We establish the sex of quails or how to accurately distinguish a female from a male in quails

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In order to get the most out of quail keeping, it is important to properly form the flock. Laying hens produce eggs, moreover, they are larger and heavier than cockerels, therefore they are more cost-effective. It is not always easy to select individuals of the desired sex, but it is possible if you know how to distinguish a female quail from a male.

Appearance will tell 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 signs:

• the male gives out bright red plumage on the breast, without dark spots;
• regardless of the breed, the males have a uniform, solid color;
• boys - owners of a contrasting color of feathers on their heads, compared to the rest on the body;
• the goiter in males is lighter than in females;
• the beak of a quail is darker than that of a quail.

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

Video "Determination of sex by plumage"

This video shows how to distinguish between a male or a female quail in front of us by plumage color.

In colored quail breeds, the sex is slightly different, since their color is almost identical. Although, with closer observation, they can be detected, albeit with difficulty. From the age of six weeks, males try to start singing, although it is difficult to call it singing, it is more like a cry that does not caress the ear at all. But the women whistle quietly and quite pleasantly. However, such an observation is a rather lengthy process and does not differ with particular accuracy.

• black English;
• white English;
• tuxedos;
• marble.

In the photo there are a couple of English quails and they are almost identical, at least one of them is male, and the other is female at first glance, it is difficult to distinguish and determine where the male is and where the female is.

It is very difficult to establish the sex before the age of six weeks, since the secretory gland is hardly noticeable in the quail. If someone does not know where it is, we will tell you that in quails it is located between the cloaca and the base of the tail, in particular, it is she who we need to find or not find to establish the sex.

We act according to the following scheme.

To establish the sex of a colored quail, you need to take a bird in your left hand as in the photo

Next, you need to turn it over with its belly up, with your free hand you need to push the feathers at the base of the tail slightly above the cloaca.

We can now see two options:

in the first case, we may not notice anything except the dark color of the cloaca without tubercles and bulges above the cloaca next to the tail, as in the photo

conclusion one in front of you is a female.

The second option is shown in the following photos

In this case, a growth is clearly visible, which is the secretory gland of the male. If you press it carefully, a whitish secret can stand out. This indicates that we have a male quail in front of us.

However, as already mentioned above, it is possible to establish the sex of quails and by secondary characteristics:

• head shape;
• singing;
• the intensity of the color of the mask on the head in males;
• behavior in the herd.

However, the most reliable method is to examine the cloaca in individuals over forty days old.

Applying these recommendations in practice, you can easily distinguish your feathered wards by gender. This is very important when maintaining them. Since females can provide you with testicles for a whole year. And males, having reached a certain age, will become a real decoration of any table.

Anatomical features and voice

Features in the structure of the body of quails may indicate their gender. Boys have a stronger beak and a larger head than girls.

In quails, a disproportionate body is noticeable. The body of the quails is harmoniously harmonious, they move gracefully, so it is easy to notice them in the herd.

The chicken can be identified by its size - they are almost always larger than the cockerels.

At the age of 3-4 weeks, quails begin to give voice. And the problem of how to determine the sex of quails is easier to solve.

Quails have clear vocal differences:

• Cockerels often scream hysterically. The sound is harsh and unpleasant, completely unlike singing.
• Chickens make melodic, pleasant sounds.

Experienced breeders are able to distinguish quail from quail by several sounds as early as 2-3 weeks after hatching.

Diet requirements

The industry produces 3 types of complete feed for quails:

1. DK-50 for quails up to 4 weeks old. Possible options: DK-50 for chicks 1-10 days and 11-30 days. The difference is in the size of the granules. Differs in calories and a high content of protein and limiting amino acids
2. DK-51 for quails from 4 to 7 weeks. Low-calorie, low-protein food. It is imperative that the bird does not enter prematurely when its reproductive organs are not ready.
3. DK-51 for quails over 7 weeks old. The feed 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 on purchased compound feed, and not experiment. Adherents of homemade products claim that they can make feed mixtures on their own, since, in their opinion, this way you 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 feeds:

1. Pelleting: Poultry is offered pellets of the same size as the plant seeds that wild quails eat in nature.
2. The bird is deprived of the opportunity to choose tidbits. Homemade compound feed is stratified. The most valuable remains in the dusty fraction.
3. Extrusion: during pelletizing, the feed particles are heat treated, the starch is modified. Its digestibility is increased. The concentration of energy in dry matter increases. Which is important to ensure 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: Excessive protein has a negative effect on the body of the bird. Therefore, the feed is enriched with synthetic amino acids.
6. Vitamins and trace elements are added in sufficient quantities and in optimal proportions.

