Fatal gene?

[GreedySeedFeedy]

Well, my young coturnix japonica rooster (4 wks) suddenly died right in front of my wife and I today. He wasn't sick, wasn't panting, and was quite plump. No sign of disease. He came from eggs I had shipped in from Germany. Super healthy, beautiful feathers, and seeming to be very happy and social right up until he fell over, flapped a few times, and died. D: This quail was the very picture of health! He just... inexplicably keeled over. Notably, he was a strange mixture of grey, pale brown, and golden.

I have noticed that if I have a 'dilute' colored chick hatch, sometimes they have these shiny, metallic looking grey feathers. They kind of remind me of a silver crayola. Every single time I have had one of these 'shiny' chicks hatch, even if they only have a few of these feathers, they die once they reach a certain age.

Anyone with more knowledge of coturnix genetics? I would love to know more.
He's a little younger in these pics than his final day:

 

[FloorCandy]

The undiluted feather or feathers among the light ones is normal, it’s part of the SSC gene I believe. I have several with one or more normal gray feathers among light ones and they have never keeled over for no reason. The fatal gene among the SSC is if they have 2 copies of the silver gene, this creates a smaller, all white bird, with purple/red eyes and ratty feathers. The fatal part is that a certain percent die in the egg, not randomly as adults. The best explanation for your. It’s with this trait dying suddenly is that whichever bird or birds is passing on that gene has a separate congenital defect as well, which it is passing on.

I had actually asked about these patches a few months ago:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-this-caused-by-the-fee-gene.1446680/

I sold that one from the thread, but I have 2 more now with a dark patch and they’re several months old and healthy.

 

[MadamContrary]

I have lost 4 birds in a similar manner, 2 XL meat birds and 2 german pastels. I assumed heart defect, they all seemed perfectly healthy before dying as well. The only common factor is that they were all shipped eggs from the same breeder. I hope someone else knows something as well, I've not found anything conclusive searching on the internet.

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

I have lost 4 birds in a similar manner, 2 XL meat birds and 2 german pastels. I assumed heart defect, they all seemed perfectly healthy before dying as well. The only common factor is that they were all shipped eggs from the same breeder. I hope someone else knows something as well, I've not found anything conclusive searching on the internet.

This guy is a pastel color from germany too, and it did seem he had a heart attack. I was with him when he passed and when I listened to his chest while he was still 'breathing', instead of a heart beat, I only heard a vibration with sounds to me like heart failure as well.

I got these eggs from a well-reputed quail specialist; I buy my wachtel-gold nature line feed from them as well, shipped from germany to finland.

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

The undiluted feather or feathers among the light ones is normal, it’s part of the SSC gene I believe. I have several with one or more normal gray feathers among light ones and they have never keeled over for no reason. The fatal gene among the SSC is if they have 2 copies of the silver gene, this creates a smaller, all white bird, with purple/red eyes and ratty feathers. The fatal part is that a certain percent die in the egg, not randomly as adults. The best explanation for your. It’s with this trait dying suddenly is that whichever bird or birds is passing on that gene has a separate congenital defect as well, which it is passing on.

I had actually asked about these patches a few months ago:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-this-caused-by-the-fee-gene.1446680/

I sold that one from the thread, but I have 2 more now with a dark patch and they’re several months old and healthy.

Thank you for your reply! The feathers in question I'm worried might be tied to a fatal gene aren't dark/normal feathers! They almost look metallic, like sparkle paint. I'll try and get a couple good images of these non-dark, non-normal, shimmery feathers today when I process the bird.

His name was Punajuuri, which means beet, and he was so pretty. I'm glad he passed away before I killed off my other roos, I was going to use him for my breeding rooster. Possibly dodged a bullet!

 

[FloorCandy]

This guy is a pastel color from germany too, and it did seem he had a heart attack. I was with him when he passed and when I listened to his chest while he was still 'breathing', instead of a heart beat, I only heard a vibration with sounds to me like heart failure as well.

We have a German member who I believe, had said they don’t have German pastel in Germany. So this is probably a different dilution. @Fenrisulfr may recognize the symptoms or know of unreliable breeders in Germany.

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

We have a German member who I believe, had said they don’t have German pastel in Germany. So this is probably a different dilution. @Fenrisulfr may recognize the symptoms or know of unreliable breeders in Germany.

He's a pastel color. I don't know much about quail genetics, hence the thread! It's a description of his physical appearance, like ''pastel pink pillows'' etc. I have no clue what his genes are and couldn't say for sure. He came in as part of an egg mix!

This breeder is a large one. I hate name dropping when I'm having problems because everyone has these things happen now and then, but they are a major, quail-focused company that makes their own feed and products. I have never been to the place in person, but they're pretty reputable as far as I know. I'd be so disappointed to find out they're bad.