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Quail of the Japanese breed, the difference between a female and a male. The difference between a female quail and a male

To breed quails and establish a business for selling eggs and carcasses, it is necessary to properly form a herd so that there are fewer males and more females. To do this, you should know the signs of how to determine the sex of quails . It is about them that will be discussed in this article.

At what age can

Females are purchased for egg production, meat production and reproduction. The purpose of the establishment of males is a decorative function, meat and also reproduction. Females require more careful care and frequent change of feed. 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.
Approximately it is possible to distinguish girls from boys starting from the 20th–21st day of life, when the formation of plumage ends. Sexual maturity occurs later - at 40–45 days. It is from this time that the floor can be established 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 manifest themselves only in behavior. It is believed that girls are more restless, active and noisy. 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. In girls they are different in height and thickness, in boys they are even, the same.

Important! Quail breeders have noticed that if families are formed from 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.

Methods of discrimination (in adults)

In adult quails, sex can be determined by several signs. Among them are the dimensions and color of plumage, voice abilities, the presence of a secretory gland and the color of the skin in the cloacal zone.

External signs

Quail boys are usually smaller than girls, but at the same time their physique is coarse - they have a more massive beak, a larger head. As for the plumage, it is more colorful in females. Their chest is covered with many black dots. Males usually have a uniform light chest, lighter cheeks and goiter. Another difference is their darker beak color. This way of knowing the sex is not always possible to apply, since some breeds have a completely gray-brown or white plumage, from which it is impossible to determine the sex.

Voice

Another way to distinguish males and females - listen to the voice. More beautiful melodic sounds are given out by girls. The boys voice is not very pleasant, and the sounds can be described by the word "hysterical." The voice in full force manifests itself in these birds from 1.5 months of age. Unlike chicks, the behavior of adult birds changes radically. Now the females are more quiet and accommodating, and the males are more noisy, restless and pugnacious.

Important! To create a successful and prolific pair, it is necessary to select a male and a female from different herds. In birds from one brood, the number of fertilized eggs will be lower.

Sex characteristics

One of the most reliable ways is to determine by the presence of a secretory gland. It must be sought between the tail and the anus. If, after turning the bird upside down and spreading the feathers apart from the anus, there is nothing else, then this is a female. If a tubercle is palpable or clearly distinguishable, then in front of you is a male.
When pressing on the gland, a liquid will come out of it in the form of white foam. This method can be used when the bird is 40 days old. Quail breeders claim that sex can also be determined by the color of the skin in the cesspool area. For girls it is blue-gray, for boys it is pink. It is also necessary to know that, upon reaching puberty, the cockerels actively jump on the hens, trying to climb on top of them.

Did you know? Five quail eggs contain 5 times more potassium, 4.5 times more iron, 2.5 times more vitamins B1 and B2 than one chicken egg.

Differences in different breeds

There are several breeds of quail in which sexual dimorphism is clearly visible in the color of plumage. When acquiring such birds, the question of how to find out where the boy is and where the girl is is not even at a young age. However, there are few such breeds.

This breed is meat. Its representatives grow large and have a mass of 280 g (male) and 350 g (female). The coloring of the pharaohs is the same as other thoroughbred quails - Japanese and Estonian, and is very similar to wild relatives, so they are often confused. It is not easy to distinguish between hens and cockerels, but it is possible.
Feathers of hens are colored more colorfully and contrastingly. In the plumage of males there are even, light colors. Their chest is almost monophonic, yellowish or reddish. In chickens, it is strewn with dark spots. Males have a dark mask on their heads. Their beaks are painted in a darker shade.

Important! You need to purchase birds at well-established poultry farms. This is the only way to be sure of the health and quality of quails. Also, specialists on farms can help to select the chicks of the required sex.

Texas

This is a highly productive meat breed. Female representatives reach a mass of 450–480 g, males weigh 350–370 g each. The color of the birds is snow-white with rare dark spots. Sexual dimorphism in color is not pronounced, therefore, to determine the sex, you should use other methods: look for the secretory gland, look at the size of the individuals, pay attention to the voice and behavior.

Estonian

Estonian quails are very similar to pharaohs. Their gender can be determined by the same signs:

lighter chest and less variegated plumage in males;
the presence of a dark mask on the head of males;
a larger head compared to the body in males;
large in females.

