Mixing breeds of coturnix?

[Fishkeeper]

In the reptile hobby, mixing different colors of the same species is highly frowned upon, as the mixed-color offspring can look like one parent or the other, and could potentially contaminate the gene pool if sold to someone who either forgets or chooses not to label it as a mutt.
Is it the same for coturnix quail, or could I mix a few different colors?

 

[Ulaidian]

I'm from the reptile hobby as well, and know what you are on about. The colours in quail can be mixed, as they are all the same species. They have been bred for so long that any issues, in regards to colour, have been bred out and are true.
I'm sure you know about stargazing (and other issues) geckos/snakes that have a recessive gene that comes to prominence when mated with another with the same problem.

 

[Fishkeeper]

That's definitely good to know. Coturnix come in so many lovely colors, it's hard to pick just one. I'd rather have a Skittles flock, partly because that would help with telling them apart.

 

[NevilChick]

I don't mix mine simply because I sell them and want my breeds to be unmixed. However, it requires more pens and more work. I wanted to test a theory with brown and white courtnix to see if having white in one pen would consistently give me white birds. This is when I was just beginning with quail. For some reason I still have those birds separate and really don't have to. My fault on that one. I think it just depends on your intention in raising your quail. Same as chickens I think.

 

[Fishkeeper]

I've realized that, if I wanted eggs that were guaranteed to be one color, I could remove the females of that color and keep them on their own for a few weeks, then mate them with a male of that color, collect the ensuing eggs, and put them back with the others.
Honestly, I'd like to cross one of the black-and-white colors, like a tuxedo, with a redder-feathered color to see what the chicks look like.

 

[NevilChick]

I've realized that, if I wanted eggs that were guaranteed to be one color, I could remove the females of that color and keep them on their own for a few weeks, then mate them with a male of that color, collect the ensuing eggs, and put them back with the others.
Honestly, I'd like to cross one of the black-and-white colors, like a tuxedo, with a redder-feathered color to see what the chicks look like.

I have some of my buttons mixed as pairs just based on what I think I might get. You can get some amazing color variations crossing some of the birds. I just have certain breeds...mostly snowflakes and Mexican speckled that I don't mix. I did have silver courtnix...which are beautiful...and I kept them separate from the others. But I finally decided I have to have a cutoff at some point on the number of breeds and sold them. Hope you can cross those two colors...would be interesting to see what they make.

 

[lomine]

I have a flock of mixed colors. I think unless you get birds or eggs from a true breeder with separated colors you'll likely get birds with unknown recessive colors anyway.

In my old flock (that was wiped out by skunks) I had a Tibetan male. Either he or one of the females carried the tuxedo gene so I hatched out Tibetan tuxedos. They were very pretty. In my new flock I have a silver tuxedo male along with other fun colors. I just got them this year so I haven't gotten a chance to hatch any of their eggs but I'll be interested to see what I get. I just think having more colors is fun.

 

[MegTheHenEggQueen]

In the reptile hobby, mixing different colors of the same species is highly frowned upon, as the mixed-color offspring can look like one parent or the other, and could potentially contaminate the gene pool if sold to someone who either forgets or chooses not to label it as a mutt.
Is it the same for coturnix quail, or could I mix a few different colors?

I breed chicks and quail ALL MUTTS! I breed for color of plumage! Nothing is wrong with them they are fine! Just don’t give someone a mutt and say it’s a straight run.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I breed chicks and quail ALL MUTTS! I breed for color of plumage! Nothing is wrong with them they are fine! Just don’t give someone a mutt and say it’s a straight run.

This post is over 6 years old now