Ok, here the quail I saw were called Mexican Speckled White Quail. They were selling Coturnix Quail - Jumbo Browns, Tibetans and the Mexican Speckled Whites. I did not know that they should be called Snowflake. Or forgot. I have seen a paper on genetics that used this speckled white quail in the study.
You have to remember, I live where Texas A & M is. Houston to the South, College Station to the West and Austin to the South West. All of these campuses have done major studies on Coturnix. Not all speciments are kept at the universities for study, local breeders keep these birds for the universities or some universities.
When I went to buy feed they were very interested in the fact that I had 20 breeders. (So knew how to take care of them- well a little anyway). I have never seen so much Gamebird feeder at one time in one place. They were very specific as to what they would order and what they carried that I could buy. I may have stumbled on the store that supplies someone that breeds birds for study. Don't know
These Mexican White Speckled (sorry, Snowflake) are the birds that got me interested in Coturnix. They are why I checked out the quail section. When I came across Monarc's thread on the different colors in these quail, well that hooked me. So I had to learn how to raise them because I have only raised chickens before. Nothing smaller.
I will check and see if I can get some, its not a store that I can just go to. I have never seen them except in the spring though. At the rate they were procing them they will probably $15 each next year. I didn't know then that they were so rare or why.
I can't find anything on the history of them. I do not have access to a university library and I can't afford $25 a paper to find out. We're retired for petes sake. I believe that they mutated in Mexico, many many years ago. I believe that they were brought to the Old world and were bred with coturnix, cortunix or coturnix, japanaca and this is the foundation for the golden Italian Speckled. Speckling is very similar.
You have to remember, I live where Texas A & M is. Houston to the South, College Station to the West and Austin to the South West. All of these campuses have done major studies on Coturnix. Not all speciments are kept at the universities for study, local breeders keep these birds for the universities or some universities.
When I went to buy feed they were very interested in the fact that I had 20 breeders. (So knew how to take care of them- well a little anyway). I have never seen so much Gamebird feeder at one time in one place. They were very specific as to what they would order and what they carried that I could buy. I may have stumbled on the store that supplies someone that breeds birds for study. Don't know
These Mexican White Speckled (sorry, Snowflake) are the birds that got me interested in Coturnix. They are why I checked out the quail section. When I came across Monarc's thread on the different colors in these quail, well that hooked me. So I had to learn how to raise them because I have only raised chickens before. Nothing smaller.
I will check and see if I can get some, its not a store that I can just go to. I have never seen them except in the spring though. At the rate they were procing them they will probably $15 each next year. I didn't know then that they were so rare or why.
I can't find anything on the history of them. I do not have access to a university library and I can't afford $25 a paper to find out. We're retired for petes sake. I believe that they mutated in Mexico, many many years ago. I believe that they were brought to the Old world and were bred with coturnix, cortunix or coturnix, japanaca and this is the foundation for the golden Italian Speckled. Speckling is very similar.
Last edited:
