Button Quail, what color is s/he?

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

In the Red Breasted mutation there is a wide variation from lighter to darker ones. This just happens to be a lighter version. Some people call the lighter version Darth Vaders since the males have a solid black head but the hens of the Darth Vader are quite light compared to regular Red Breasted. I have been raising these guys for quite some time now and know this is a Red Breasted. It may be a hen as they are lighter as chicks. The Red Breasted you posted Akane most likely turned out to be a male. They are darker as chicks than the hens. The Red Breasted Button Quail is the only mutation that you can sex as chicks.

 

[Akane]

You sure the difference in shade isn't other genes? There can be silver red breasted, cinnamon red breasted, etc... My plain red breasted hen was dark just like the male red breasted. I saw no difference between them until they fully feathered. My lighter female that I have been told is red breasted perfectly matches the cinnamon red breasted pics including the color pallets in Garrie Landry's book and my current hatch has 3 or 4 cinnamons in it.

 

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

Yes I know all about Cinnamon and Silver Red Breast. This chick is not that. When a Silver RB is a chick they do not have any dark down on them at all, they are silvery yellow and when a Cinnamon RB is a chick their darker down beisdes the yellow is reddish/orange. The chick that this person is asking about has darker feathering coming in. It would not if it was Cinnamon or Silver RB. I don't want to debate you on this. I just know a RB when I see it and wanted to help this person out.

 

[Akane]

But this chick isn't dark.... With down it looks yellow with bits of brown at the tail and head. As it feathers those look like slate type coloring on the wings and back with a tinted yellow head (not dark brown or black with stripes) and the poster said some other light brown. I vote silver red breasted.

 

[citalk2much]

I am no help with colors when they are so young
I can say I get most my quail from button quail heaven and I have seen her tell me the colors on new born chicks and never be wrong
We will just have to wait until this little bugger is older to find out its color.

 

[Bettacreek]

Well, I'm fairly positive that this is a red breasted hen.

Her feathers are finally starting to come in around the vent area (but just barely) and they're the same color as her top feathers. The top feathers look like a wild quail might (but maybe a tad darker than a wild quail here in PA).

I have another one...
The breeder gave me two "blue" babies. One is now a silver color, but VERY pale. On his own, his feathers look white, but when he stands with the two whites, you can tell that he has a light ashey tint, plus his legs and beak are a suety color. The second one is the one in the picture and the one in question. I've seen some that people were calling "pearled silver" that look like this one. But, this guy also has feathers coming in around the tail/butt end that are a reddish tint. They're more reddish than the picture shows, they're like the reddish brown chickens. Any ideas on color on this one?
The reddish that is coming in is in the back/butt area, UNDER the wing...

 

[citalk2much]

That is a very cute one I had gotten one that looked like that from button quail heaven. He was so cute (he had a head bonk)
I think she said it was a silver red breast. Hopefully she will pop on. Best of luck it is cute
I have 20 in the bator right now

 

[Bettacreek]

Ok, the button that I was originally asking about, it is now starting to get red feathers near the vent... Are my birdies confused or what's going on here?!

 

[shelleyd2008]

If it is getting red vent feathers, then it is no doubt a male.

 

[Bettacreek]

Here's the one that I was thinking was the red breasted silver, with the one that I thought was a red breasted hen:

Hen?

What the heck is he?

Thanks.