Cooking enthusiasts can bring the protein level up to 27% or more by adding meal and fishmeal. However, the meal is poor in lysine. Amino acid imbalance occurs and productivity drops. The shelf life of most meals, even with proper storage, does not exceed 4 months.

Fishmeal is often counterfeited, 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 odoriferous 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 to lay and how long they live

A four-time feeding scheme is popular among quail breeders, in which grain feed is given in the morning and evening, and wet mash in between.

However, dry feeding is less labor intensive and more practical in terms of safety. Enrichment of feed mixture for quails with green feed has its pros and cons, and the latter are greater: the likelihood of errors on the part of the poultry farmer increases.

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

Color features of different types of quail

Features of plumage color in wild species

Quails and quails of wild species differ slightly in plumage coloration.

In the area of ​​the head and on the neck of wild species of quail, the color is monochromatic. The thoracic region is yellow, bright red or brown. In wild females, the plumage in the thoracic region is lighter in tone than in males.

You can also distinguish them by the noticeable dark blotches on the chest. Cockerels have no inclusions, so they are immediately noticeable.

Additional nuances

In quails of any species, a mask is visible around the eyes, which is much more pronounced in boys than in females. Also, males have a kind of "collar" around the neck.

Gender differences in color appear at the age when chicks change down to new plumage - at 22-25 days.

Some representatives of quail breeds bred at home have no gender differences in feather coloring.

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

Pharaoh

The quail of this breed is the owner of an ocher-yellow or red color without dots and spots. A dark "mask" can be seen on the head.

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

A full description of this variety is given in the article "Quail Pharaohs: a description of the breed."

Estonian

In males of this breed, the mandible is brown. The goiter is one shade lighter. The head is dark brown with three light stripes. On the flight wings there are light stripes, the beak is dark, and its tip is light.

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

More information can be found in the article “About Estonian Quails”.

Manchurian

The hens of this breed have a uniform color of the head and body, dark "smears" are visible on the breast, the mask is absent.

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

More details about the species are described in the article "Manchurian quail breed".

Summing up

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

Video - sexual characteristics of quails

Nikolay Zhuravlev editor-in-chief

Publication author 24.10.2018

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Quail eggs contain many useful substances for humans and are valued much more expensive than chicken or duck eggs. Those who want to make money on quail breeding never have problems with the sale of products.However, in order for the number of birds to increase on a farm or in a private backyard, the number of eggs they bring increases, 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 the quail must be able to distinguish between them guaranteed.

The best clue is in the secretory gland

If it is not possible to determine the sex of the quail by the color of the plumage, you can use another, more reliable method - the search for the secretory gland.

Only males have such a sign. The absence of a gland accurately indicates a female.

However, this method is valid only from 1.5 months, since the sex glands appear only at this age.

Consider how to distinguish a male quail from a female on this basis.

To find the sex gland, you need to take the quail in your hands and turn your stomach up. You need to hold the bird firmly so that it does not break out, but carefully so as not to damage its bones.

Next - carefully examine the area between the tail and the anus (cloaca). This is where the secretory gland should be.

If the surface is pink and smooth, it's a quail. In quail, this place is darker and there is a tubercle. With gentle pressure on it, a light foamy liquid appears.

What individuals are in demand?

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

1. Farmers are more interested in purchasing females. Because poultry is often bred to obtain 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 more preferred. Such individuals are less restless, do not make noise.

Usually, when incubating 100 eggs, you can get only half of the females. Some farmers prefer to breed young quail with an older male. It is believed that a higher percentage of females will hatch as a result of this crossing.

How to distinguish a female from a male?

Differences in behavior

By carefully observing the behavior of quails, you can distinguish boys from girls, especially during the breeding season.

During mating games, when the cock is caring for the chosen one, he tries to grab her by the head with his beak and throw her back. The male clings to the female he likes for a few seconds.