Manchu

Manchurian quails have yellow and brown feathers on the body, which alternate with each other and give the color a golden hue. This is an egg-laying breed, so determining the sex when buying is very important.

Some differences between cockerels and hens are in plumage color. Like other "colored" breeds, the male is faded and plain, with a dark mask on his head. He is active, chasing females, can drive them into a corner, jump on top, scream long and hysterically. Females are passive, graceful, they have a variegated plumage, in which there are more dark spots.

Tuxedo

Tuxedo quails are also classified as "colored breeds". They have a beautiful plumage, which is especially to the liking of those who start birds for a decorative purpose. They have a white chest and a dark brown back. It is rather difficult to determine the sex by plumage, therefore, in order to recognize cockerels and hens, they first look at their size - females reach 160 g in adulthood, males are smaller, up to 140 g. Then they listen to their voices, observe their behavior, and then proceed to search for a secretory gland.

Did you know? AT different times quails were used for various purposes - they were kept as songbirds, bird fights were arranged with them, and they were eaten. In Turkestan, quail fights were a kind of national sport.

In addition to all of the above signs, experienced poultry farmers use one more - the width of the setting of the pubic bones. Upon reaching 2 months of age, the bird must be picked up and turned over. Then feel the bones near the cloaca. If they are widely spaced, then most likely it is a female - such a structure is necessary for successful egg production. The narrow arrangement of the pubic bones indicates that it is a rooster.
So, you can determine the sex of quails by several signs: exterior, voice, the presence of a secretory gland. Clearly expressed sexual dimorphism in plumage is inherent in several breeds. Therefore, if the acquisition of individuals of only a certain gender is required, then representatives of the Estonian, Japanese, Manchurian, Tuxedo or Pharaoh breed should be preferred.

Many poultry farmers breed quails on their farms for meat, eggs, or for decorative purposes. Depending on the purpose of breeding, the breed of bird is selected. It is rather difficult for beginner quail breeders to do this, since the choice is quite diverse. We invite you to study the description, the main characteristics of quails and the difference between males and females in our article.

Estonian quail

The meat and egg breed was bred through a long selection and crossing of Japanese, English white quails and the pharaoh breed. The result was birds with an average live weight of 150-180 grams for males and 190-210 grams for females. Outwardly, Estonian quails differ:

oval body;
small head;
short neck, legs and tail;
gray skin around the cloaca;
a kind of small hump on the back;
ocher-brown color with black-brown stripes.

Males differ from females in the presence of three yellow-white stripes in the head area and a dark bill with a white tip. Juveniles have the same color.

Sexual maturity of birds occurs at about a month old. Females are highly fertile and can produce from 275 to 290 eggs weighing 11-12 grams. With the right maintenance and feeding, the fertility rate is 92-95%. Young growth is very viable, and with good care, by the age of one month, it gains up to 170 grams.

Estonian quails can be bred in an incubator, where chicks appear after 17 days. This is very important for personal farms and industrial production. The meat of this breed is distinguished by excellent taste.

Pharaoh

Meat quail comes from the USA. Their main feature is a good carcass, and outwardly they differ little from their wild relatives. The pharaoh has a grayish-brown plumage, which is richly colored with patches and stripes of black and white.

The main advantages quail breed Pharaoh is:

Females differ from males in lighter feathers with black spots on the chest. In males of the Pharaoh, the plumage on the chest is brown without any inclusions.

Quail meat to taste very juicy and tender. Their large eggs contain a large amount of nutrients. But in order to succeed in breeding the Pharaoh breed, a balanced diet and certain conditions of detention are necessary. Violation of the balance between the freshness of the air, its certain humidity and temperature, which should be at 20C, can result in diseases or even death of birds.

English whites

Japanese quails were used to obtain a meat breed. The result was a bird with a wonderful view of the carcass and meat of excellent quality. English white quails have:

rather fleshy body;
strong bones;
tight body;
small head;
short neck;
light-colored legs and beak;
almost black, medium-sized eyes;
well developed wings;
medium length tail.

The plumage of quails of this breed, in accordance with the name, is white. But, on the back or head black blotches may occur. Females differ from males in blue skin around the eyes, while in bettas it is pink.

