawk's threshold, you need to install a disinfection barrier (at home it is a low box with sawdust treated with a special solution), which people enter from the street.

If all hygiene standards and maintenance rules are followed, quails rarely get sick. This is also facilitated by the body temperature of these birds - 42 °C (and most bacteria die at 40 °C). If there's one thing Texans can suffer from, it's this:

• vitamin deficiency;
• cannibalism;
• loss of plumage;
• from injuries.

Oviduct prolapse is uncommon in this breed. Sick quails become lethargic (even against the background of normal phlegmatism), weak, and eat poorly. Their feathers are ruffled, their heads are thrown back unnaturally. The first sign of cannibalism is the pecking of eggs.

To eliminate emerging health problems, it is enough to amend the conditions of detention:

• add vitamins to the diet (fish oil, Chiktonik vitamin solution, baker’s yeast);
• reduce the density of caged birds;
• make sure that there are no drafts in the poultry house and the humidity is at least 50–60%;
• Be mindful of dim lighting.

Useful tips

To ensure that the water does not spoil, it is necessary to change it every other day. You should not sanitize it with potassium permanganate, because the equipment will deteriorate. Antibiotics should not be added: they end up in meat and eggs. Children who eat such food become allergic. They develop dental and musculoskeletal defects. Adults may also experience health problems.

In order to disinfect water, special acidifiers are used. If there is no desire or opportunity to purchase them. You can use regular table vinegar. To control the dosage, use test paper to measure pH from 0.5 to 5.0. Optimal pH is from 4 to 4.5.

How to distinguish in adults

How can you tell if your birds have reached adulthood? This is very easy to do, because by the time the birds reach sexual maturity they should be fully fledged. After the fluff on the body of the quail is replaced by real feathers, determining the sex will no longer be such a big problem, and you can easily distinguish a hen from a cockerel.

For example, by behavior during mating, experts can easily distinguish a female from a male: the male grabs the female by the head and pulls her back or to the side. From the outside, this can be confused with a fight of birds, so here you need to have a certain amount of experience to say for sure which of the two processes is currently happening.

Differences in voices

A number of breeds have a color that is absolutely identical and cannot be sorted by plumage color.
What to do in this case? Singing will help. Birds begin to use their voices at 1.5 months. Although in quails they are harsh, yet in females the trills are more melodic. But males emit something similar to hysterical cries. If, despite all the advice, nothing works out for you, you should invite a more experienced poultry farmer for consultation. It may be worth calling the person from whom the chicks were purchased. What is difficult for a beginner is not a problem for experienced farmers. Otherwise, you risk wasting time and forming families incorrectly, which leads to fights. There will still be eggs, but if breeding is planned, then a male is necessary.

Body structure, color and voice

How to distinguish a female from a male quail by external characteristics? Since it is not possible in all situations to distinguish quails - a female from a male - by behavioral characteristics alone, it is necessary to pay attention to their other remarkable features. In particular, a thorough analysis of the body structure of these birds helps to understand who is in front of the farmer: a boy or a girl

It provides the following key points:

1. Males have noticeably larger heads than females. In addition, the beak of males is much more massive, which can be easily seen by looking at many photos and videos of these birds.
2. The necks and backs of males are elongated, and in general the latter cannot boast of a proportional build.
3. Based on the previous point, it is worth noting that females look much more graceful, despite the fact that they are larger than males.

When determining the sex of quails, it is reasonable to pay attention to the peculiarities of the location of their pubic bones: in females they diverge widely in the area of ​​the cloaca, while in males this is not observed. Another criterion that allows you to distinguish between quail boys and girls is the brightness of their “outfit”: as a rule, the intensity of the colors coloring the feathers of females is higher than that of males

It is also noteworthy that female representatives have a considerable number of dark spots on their chests, while in most males this sign does not appear. In addition, the sex of quails can be determined by the color of the beak: in females it is lighter, which is relevant for most breeds of the biological species in question

Another criterion that allows you to distinguish between quail boys and girls is the brightness of their “outfit”: as a rule, the intensity of the colors that color the feathers of females is higher than that of males. It is also noteworthy that female representatives have a considerable number of dark spots on their chests, while in most males this sign does not appear. In addition, the sex of quails can be determined by the color of the beak: in females it is lighter, which is relevant for most breeds of the biological species in question.

As for the third factor, the consideration of which in determining sex is especially valued by owners of plain-colored birds (for example, white ones), this is the voice of these birds. Since it is not possible to distinguish quails by the color of their plumage in such cases, breeders listen to the singing of their pets. It has been noticed that the serenades of male representatives are much less melodic: most often the sounds they make resemble hysterical screams, which is how they are distinguished from quails.

