Introduction:
I devote myself to the selective breeding of the Chinese painted quail (Coturnix
By “selective breeding”, I mean a reasoned and intelligent breeding method, as it is done with so many other species of ornamental birds but … almost never with the Chinese painted quail :
- A correct diet
- Selected breeding birds
- Suitable breeding cages
- Knowledge of genetics
- Follow-up of heredity
- Bird identification with closed rings
etc.
In my opinion, because their cost is very low, and that they cannot hope to do business/profit by raising this species, most of the people regard them as second- or third rank birds and pay little attention to them.
I think it’s a mistake, because it’s a charming bird, inexpensive, easy to breed, and the large number of existing mutations, as well as the possibilities of combinations of these ones make its breeding very interesting.
I hold in addition to the pure wild form (wild birds with no mutated genes in genotype) almost all the actually known colour-mutations as well as some others that are unknown elsewhere because I produced/selected them myself.
To be absolutely correct, the only colour-mutations that I am currently missing are :
1) True Albinos (“ino” gene)
2) Dilute factor
3) Recessive brown
4) True sex-linked cinnamon (with reddish eyes the first 7 days of life)
Pure wild Chinese painted quails breeding pairs, 2019: HERE
Day-old chicks of pure wild Chinese painted quail born in season 2019: HERE
Young pure wild Chinese painted quails born in my aviaries in 2019: HERE
Comparison between Chinese painted quail chicks: US Red-breasted and US-Redbreasted Fallow: HERE
US-Redbreasted fallow male Chinese painted quail, born 2019: HERE
Various “Fallow” incl. recessive white “Fallow” birds bred in 2019: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, mutation US Red-breasted, type “Darth Vader”: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, mutation US-Redbreasted silver “Graukopf”: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, a combination of the mutations Fallow & Pearl: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, a combination of the mutations Brown and Pearl: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, pure wild bird, genetically pure, bred 2019: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, white recessive fallow, born in 2019: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, US Red-breasted fallow, born in 2019: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, US Red-breasted silver fallow, born in 2019 HERE
Chinese painted quail male, silver fallow, born in 2019: HERE
Chinese painted quail female, silver pearl fallow, bred in 2019: HERE
Male Chinese painted quail single factor blue-faced, bred in 2018: HERE
Two young day-olds “Fallow” Chinese painted quails chicks, born on May 2020: HERE
Juvenile of pure Chinese painted quail, pictures of May 2020: HERE
Other freshly hatched chicks of pure wild Chinese painted quail, May 2020: HERE
Two golden pearl female carriers for the gene Fallow, season 2020: HERE
Two golden-pearl Fallow females, born in 2020: HERE
Chinese painted quail female, US red-breasted cinnamon: HERE
Chinese painted quail female, “Dark-headed” US red-breasted: HERE
Chinese painted quail US Red-breasted cinnamon male, bred in 2020: HERE
“Black-bib” selection-attempt in Chinese painted quail, 2021: HERE
Chinese painted quail (juveniles) blue-face fallow, from season 2014: HERE
US Red-breasted female, displaying male feathers, from season 2018: HERE
US Red-breasted ‘Darth Vader’ male, pictured on February 13th, 2021: HERE
A female of Chinese painted quail, (golden) pearl Fallow combination: HERE
Male Chinese painted quail, US Red-Breasted brown: HERE
Female Chinese painted quail, US Red-breasted brown possible ‘grey form’: HERE
An old, intensive male of Chinese painted quail, US Red-Breasted mutation: HERE
Chinese painted quails males, ivory colour-combination, 2013: HERE
Chinese painted quail male, DF blue face brown, 2014: HERE
Female Chinese painted quail, US Red-breasted changing to male colouration: HERE
Another female of the Chinese painted quail, changing colouration: HERE
US Red-breasted cinnamon female born in 2021, showing unusual male feathers: HERE
US Red-breasted silver tuxedo Fallow male born in 2022: HERE