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KEEPING QUAIL

An extract from the 4th edition of the book by Katie Thear
published by Broad Leys Publishing Ltd

Female Coturnix quail.
(Photo: Katie Thear)

Coturnix Quail

There is a great deal of confusion about the origin of Coturnix quail as we know them today, so it is appropriate to consider how their development took place. Part of the confusion undoubtedly lies in the fact that there are so many different local names, as well as old scientific names now replaced by modern classifications. No one can know for certain how the various breeds and sub-species developed, but it is generally acknowledged that all the Coturnix types are originally based on the Common quail, Coturnix coturnix, the wild migratory bird of Europe, Asia and Africa. Various sub-species developed from this, including the European quail, Coturnix coturnix coturnix, the Eurasian quail, Coturnix coturnix communis, and the Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica. Also associated with the Common quail are the Stubble quail, Coturnix pectoralis, and the Brown quail, Coturnix ypsilophorus, of Australia. In India there is the Rain quail, Coturnix coromendelia, while Africa has the Harlequin quail, Coturnix delegorguei. New Zealand once had its own variety of New Zealand quail, Coturnix novaezelandicae, but this is now extinct.
The Asian Blue and the African Blue are smaller members of the Coturnix family. These, like their larger cousins are now to be found in various sub-species and colour variations.

Coturnix laying quail

I use the term normal type Coturnix to indicate those birds that are normally kept commercially for the production of eggs or for the table. It also differentiates them from those Coturnix breeds that are kept as ornamentals, such as the Asian Blue.
The Japanese quail is the basis for most of the commercial quail that are now kept. It was first recognised in the nineteenth century as a separate breed in the wild, although it had been bred by the Japanese as a singing bird as early as the 12th century. In recent years, Japanese quail have been developed in more productive commercial strains, as well as for use in the laboratory. The Eurasian or Pharaoh quail, Coturnix coturnix communis, has also contributed to the development of commercial strains in the USA. Coturnix breeds are often referred to as Old World Quail because they were introduced by European settlers, and it distinguishes them from indigenous New World Quail such as the Bobwhite. These introductions had numerous names, including Pharaoh, Bible, Nile, Tsar, King, Mediterranean or German.
The normal type male Coturnix grows to around 16cm (6.5in), while the female is slightly larger at an average of 18cm (7.5in). Both sexes have dappled dark brown buff and cream striated backs, paler underbellies, breast and flanks. In the female, the markings are less pronounced, while the male’s chest is reddish brown. This particular feature enables sex identification to take place from 3 weeks of age. Before then, it is difficult to do so. In both sexes there is a distinctive light stripe above the eye, and a white collar, although this may be diminished in the female. The beak is yellow-brown to dark olive-brown, the legs pinkish yellow and the eyes dark brown. This description refers to the normal Coturnix laying quail. There are also varieties that differ in colour and markings.

Commercial strains

Different names have been given to strains that have been developed through selection. Those that are reared for commercial purposes include:
Jumbo This is a table strain developed for increased size and weight, although the colour and markings are the same as those of the normal type.
Spanish This is a smaller bird bred for egg production. It was given this name by the distributor who introduced it from France, to differentiate between it and other French strains. Colour and markings are the same as the normal type. There are also colour variations.
Italian Also called the Golden Italian, it has become popular as a layer.

Colour varieties

Gold

As just referred to, this is essentially the same breed as other strains of Coturnix laying quail, but has been developed as a separate variety with golden colouring. The male is lighter while the female is darker and more striated. She also has distinctive brown stripes around the face.
The gene for gold colouring is dominant. Thus, a Gold crossed with a normal Coturnix type will produce mainly gold young, and a few brown feathered ones, in the ratio of 2:1. It is worth bearing in mind that two doses of the gold gene are associated with a lethal condition, with up to 25% of the eggs failing to hatch.
In the USA, golden strains known as Manchurian Gold were developed by Marsh Farms. Various Golds there have been bred for the table and eggs. In Britain and Europe, Italian or Golden Italian is the name given to the golden variety. This is slightly smaller than the normal type and is kept predominantly as an egg layer. It should be added that with Italian, and indeed with any other strain of Coturnix quail, too much in-breeding is to be avoided. An infusion of fresh blood, with a system of careful breeding and upgrading (bearing in mind the comments about lethal gene combinations) would be a positive step.

