Coturnix Egg Genetics

[Robo]

I saw that Quail Lady posted that egg color has genetics behind it. Being the curious redneck I am can you guys explain this to me? Thanks.

 

[Stellar]

LOL I knew this would be asked

As you all know, hens can lay funky colored eggs...mostly prematurely....

Let's first look at your white shelled egg... Genetic control of shell color is similar to the Aracauna ( I can never spell them right!) The Aracaunas lay blue to green eggs and when the homozygotes of the latter type are crossed with white egg breeds the F1 females all lay blue eggs and the F2 will have the 3:1 blue to white ratio. The blue egg trait is considered a dominant autosomal mutation whereas the white egg trait in quail in considered a recessive autosomal mutation.

There has been only three reported shell color variants in the Japanese Quail...red, white, and blue...I discussed the white...in quail the blue is called celedon and the mode of inheritance is unclear (of course when I learned this, I am referring to older articles and such). This is a single locus mutation I believe (I will have to look it up)....sometimes you get a chalky green like shell but again, there is environment (epigenes) and genetics itself to create these eggs...

Red Egg shell.- this is autosomal dominant and the shell ground color can be off white to deep pink but the pigment patches range from pink to red.

 

[mhwc56]

pink to red eggshell color...wild!

 

[Robo]

Wow!

 

[peewee]

Quail lady, your gonna make my head hurt again!!!!

 

[mhwc56]

X2 :d

 

[Stellar]

Quote:
I'm sorry!!! I tend to be a walking encyclopedia sometimes

But the red eggshells are pretty rad...if I can see one!!! I asked a few people out there but they think I am a pretty crazy lady asking for them to send bits of shell for me to see!

 

[kingmt]

Quote:
I'm sorry!!! I tend to be a walking encyclopedia sometimes

But the red eggshells are pretty rad...if I can see one!!! I asked a few people out there but they think I am a pretty crazy lady asking for them to send bits of shell for me to see!

I haven't had one for a long time. Mine was more of a heavy(can't think of a better way to say it) pink splatter on a lite pink shell.

 

[joe125]

Egg shell color can be hen specific to a single hen , but linking genetics to a color egg, stops at the hens genetics. White birds tend to lay Orange spotted eggs, but the resulting chick will be a split of the hen plus roo genetic blend, so coturnix eggshell color is hen based, and the genes inside that color egg can depend on the roo. I.E. A white hen that lays an orange spotted egg crossed with a white roo should get you a white chick. The same hen crossed with a brown roo, may get the same color egg, but a brown chick.

Just MHO, the egg color is only hen related, and genes inside the package can vary so wildly I can't say. A certain hen may lay a cretin color egg (Maybe even a chalky or white) egg, but trying to figure out the genes inside the egg based on the color of the egg is folly! Fuzzy math at best.....unless you are tracking your hens, then I would say that egg color can be traced back to the hen, but once the roo factor is in play....All bets are off

 

[JJMR794]

Maybe Its Just Me.. But I'm Thinking That If Your Ready To Play Mad Genetic Scientist Just To Get A Special Coloration On Your Hen's Eggs Maybe You Should Trade In Your Incubator For Happy Hour Somewhere... You Know, Go Out And See The Rest Of World For A While?? Change Of Environement... Shake Off Your Your Cabin Fever? Heck I Dont Know Maybe Even Pull Out All The Stops And Find A Date???