Breeding A&M and Coturnix

[Roberts21]

I am relatively new to raising quail and am hoping that someone can answer a few questions for me or point me to a reputable source. I have 13 each coturnix/A&M and would like to breed them to each other, but want to be sure the hatch rates and size will not be greatly affected. If this is an acceptable practice what ratio of males to females and type is preferred. Long term goal is to have a group of hens for egg consumption and breed for meat in the freezer on a small scale - like 12 to 24 every few months. Looking forward to your responses.

 

[dc3085]

I am relatively new to raising quail and am hoping that someone can answer a few questions for me or point me to a reputable source. I have 13 each coturnix/A&M and would like to breed them to each other, but want to be sure the hatch rates and size will not be greatly affected. If this is an acceptable practice what ratio of males to females and type is preferred. Long term goal is to have a group of hens for egg consumption and breed for meat in the freezer on a small scale - like 12 to 24 every few months. Looking forward to your responses.

A&M is a color name for jumbo white coturnix. They are genetically the same bird except where pigmentation is concerned. It isn't really a proper name since the A&M line died out and was then brought back by a couple of the large breeders. The only honest A&Ms I know of come from Jamemariefarms.com or people he has supplied with them. there was another breeder that used to sell them called Stellar Gamebirds but no longer. Most of what you see by the name A&M are standard sized white coturnix that have retained the "commercial marker" or the black spot on the top of an A&M's head. It was bred into them so they could be identified for the market place but over the years the genetics have been severely diluted since white is recessive and brown is incomplete dominant it is possible to have a flock of brown birds that produce up to 50% "A&Ms"

When breeding coturnix you should always have at LEAST 4 hens for each rooster or they will breed the hens to an unhealthy point, sometimes killing them.

 

[Roberts21]

Great information and explanation of the A&M history. Thanks for the response.