Methods for finding differences

You can distinguish between girls and boys in a quail farm using different methods, including:

• Differences by gender. The best time to determine the sex of a bird by the first signs that appear is when it reaches three weeks of age. During this period, birds reach sexual maturity and their final plumage is formed. Until they reach maturity, sex can be determined, but indirectly and far from accurately. For example, a quail is more restless, unlike a male quail, which does not move willingly.
• Determination by color and type of feather. Recognizing a bird by its plumage depends on the selected breed. There are breeds with wild colors, and there are those that are almost impossible to identify by their plumage. At three weeks of age, the bird is completely covered with feathers, and the farmer or breeder can already distinguish the sex of even such chickens. The plumage differs in the chest area and around the eyes: the most variegated plumage is on the breast of females, and the breast is covered with many black spots. The feathers of males, on the contrary, are not so bright and are often monochromatic. In cockerels, contrast in the feathers is observed around the eyes; in hens it is absent. The quail boy has a kind of mask drawn around his eyes. The cheeks and front throat plumage of males are lighter than those of females, but the beak, on the contrary, is darker in males.
• Determination by external signs. Boys are smaller in size and weight than girls, but males have larger beaks and heads. The female quail sex has a more rounded shape, while the stronger half has a more elongated body structure.
• Identification by voice. If the color of a bird does not allow you to determine its gender due to the uniform plumage of the breed, then there is another simple way to differentiate, by its voice. Starting from about a month and a half, females begin to sing. Naturally, their singing is significantly different from the nightingale; it rather resembles a whistle. If we look at the male’s singing, then it’s difficult to call it singing; it’s more like a cry. Moreover, the boy constantly screams, unlike the female. This method makes it easy to separate the birds before feeding; when the pets are hungry, you can hear them very far away.

But it is not always possible to distinguish a male from a female in a quail farm using similar methods. Depending on the breed, age of the bird and the experience of the breeder, incorrect conclusions are possible. There are four breeds with which errors will definitely not occur:

1. Manchurian.
2. Estonian.
3. Japanese.
4. Pharaoh.

The presence or absence of a secretory gland

Speaking about how to distinguish the sex of quails, one cannot fail to mention one of the most effective methods for solving the presented problem. Based on the experience of many poultry farmers, we can confidently say that with its help it is possible to determine the sex of a quail in the vast majority of cases. There is only one condition here: the individual must be sexually mature, since the method under consideration involves examining the birds for the presence of a secretory gland (or lack thereof).

This procedure involves performing the following simple steps:

1. carefully take the feathered ward in your hand and turn it over on its back, belly up;
2. holding the head, spread the feathers located around the tail to the sides;
3. carefully inspect the cloaca area.

Provided that there is no oblong brown growth in this area, from which a white foamy secretion is released when pressure is applied, the bird being considered by the breeder is a female. It is also noteworthy that in females the cloaca is dark, while in males it has a pinkish tint, which is confirmed by a lot of videos and photos presented on ornithological sites and forums.

The difference between a quail and a quail in a breed with uniform plumage

Beginners in quail breeding are afraid to buy breeds with uniformly colored feathers of males and females. The color of such breeds makes virtually no difference. How to distinguish the sex of colored quails? The main differences between English quail. In girls: the body is more elongated.

Looking at the belly under the plumage of the female's cloaca, a blue tint of the skin around is visible, while in boys it is distinctly pink. If you look at a black English quail, you will notice that the color around it is dark, and the cloaca itself has a pinkish tint. Male quails are pugnacious and often fight among themselves. Their singing is more like a scream and may not even please the human ear.

At the same time, the boys scream constantly until they sleep. As soon as one male starts making any sound, the others begin to pick it up. In this simple way, quail and partridge are distinguished. Using these methods, you can determine the sex of any colored breed of quail, in which the differences in color are almost the same in both females and males.

For an experienced breeder, such questions do not cause difficulties due to frequent communication with birds; young farmers can use these tips or seek advice from their more experienced colleagues.

How to correctly determine the sex of quails

Hardly anyone will dispute the fact that any owner needs to know how to determine the sex of quails. There are many reasons for this, but the most prominent is the desire of breeders to bring the flock of birds being raised into compliance with the desired living conditions. So, if a farmer plans to breed quails for eggs and meat, then he should rely on selecting females, which is quite logical. In situations where the birds in question are purchased as decoration for a personal plot, it is advisable to buy males: they are less demanding in terms of living conditions compared to females.

How to determine the sex of quails

It is worth noting that those breeders whose experience is still limited do not always clearly understand how to distinguish the sex of quails with a minimum probability of making a mistake. It is especially difficult to find out the gender of pets in cases where the birds’ plumage is monochromatic, which is typical for representatives of a considerable number of popular breeds. However, at present, a sufficient number of signs are known on the basis of which anyone can determine the sex of a quail, including those who are dealing with these birds for the first time.

Which individuals are in demand?

The need to purchase female or male livestock depends on the purpose of breeding:

1. Farmers are more interested in purchasing females. Because poultry is often bred to produce eggs. They are placed in a separate cage and provided with special nutrition to increase egg production.
2. When breeding birds for decorative purposes, males are preferred. Such individuals are less restless and do not create noise.

Usually, when you incubate 100 eggs, you will only get half the hens. Some farmers prefer to breed a young quail with an older male. It is believed that a higher percentage of females are hatched from this crossbreeding.

How to distinguish a female from a male?