Button Quail Color Question

I am a newbie button quail owner and I let my two hens sit on their nests. Hooray! They both have hatched some babies. I have found some good photos for how to guess the adult color based on their chick down, but can't seem to find any info on how to tell from their first feathers. At a guess based on down, I thought I had 4 wild color, maybe one silver (or silver pearl) and possibly one golden (or golden pearl). From what I understand it takes 16 weeks for the quail to molt into their adult coloration and I guess I am just too impatient I would love some guesses on what I have based on the photo (terrible, I know, but they do not like to stand still). Or some suggestions for good links or books that have color photos that help with color identification.



Two of the young ones have white tips on black feathers (first and last chick in photo), two have white and gold tips on black and brown feathers (second from left), one has mostly white feathers with small areas of light gray in the centers (third from the left – I am guessing this is a silver pearl), and one has golden brown feathers with a lighter gold stripe down the center of each (fourth chick from left). Parents were a silver pearl hen and a normal (wild) colored male.

Thanks!

Looks like you have some Red breasted hens and a few normal blue breasteds looking at these photos.

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Thanks! Are the ones with more white on them going to be normal blue breasted and the ones with gold the red breasteds?

You can see photos on my site but normal red breasts will look like blue breasteds other can the red being extended up the belly. The Black face red breasted male will have a black head and red breast (there are blue face in those genes). And the pearls will have more white on the beak/nose area, and more straw like appearance on the backs. They almost look like mini adults so if you look at them and my photos, you may be able to differentiate a little

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Very nice photos! So I have been looking them over and trying to understand how my young quail are coloring out.

I think this is a red breasted male, correct?



As is this one?



I think I am even beginning to see the bibs growing in on these two.

And a blue breasted male perhaps?



And the chick that is golden with the stripes down the feather is a blue breasted female in all likelihood.

Am I on the right track?

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!

Right on!

Beautiful birds

They are so cute!!

Thought I'd post an updated photo. I cannot get over how much their colors have changed in just 7 days. This is photo shows all of the 30 day old chicks.



I think my previous guesses for color & gender were way off the mark. Here is the only one I can figure out at this point: The chick with the gold stripes down its feathers (front & center) is a male blue breasted normal - though the red is creeping up his chest.

The three with the very dark heads (center back) all have distinct bibs so I think they are males, but the color is throwing me. I have gone to many of the websites with color charts and so far, these don't "match up". I expect that they are simply not done moulting into their final coloration.

The two lighter quail are most likely girls as their bibs have no dark line and the color of the bib is not white but a pale pinkish cream color. I am hoping they are silver pearls like their momma, but their heads are so dark still.

Any color/gender guesses?

Such fun to watch they grow and develop! They have been taking "test flights" recently and have begun to vocalize. I love to hear them all singing at night when we go to bed.

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I am amending my guess: I think the third & fourth from the left are black-faced red breasted males.