Range

The overall colouring is dark brown, so that some people refer to them as Brown quail. This is a mistake however, for the Brown quail is the name normally given to the Australian breed which is bigger and more greyish in appearance. However, there is a similarity and it is possible that Australian settlers introduced the Common quail to that Continent, with subsequent isolated development producing apparently different sub-species. The markings of the Range are essentially a lighter brown body colour overlaid with darker-brown, almost black pencilling, along with a certain amount of dark grey feathering on the back and as a faint patch on the throat. In America, the Range Coturnix, is referred to as the British Range, while in the UK, we sometimes call it the American Range! The overall appearance is dark-brown while the striped head markings are similar to other Coturnix breeds. However, the white eyebrow stripe and white throat markings are virtually absent. Beak and legs are olive-brown and eyes, dark brown. The brown plumage is the result of a dominant gene.

Fawn

This is one of my favourites. Essentially like all the other Coturnix breeds, the overall impression of the Fawn is a lovely warm pinkish-brown. The fawn feathers are pencilled with white and the white eyebrow lines are present, although not as strongly defined as in other breeds. Beak and legs are light pinkish-brown, and eyes are dark brown.
There is no colour difference between the sexes, although as in other breeds, the female is slightly bigger than the male. In the USA, there is a similar variety called the American Fawn or the American Spotted Fawn.

White

Sometimes called English White, good specimens are completely white, with no discernible markings, other than on the head. Beak and legs are pinkish brown and eyes are dark brown. Male and female are identical, although the female is larger. It is common to have patches of black on the head and back. Breeders who are aiming for all-white specimens can breed this out with careful selective breeding, but beware! White is regarded as a recessive gene, but in recent years, an incompletely dominant albino gene has also been reported. So, it is important to remember that too much emphasis on trying to produce an all-white bird may produce unwanted albinos.

Tuxedo

This is an apt name for a bird with a smart white waistcoat to contrast with its dark brown overcoat. The two-colour pied pattern is the result of a crossing between the dominant dark brown and recessive white genes.
The colour of the back feathers is identical with those of the Range, while the white plumage is like that of the English White. The markings are often variable. The ideal ones are clear white face, chest and belly, with dark brown back, tail and crown. In good specimens, the brown and white feathering is neatly demarcated, but it is common to find patches of white where the brown should be, and vice versa.

Other colours

In recent years, crossings and mutations have also produced a range of varying colours, hues and feather patterning, including Cream, Grey, Blue, Grey/Blue, Ginger, Red, and so on. It is important to remember that these strains are all variations of the basic type of Coturnix or Japanese Laying quail, and not separate breeds.

Aviary Coturnix breeds

In addition to the normal and coloured varieties of Coturnix laying quail, there are other Coturnix breeds that are often kept as aviary birds, rather than as producers.

Chinese Painted quail

The Chinese Painted, Asian Blue, King, or Blue Breasted quail, Coturnix coturnix chinensis, is the smallest of the quail breeds, with the male reaching 12cm (4.5in) and the female 13cm (5in). In appearance it is compact and round, with a mouse-like way of scuttling about. The male is far more colourful than the female, with a brown and blue flecked back and crown. Breast and tail feathers are reddish brown, while the chin and throat have distinct black and white striping, like a smart crescent collar. The female is less flamboyant, with an overall mottled brownish hue from the fine black and white specks. Her back is slightly darker than her abdomen. She has a white patch on the throat but no barring. In both sexes the beak is black and the eyes are brown.
The Chinese Painted quail is probably the most widely kept of the ornamental aviary breeds. It is arguably the prettiest and most colourful, and in recent years has been much utilised as a spider catcher in butterfly houses. Anyone who has ever visited one of the increasing number of butterfly breeding establishments, such as that at Syon Park in Middlesex, will have seen these busy little birds scuttling through the ground vegetation of the greenhouses, beady eyes on the lookout for unwary spiders.
Found in China, India, Sri-Lanka, South Africa and Australia, there are around ten sub-species of the Chinese Painted. They are all similar but with slight variations. Many are now rare. They include the following:
African Painted quail or Blue quail, Coturnix chinensis adansonii. The male is darker backed, but the wings are striped reddish brown and grey.
Australian or Eastern King quail, Coturnix chinensis lineata. This has more distinct lines on the plumage, hence the lineata designation.
Other sub-species are C. c. trinkutansis, C. c. colletti, C. c. papuensis, C. c. lepida and C. c. novaeguinea from New Guinea.