Sexual maturity of English quails begins at one and a half months. For a year, the female gives up to 280-290 eggs, each of which is 10-11 grams. This is one of the most promising breeds, since with intensive feeding, the weight of the bird can reach 300 grams.

Texas White Pharaoh

The meat-oriented breed was bred in the state of Texas, where it got its name. A feature of the Texas quail is fluffy and loose plumage. In addition, they differ:

wide back;
rounded chest;
short legs, tail and neck;
big 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, especially the brisket is distinguished by its excellent taste.

quail bears fairly large eggs, the number of which is 100-150 pieces per year. She starts laying eggs at two months old. With the content of this breed, the absence of bright light and drafts is necessary.

Phoenix golden

This fairly well-known and widespread breed belongs to the meat direction and is highly valued for its productivity. Phoenix golden or Manchurian is very loved by farmers in Germany and France for its excellent egg production, unpretentiousness in breeding, and for the fact that the young are gaining weight very quickly. The bird is distinguished by a golden color interspersed with hazel or brown. In females, unlike males, there are more such inclusions.

The live weight of the male can reach 320-340 grams, while the female is 60-80 grams heavier. Egg production is 200-220 eggs per year with each egg weighing up to 15 grams. When breeding a Phoenix, three females are left for one male. To get fresh eggs females are kept separate from males. If the eggs are kept in an incubator, then the birds should live in small flocks.

The Manchurian golden has a light plumage, so it has a pleasant light shade which is highly appreciated by consumers. The carcasses of these quails can be used for smoking, grilling and making delicious broth.

Chinese painted

This very beautiful bird are kept for decorative purposes only. AT wild nature it is common in Australia and Southeast Asia. Appearance breed is different:

The birds themselves are very small, and have a length of only 11-14 cm. Females and males differ in color. The bottom of the quail is light brown, and the top is gray. All feathers have brown tips.

In the wild, Chinese Painted Quails live in pairs in open grassy spaces. They build nests right on the ground, and together they take part in raising the chicks.

At home, the smallest representatives of the chicken family should be kept in small groups. There should be two to four females per male. A spacious enclosure with bushes and dense grass is being built for them.

Each clutch of birds of this breed can have from 7 to 10 olive-brown eggs. The incubation period lasts two weeks. The chicks hatch no larger than the May beetle. They grow very quickly and after 14 days they begin to fly. Young growth becomes sexually mature by the age of two months.

tuxedo quail

A very interesting breed got its name from plumage that resembles a tuxedo. Excluding head, neck and chest the whole body of the bird is brown. Females and males do not differ from each other in appearance.

The live weight of females is 140-160 grams, while males weigh slightly less. In a year, a quail is able to produce from 260 to 280 eggs, each of which reaches a mass of 10-11 grams.

Tuxedo quail chicks are very small. They are born weighing only 6-8 grams. However, in a month and a half, the chicks are able to increase their live weight twenty times. At the same age, they reach sexual maturity.

The breed is not very common among farmers and hobbyists. decorative birds, because it is very whimsical to the conditions of detention and requires special feeding.

Many are accustomed to the fact that the quail is a small nondescript bird. But, as can be seen from the article, quails have many varieties that can surprise with their coloring. In addition, many breeds, with the right content, are able to provide seven eggs and excellent-tasting meat.

Breeding quails at home requires, first of all, obtaining information about these small creatures. For advice, it is best to contact a specialist in birds, an ornithologist. To begin with, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the proposed information, which gives theoretical advice on how to determine the sex of quails. This is an important and in many ways defining moment, because for different purposes it is required to acquire small residents of a house of completely different sexes.

Thus, the floor of a quail for a person who is going to start them is - important aspect. Let's deal with it: how can you still distinguish between quails?

If the goal is to engage in further breeding of offspring, quails should be started in the ratio of 1 male to 3 females. But at the same time, you need to know exactly how to distinguish quails.

Attention! The percentages of the probability of having babies of both sexes are equal: quail breeding experts say that the chances of a female being born increase when a female mates with an older partner. It is strongly recommended to buy young individuals that are capable of greater reproduction.

