coturnix: types

[matt swenson]

hatching some coturnix,so been doing some reading on them. if i understand right, from egg to maturity in 6 to eight weeks. So you could have a new generation every 10 weeks, give or take. over 50 generations in less than 10 years. correct? seems like a a great opportunity for some selective breeding. so i was wondering are there some crazy strains of coturnixs? anybody here breeding a special line?

 

[CoturnixComplex]

All true, BUT coturnix are also 3-4x as sensitive to inbreeding depression as chickens so to go that long you'll either have to be bringing in new blood every few generations or start with an INCREDIBLY diverse genetic pool and keep meticulous records.

They are extremely prone to spontaneous mutations. There are more than a few of us with slightly curly feathered frizzle types running around, and I had a recessive albino pop up in my last batch, a little unusual.

 

[DK newbie]

There is a thread in here somewhere about 'tatanka' quail or whatever they're called. Basically a group of people selectively breeding for fast growth and large eggs. Don't know if anyone is still breeding them, but it's an interesting thread.
As CC said, they are sensitive to inbreeding depression. Just 3-4 generations of line breeding and you will likely begin to notice that fewer of your eggs hatch and this will get worse generation by generation.
This is known, because scientists were trying to turn quail into lab animals, and with lab animals you want as little genetic diversity as possible, so the outcome of your research doesn't depend on what individual it was tested on - they should all give the same result. This failed, because the eggs stopped hatching or hatched with deformities when the parents were too closely related.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Mostly the variations you see are simple color variations. Silver, white, a nice deep sort of red. I think someone is breeding for blue eggs? There's a type or two bred for size and production.
What I'd personally love to see is sort of a harlequin pattern. Lots of big patches of black over another color. Don't know how you'd get it, but it could look great. Or ones with bodies one color and heads another solid, black color. Or even blue, I wonder if you could get blue ones?
I'm just glad we don't have any of the crazy stuff that you see with some fancy pigeons. The super, super short beaks so small they can't properly feed their babies, the feet so heavily feathered that they can barely walk, "tumbler" pigeons that can't fly in straight lines.

 

[matt swenson]

thanks ...cool info. i was thinking about pigeons, when i posted this tread, wondering if there were some "freaky" quail like tumblers.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

thanks ...cool info. i was thinking about pigeons, when i posted this tread, wondering if there were some "freaky" quail like tumblers.

Nothing that dramatic! (Yet)

 

[Tammy N]

I am Noticing that with my Larger then jumbos i just ordered some eggs in of The Texas a and M to out Cross. with my browns my eggs got 2 inches large and about 24 oz Its fun im asking FD for help cant get ahold of Robby and moby i think poofed out of it but will know soon . Yes those people still around i know of 3 anyway

 

[Tammy N]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...istory-discussion-pictures-and-videos.629414/