I started Breeding the Roux Dilute in 2010 and at that time they were a harder to get item. I do not call them Egyptian, just Roux. I have recently brought in new blood I am testing out to see if they can be added to my program however I am noticing some much lighter than what I generally raise. I do enjoy that due to the sex link I can raise specific birds for meat and others for eggs by crossing.
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This is a real fun one, and one of the few known sex-link genes in coturnix. Since females control gender in birds, and have only one Z gene, they only need one copy of the "roux" gene to express the coloration, whereas males, who have two Z genes, need two - one from each parent.
"Roux Dilute" is the name of the color, but sometimes you'll see them called "Egyptian" as well. It's a specific term used to describe the exact cross of the parents - a homozygous roux dilute male crossed onto a normal pharaoh female. The resulting male offspring will all be pharaoh/wild-type, and the female offspring roux dilute, making it easy to tell gender from birth.
Sometimes people use "fawn" and "cinnamon" interchangeably as well but this is a bit incorrect and confusing as both of those actually describe separate other color genes as well.
View attachment 1899781 (left, with dilute pharoah right)View attachment 1899782 (center/left)View attachment 1899783 (far left)View attachment 1899823
Have you got this color? Want to know where to find some? Noticed anything unusual about breeding it or any particularly interesting combinations with other colors? Have pictures to share? Join in!