Ugly Birds

[jadartt]

I'm actively raising my first batch of cortunix quail.  They are A&M's and I can't believe how ugly these buggers are at 2 1/2 weeks of age.  Some of them are almost fully feathered, others are sparsely covered, and still others are completely void of feathers at all and look absolutely pitiful. 

I need someone to assure me that all these uglies will eventually feather out, or perhaps the small runting ones will always be runting, I don't know.  Any comforting advice out there?

[CharlieHorse]

Can Ya post any pictures?

I more than likely can't help you, but those who can,............could be more helpful and responsive, if there were some pictures of them.

Just a thought.   


 

[slider]

I dont care how many feathers they get...they ant never gonna be pretty.....That is a meat and egg bird when they were developing them they left pretty out...

[jadartt]

I dont care how many feathers they get...they ant never gonna be pretty.....That is a meat and egg bird when they were developing them they left pretty out...

I can believe that, but there's plenty of fine feathered A&M's out there.  I'm primarily asking when will the feather out and look "normal"?

[slider]

Well let me put it another way...they are adults when they are 6 weeks old..I was putting you own about the pretty thing...I just never did like them, but I do know that they are a good starter bird because everything is easy about them and they multiply like rats...17 days...your birds should be pretty well feathered out by 3 weeks except the head that will come in another week..4 weeks and they are pretty much done except to smooth out some that is if they are not to crowded...Good Luck..

[birdlover17]

I dont care how many feathers they get...they ant never gonna be pretty.....That is a meat and egg bird when they were developing them they left pretty out...

When i first got my coturnix quails they were about 5 weeks old, and yeah they weren't the prettiest bird in the world, but with a good diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, insects ) and as time went by, i noticed that all the dull feathers were replaced with shiny colorful feathers. The food birds eat has alot to do with the color and perspective of feathers. Look at the flamingos, their pink because of all the shrimps they eat. Certain fruits, berries, greens etc.. give birds a certain color, if their not eating these foods that the birds is suppose to eat to get their best feathers then they won't look all that great or pretty.

[CharlieHorse]

The food birds eat has alot to do with the color and perspective of feathers. Look at the flamingos, their pink because of all the shrimps they eat. Certain fruits, berries, greens etc.. give birds a certain color, if their not eating these foods that the birds is suppose to eat to get their best feathers then they won't look all that great or pretty.

      What??   Are you just makin' this up birddude?  If that were true, then why aren't my BW's all green by now?   No wonder some of the turkeys around here are yellow (corn, mushrooms), some john deere green (green leafy stuff), and others have a hard black shell on them from eating pitchin' bugs I suppose? 

Just because "they say" that's the reason that  flamingos are that color, doesn't mean its true or that it applies to every other bird on the planet. 
 
I'm going to mix some red and yellow food coloring in my next bag of feed and see what happens......I'm thinking Allis-Chalmers orange will be what my Bobs will turn into, easier to see when hunting.    

"shrimps"

 

.......Here's your sign!........

[Reeves]

 

[NH/Pete]

 j45 This is too much

[birdlover17]

The food birds eat has alot to do with the color and perspective of feathers. Look at the flamingos, their pink because of all the shrimps they eat. Certain fruits, berries, greens etc.. give birds a certain color, if their not eating these foods that the birds is suppose to eat to get their best feathers then they won't look all that great or pretty.

      What??   Are you just makin' this up birddude?  If that were true, then why aren't my BW's all green by now?   No wonder some of the turkeys around here are yellow (corn, mushrooms), some john deere green (green leafy stuff), and others have a hard black shell on them from eating pitchin' bugs I suppose? 

Just because "they say" that's the reason that  flamingos are that color, doesn't mean its true or that it applies to every other bird on the planet. 
 
I'm going to mix some red and yellow food coloring in my next bag of feed and see what happens......I'm thinking Allis-Chalmers orange will be what my Bobs will turn into, easier to see when hunting.    

"shrimps"

 

.......Here's your sign!........

How am i making this up its true, don't tell me that you don't think the food birds eat has to do with how their feathers look. If a bird eats leaves he doesn't turn green automatically, of course it doesn't work that way.     http://www.birdersworld.com/brd/default.aspx?c=a&id=676

[quailfarm7]

Will, I have to feed all of my birds these things in order to make them look nice then?
When i first got my coturnix quails they were about 5 weeks old, and yeah they weren't the prettiest bird in the world, but with a good diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, insects ) and as time went by, i noticed that all the dull feathers were replaced with shiny colorful feathers.
Personally I think those things are nice as a supplement, but I dont feed these things as a full ration.

[Reeves]

I know the real answer, but I'm not tell'n 

[CharlieHorse]

How am i making this up its true, don't tell me that you don't think the food birds eat has to do with how their feathers look. If a bird eats leaves he doesn't turn green automatically, of course it doesn't work that way.    

....of course what a bird eats has to do with its colors.  Just like anything else, if it's lacking in something it needs.......it's going to look bad.  I bet you would change colors if you ate nothing but shrimp or dogwood berries?      

 I get what you're saying.    You just made it sound like a person could give their birds certain fruits, etc. and "Walla" within a short period they could change the color of a bird.  

 What does purple droppings mean?

Thanks for the link!!    

I know the real answer, but I'm not tell'n 

Don't be spoilin' any fun!! 

[frank_lap_127]

     What??   Are you just makin' this up birddude?  If that were true, then why aren't my BW's all green by now?   No wonder some of the turkeys around here are yellow (corn, mushrooms), some john deere green (green leafy stuff), and others have a hard black shell on them from eating pitchin' bugs I suppose?  undecided

Just because "they say" that's the reason that  flamingos are that color, doesn't mean its true or that it applies to every other bird on the planet.
 
I'm going to mix some red and yellow food coloring in my next bag of feed and see what happens......I'm thinking Allis-Chalmers orange will be what my Bobs will turn into, easier to see when hunting.   cool 

 

That's true! A Flamingo that won't eat shrimps will be white, BUT that's not true for every birds species. Probably that first of all, Flamingo's feathers can easily change of color due to the color pigment eated in their diet. I'm pretty sure that it won't ever happen with a bird that isn't white normally (Flamingos are red, but due to the diet). When my dad was working in James Bay (Canada) and in N-W and Yukon territories, he was hunting ptarmigan and told me that during a time of the year (in Winter), the ptarmigans were eating so much berries that they had a little bit of light pink in the feathers, but not enough to be catch by a kodak, it told me it was really hard to see. So that's not false, but not true for every species.

Frank

[birdlover17]

What does purple droppings mean?

Ahh.. plums, grapes, eggplants ....