You can determine the sex of the birds by observing the behavior of the birds while walking. Quails at the very beginning of life are quiet and calm. Quails are restless, move a lot, often make noise.

With age, behavior changes: females become less mobile, their movements are more measured, and males, on the contrary, become loud, noisy and pugnacious.

However, the listed signs of behavior of birds at an older age are not reliable, since quails behave similarly to quails when they show aggression towards each other.

How to tell a male from a female

Determining the gender is necessary, for example, when buying a new animal. This is especially true if the rabbit is purebred and selected for breeding. It is important to distinguish males from females so as not to buy a rabbit of the wrong sex.

With home breeding, determining the sex of males and females of rabbits is required in order to be able to plant them separately in time, since it is impossible to keep animals of different sexes together. When they become sexually mature, begin to fight, bite, spoil each other's skins, males often damage the genitals of other males.

It is clear that such individuals are no longer suitable for breeding. There is also a high likelihood of accidentally producing unplanned unwanted offspring. That is why it is so important to distinguish a rabbit from a rabbit.

The structure of the skeleton will help

Determining how to distinguish a quail from a 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 with the method for finding the secretory gland described above, you need to carefully but firmly take the bird and turn it with its stomach up.

Then slowly move the feathers between the paws of the bird, 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 a quail, the pubic bones are located close to each other.

Helpful hints

In order for the water not to deteriorate, it is necessary to change it every other day. You should not sanitize it with potassium permanganate, because the equipment deteriorates. Do not add antibiotics: they end up in meat and eggs. Children who eat such food become allergic. They develop defects of the teeth and the musculoskeletal system. Adults can also have 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. The optimum ph is between 4 and 4.5.

Individuality of colored quail species

Not so simple

Determining the sex of quails and quails of colored varieties is much more difficult, since their plumage is the same in color. These include the black and white English breed, as well as the Texas one.

In such cases, you should pay attention to other sexual characteristics. Consider how to distinguish between quails of the listed species.

English white

A representative of this breed of any sex is recognizable by its snow-white color, sometimes with black dots.

A quail is distinguished from a quail by its voice. Boys emit harsh, sometimes unpleasant screams. The girls' voice is quiet and melodic.

There are gender differences in the structure of the body. The male looks awkward because of the large head. The female has a proportionally developed body. She is graceful and larger.

Black english

In birds of this species of both sexes, the plumage is dominated by black and brown shades. They can be distinguished by the structure of the body, as well as by the gonads and pubic bones.

Professional breeders distinguish quails and quails of this breed by their walking behavior, but only with a small number of birds. With a large number of livestock it is easy to get confused.

The features of the described breeds are disclosed in the article "Black and White English Quails".

Texas

Females and males of this species also cannot be distinguished by the color of the plumage. And they differ slightly in size, especially during the feeding period.

Therefore, the main way to determine the sex of a Texas quail is to look under the tail and find the secretory gland. How to do it correctly is described above.

For more details about this species, see the article "Characteristics of the Texas quail".

Content requirements

The following requirements are imposed on the bird cage:

• one hen will require 2 dm2 of floor space;
• the height of the cage should not exceed 25 cm;
• Optimal space utilization is achieved when the cages are arranged in 3 or 4 tiers and are equipped with a convenient dropping system.

Quails cannot tolerate bright sunlight. Therefore, it is desirable that the outer walls are shaded. The optimal illumination is considered to be 30-40 lux. To control this indicator, you will need a luxmeter. The optimal daylight hours for the Pharaohs are 17 hours. There is no need to set the automatic 20 hour day as for egg breeds.

It is necessary to install equipment for forced ventilation in the room, but this is how it is. so that there are no drafts. The optimum temperature is considered to be from 18 to 22 ° C with a humidity of 80 to 75%.A psychrometer is required to monitor both indicators. So that the air in the room does not dry out, a basin of water is installed in the summer.

If the room is cold, the birds will huddle together; if it is hot, they will stay away from each other. Heat stress leads to a sharp drop in feed intake and a decrease in productivity. Therefore, for those who intend to seriously engage in quail farming, it is necessary to install an air conditioner in the room.

Be sure to read:
Why do quail eggs float in water: 5 ways to check egg freshness and signs of spoilage
Feeders should be equipped so that birds cannot scatter food. Water must come from nipple drinkers.