How to distinguish a quail from a quail in this case? You can simply check with the seller the gender of the chick. But often he himself is not too versed in the product and answers at random. It is most reliable to have an idea of \u200b\u200bthe question of how to determine the sex of quails yourself. Naturally, the best way to determine whether the chicken in front of you or the cockerel is to examine the genitals. However, the secretory gland in birds is fully formed only by the age of 40-50 days, and to understand anatomical structure not so easy.

How not to make a mistake in choosing a chick? There are alternative ways to establish the gender of a newborn individual, but, unfortunately, they are not effective in all cases. The determination method will depend on the following criteria:

Age. Before the chick reaches a certain number of days lived, it is impossible to establish “he is this or she is”.
Breed. Representatives of different breeds also have a different suit, which can help with clarification.
Structural features of the body and head. Like people, birds sometimes have gender differences not only in behavior, but also in external features.
Color. In monochromatic birds, to indicate gender, it serves as a sure sign, with colored birds it is much more difficult: it can be distinguished only by examining the primary gender characteristics.
Features of behavior. Weak criterion, only experienced specialists can discern the truth on this basis.

Let's consider each of the points in more detail. For a more visual representation of the processes, it is also recommended to watch a thematic video on the network.

Features of behavior in resolving the issue

Determining the sex of your quails, according to experts, is not difficult. Professionals notice that females in the initial stage of their lives are more active, noisy and squeaky. As they grow older, the picture changes: they become quieter, can boast of “exemplary” behavior, and the grown males, as befits the representatives of the male half, are pugnacious, restless, begin to show vocal abilities, expressed so far only by loud risk. They love to stretch out. Experienced poultry farmers can also distinguish “him” by their behavior during mating: he grabs his girlfriend by the head and pulls her back or to the side. A beginner in poultry farming may confuse the process with a fight in which the female manifests herself in a similar way.

Be that as it may, these signs are not enough for serious conclusions.

body structure

Determining the sex of your quails will not be difficult even for an unknowing person. Cockerels have a noticeably more powerful head and a massive beak, an elongated back and neck. Females are more graceful, more proportional, with an elongated body. They develop faster, already after 20 days of life they overtake their counterparts in size, by 1.5 months becoming apparently larger than them.

The role of breed and color in resolving the issue

What is the difference, besides the primary sexual characteristics, "boys" and "girls"? If you open the photo, you will see that the males of wild breeds, such as the pharaoh, Japanese, Estonian and Manchurian golden quail, have a solid coloring of the head and neck, yellow, orange or brown breast plumage. In females, the chest is more faded, often of an indistinct shade, interspersed. The mask on the eyes is more pronounced in boys. Some poultry farmers notice another sign: the presence of a kind of "collar" in males.

Here lies the secret of the popularity of these breeds among poultry houses, because the process of determining “where is the boy and where is the girl” in the same pharaoh is much easier than in the case of the English bird. Colored representatives (tuxedo, English, marble) of both sexes have the same color.

Let's say you got exactly a colored cub with a mild character and it is not possible to use any of the proposed methods to distinguish the sex, it remains to wait until the chick is no less than 1.5 months old and tritely look under his tail. If you follow the instructions, even an amateur is quite able to establish the truth. Do the following:

take the bird in your left hand;
turn the belly up, supporting the head;
With your right hand, gently spread the feathers below the tail.

Just a dark, grayish cesspool without any bulges opened up to your gaze - be sure that you have a female in front of you. Feel the pubic cartilage: in the chicken, they should diverge to the right and left. Accordingly, the pinkish color of the cloaca, immobile pubic cartilages, an oblong brown outgrowth in the area below the tail, which, when pressed, releases several white foamy drops, highlights the male. Be careful not to confuse secretory discharge with ordinary droppings. The difference between one substance and another lies in the consistency: the secret is rarer and more transparent.

To learn more about the structure of the genital organs of the partridge family, you can see a photo or video on the Internet with step-by-step instructions.

It remains to be hoped that these simple tips will help with determining the sex of quails and will be the first step towards getting to know these amazing creatures!

One of the serious practical problems that every poultry breeder faces from time to time is the correct determination of the sex of the bird. This is necessary both for the selection of laying hens for obtaining eggs or the formation of a parent flock, and for the timely separation of chicks by sex for the purpose of their subsequent separate maintenance. Unfortunately, not in all birds, the differences between male and female are as obvious as, for example, in chickens or peacocks. A striking example of an agricultural bird in which sex determination can cause certain difficulties is quail.