Colour varieties of Chinese Painted quail

In recent years, there has been a considerable amount of breeding to produce different colour varieties. These are all variations of the Asian Blue Chinese Painted, which is the most commonly found. These varieties are either called by the colour itself, or referred to as ‘coloured’ or mutation’, eg, Blue, Blue Coloured, or Blue Mutation.
Silver: This is the most common mutation and has all the feathers in varying shades of light pastel grey. It first appeared as a natural mutation in the UK , in the 1940s.
White: These are all-white, although not albinos. There may be a few coloured feathers in some birds, but the aim is to produce a snow white effect.
Red-breasted: The face is almost black with a fine white line around the eye. The red area extends from the vent, across the breast to the throat.
Red Breasted Silver: Here the pastel grey plumage contrasts beautifully with the pinkish red breast.
Fawn or Cinnamon: Developed in Australia, this is called Fawn in Europe and Cinnamon in the USA, although differences are now being developed, eg, the Fawn is slightly darker. There is also a Blue-Faced and a Red-Breasted Fawn, as well as a Smoky version.
Blue: The plumage is a dark, overall blue-grey.
Black: This is an even darker blue-grey, approaching black.
Ivory: Lighter than Silver, it has an overall ivory hue, and the male’s breast is grey.
Golden Pearl: Originating in Europe, this has yellow feathering with light brown barring. There is also a Fawn or Cinnamon Pearl, and a Blue-Faced Pearl. No doubt there will continue to be other colour variations produced.

When is a Button not a Button?

The answer to this question is - when it’s a Turnix. The Americans have quite wrongly given the name Button quail to Chinese Painted quail. When American servicemen first saw Chinese Painteds in European aviaries, they described them as being ‘as cute as a button’. When the birds were then introduced to the USA, the name stuck. So, when Americans refer to Button quail, they really mean Chinese Painteds!
Button quail are not quail at all! They are hemipodes (from the Greek meaning half foot because they do not have a hind toe). They belong to the Turnicidae family and are more related to rails and cranes than to quails.
Several types of Button quail are found in Africa and India, including the Barred Button quail, Turnix suscitator, and the Yellow-Legged Button quail, Turnix tanki. There is also a very rare Andalusian hemipode, Turnix sylvatica, in the Andalucia region of Spain.

Harlequin quail

The Harlequin quail, Coturnix delegorguei, is from central to southern Africa. It is sometimes confused with Mearns (Montezuma) quail, Cyrtonyx montezumae, because the latter also has the common name Harlequin. However, there is no connection between the two for Mearns is a New World quail from Central America.
The plumage is brown with lighter striations and there is an eye stripe in both sexes. The male also has a distinctive face mask which is absent in the female. The breed is found in aviaries, including those in the UK.

Rain quail

Also found in UK aviaries, the Rain quail, Coturnix coromandelica, comes from India. The breed is sometimes called the Black Breasted quail because the male’s breast is a dark contrast to the rest of the brown plumage. This is absent in the female, as are the prominent facial markings.

Grey quail

Alternative names for this are Stubble, Pectoral or Australian quail, the latter indicating that it is found in Australia. Coturnix pectoralis is also an aviary bird there, although rarely found elsewhere. It is similar to normal Coturnix laying quail but the male has more red colouring on the head, chin and breast.

Brown quail

Also from Australia is the Brown quail, Coturnix ypsilophorus. Other names by which it is called are Swamp, Silver or Tasmanian. It was originally given the scientific name, Synoicus ypsilophorus, but more modern nomenclature now refers to it as Coturnix ypsilophorus.
The breed is similar to the normal Coturnix laying quail, but the female can be distinguished by more prominent black stripes on her underparts.
There was, at one time, a New Zealand quail, Coturnix novaezelandicae, with the common name of Koreke, but this is now thought to be extinct.

© 2005. Katie Thear.

From Keeping Quail 4th Edition,, published by Broad Leys Publishing Ltd

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