Jumbo eggs?

[protodon]

I currently have a small flock of Texas A&M white quail. Now they are certainly not as big as i thought they would be. The eggs are regular sized for quail, except the occasional double yolk. And the birds seem to max out at around 8 or 9 oz. Is this normal for this variety of quail?

But really my main question was do the Jumbo Coturnix really lay larger eggs than non-jumbo varieties? I already ordered some and they are waiting to be picked up at the PO so I guess I can compare to mine when I get them home but I'd like to know what other people's experiences are.

 

[CARS]

I picked up 75+ A&M's this spring and a few are 10 to 12 oz but like you disappointed that 98% of them are small.

I guess I don't mind the egg size. We have been a hit all summer long at parties and reunions with our deviled quail eggs. It take hours to make the little suckers but it gives me a chance to talk about the birds with people that don't know anything about it.

The biggest disappointment is that A&M's have been marketed as "all white meat" for years. Mine are not.

 

[quailbrain]

I think it depends on who you get the eggs from. If they have been breed to keep the large size and meat qualities then you can get the bigger, whiter meat birds but I am finding that there is a lot of crossing going on and a lot of non-jumbos being breed with the Jumbos. The crossing seems to bring down the size. I have talked to a few people who are very adamit that they wont sell eggs from their Jumbos and A&M to someone who is going to put them into a cage that they are with mixed birds. I am trying to learn about Coturnix still so maybe others will post as well. Unfortunately I started out with what were apparently crossed birds and mint to are small and funny marked.

 

[monarc23]

In my oppinon 'white meat" is just a selling point and isn't really real. Ive said this before, my friend who has been breeding coturnix for several decades now has NEVER seen a white meat A & M, and she says they taste the same as her other coturnix. I agree with this completely now that i've eaten A & M meat along with my other coturnix colors the flesh was only slightly different (the skin was white the meat was very much the same).

As for the size what's happening is they are reverting back to English whites because no one (most) arent paying attention to the birds in breeding, just throwing the birds together and selling their "all white meat large birds" to anyone who will buy them. A & Ms were produced from English whites bred to Jumbo browns.

I've only seen one A & M that could be considered an A & M from my flock.she was 13oz but I no longer have her she stopped laying shelled eggs..

she was an older girl though.

I no longer raise A & Ms because I personally didn't like them at all. The white birds im getting now are results from my Tuxedo breedings... they'd be considered more English whites than anything even though they dont fit the "standard' of an english white.... they are small like one though. I actually consider them Tuxedo x Tuxedo...instead of its own name.

 

[laputa]

Not to steal the topic, in the future if I want to hatch eggs again, how would I make sure hatching eggs I buy online are indeed jumbo types, when so many sellers claim their eggs as jumbo?

Maybe buying from trusted members on BYC only?

 

[quailbrain]

It would probably be hard to know exactly without having someone to ask about a persons flock but I would ask lots of questions. If they are willing to answer questions then at least you know they are helpful and hopefully letting you make an informed decision about their flock. There is a great deal of word of mouth on here it seems so I think I will be ordering mine from BYC members.

 

[oldchickenman]

in trying to raise a bigger bird should i just hacth the bigger eggs?

 

[CARS]

I would think that breeding the largest hen with the largest roo and hatch the largest eggs. Sounds simple, doesn't it

Will it work

 

[oldchickenman]

i have mixed flock there all jumbo coturnix but some lay larger eggs.

 

[quailbrain]

Does anyone know where the information from Texas A&M University can be read at on the Coturnix???