Odd coturnix shell color

[debs_flock]

With the coturnix, I know they have a blue shell, with an overlay of color which causes the spots. Once in awhile I get a solid blue egg with no spot overlay. It's always cool and I like them.

However, last night I got something different. I'm guessing the spot overlay is solid. I'm debating between incubating and just letting it dry out to add to my odd egg collection. But I got a SOLID BLACK egg. This is like emu egg black.

My question, you ever get one like this? (bobwhite on the left)

 

[animallover505]

Wow!! I'd incubate it, see what happens.

 

[James the Bald]

Actually, I wouldn't say it's black... it is a dark shade of blue.

 

[debs_flock]

Actually, I wouldn't say it's black... it is a dark shade of blue.

Navy/midnight blue would be even cooler, LOL

But in person it looks black. If you move it in the light, you can sort of see the spotting, kind of like how you can see the leopard spotting on the fur of a panther.

 

[Sycamore27]

So neat!
I would be curious to incubate it myself, though unless you get that all the time from a certain hen I guess it wouldn't hatch anything special like a line of black egged quail.
Still neat though!
Cheers,
Jessie

 

[wishful suburbanite]

Gorgeous.

I have to imagine that there's at least some genetic influence to egg color and pattern, right? I know that it's an individual thing and there's an element of randomness to it, but surely something falls into genetics.

I'd try to hatch it, if it were me.

 

[SilkieMomPoof]

Yeah, hatch it! Tell me what comes out!

 

[Habibs Hens]

I want to see it not only hatch but imagine

if it turns out a girl and lays more

you can hatch more and get your own line of midnight blue egg quails

 

[mntngal100]

Hello- You posted this last year. I was wondering if you found out anything about your egg? My husband and I have about a dozen quails that produce a nice quantity of eggs. We noticed about a week ago an egg that was a nice blue color (first time we've ever seen that). And then today, we had this one come out solid black, just like the egg in the picture your original post. After we washed it, it lost some of the black and now just looks more like a really dark green. You can see the brown spots under it all. Some of the brown spots came off when my husband washed it, which often happens. We've had quails a little over a year now and this is the first time we've seen anything like it. Here is picture of the egg after being washed:



If you did find out something, would love to hear! Thanks!

 

[Sill]

So the hens that laid these black/blue eggs lay normal colored eggs the rest of the time?