Who is a quail

Quail (Latin name Coturnix coturnix) is a small bird of the Pheasant family (or Chicken), 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 the entire variety of representatives of the quail family, they are the smallest.

Did you know? Quail eggs and meat have been valued by mankind since ancient times, but until the second half of the last century, these birds were bred only in the East. The Chinese began to domesticate quails, followed by Japan. In Russia and Europe, quails were also very fond of (among the most famous admirers of the meat of this bird are Tsar Ivan the Terrible and Armand Jean du Plessis, better known to us as Cardinal Richelieu), but the only source of obtaining this tender and dietary product was hunting.

Despite a very short history, quail breeding as poultry is gaining more and more popularity 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, quails are known for their precocity, which ensures high profitability and a quick payback for such a business.
Both eggs and quail meat are considered very valuable and useful product, which also distinguishes these birds from their more ponderous relatives.

How to distinguish a female quail from a male

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

According to outward appearances

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:

Part of the body	Male	Female
Head	The plumage is more contrasting than on the lower body, often in the form of a "mask"	No contrast with lower body
Throat	Dark, sometimes there is a characteristic strip and the form of a "collar"	motley
Breast	As a rule, bright and monochromatic (ochre-yellow, "rusty" or red)	There are a large number of black dots on the chest, the shade is paler
Goiter and cheeks	Lighter	Darker
Beak	Darker	Lighter
Lower body	Lighter	Does not differ from the top
General view of plumage	Monochromatic	More variegated: the presence of black or dark brown blotches or variegated areas

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Important! It is not possible to determine the sex of a quail by color in all breeds of this bird, but only in those that have a color close to wild. These are, in particular, Japanese, Manchurian, Estonian, golden quails, as well as pharaohs.

With the so-called colored breeds (for example, Lotus, or English white, Turedo, or white-breasted, tuxedo, marble and others), things are more complicated, such birds have practically no difference in color.
As a hint, you can use such a parameter as the size of the bird. Quails are usually much larger than quails (the average difference is 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 graceful than the male, her physique seems to be very proportional.

It must be said that quails initially grow much faster than quails, therefore, it is possible to distinguish chicks by comparing their sizes already 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 a quiet and calm disposition. Restlessness and a passion for showdown, often in the form of a fight, are notable features of males.
Before the attack, males usually stretch their necks, as if standing “in front” and thereby giving out their gender.

Important! The activity of boys and the calmness of girls are character traits of adults or maturing quails. In young animals of the first weeks of life, the situation looks the opposite way: females are more scandalous, restless and noisy.

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

By gender

Another way to establish the sex of a bird is to study the primary sexual characteristics, that is, in fact, the genitals.
In males, the skin in the area of the cloaca has a pink color with a bean-shaped thickening in the upper part (this is the secretory gland). In females, the same area has a dirty gray tint, but it must be borne in mind that such a “blue” in girls occurs with age, so this method is not suitable for determining the sex of chicks.

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

By voice

As it was said, the quail is very precocious.

Did you know? After two Japanese cities were hit by American atomic bombs in 1945, the people of the country rising sun began to actively look for products that contribute to the removal of deadly radionuclides from the body. An honorable first place in this list was occupied by quail eggs.

They reach sexual maturity already 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, piercing sounds that are not very pleasant for our ear;
females are either silent or whistling melodiously.

By secretory glands

However, the most reliable way to determine the sex of a quail is considered to be the "analysis" of secretory gland secretions, and to be more precise, the very presence of such. This method is applicable only to mature birds and young animals that have reached the age of 40 days; 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 our free hand we part the feathers in the lower region of the tail.
Just above the cloaca, the boys have a barely distinguishable tubercle (growth, “bump”).
Girls do not have it, we will see only a flat surface of a dark pink or blue color, depending on the age of the bird.
To check, gently and easily press your finger on the area above the cloaca. If at the same time there is a release of white foam (not to be confused with litter!), There is no doubt: we have a boy in front of us.

Conclusion

To summarize: most breeds of quails have quite obvious secondary sexual characteristics: in order to determine the sex of a bird, it is enough to consider its plumage.
The exception is the category of colored quails.