Coturnix chinensis

Introduction:

I have devoted myself to the selective breeding of the Chinese painted quail (Coturnix chinensis) from 2012.
By “selective breeding”, I mean a reasoned and intelligent breeding method, as it is done with so many other species of ornamental birds but … rarely 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 they cannot hope to do business/profit by raising this species, most people regard them as second- or third-ranked 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 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)

Group of genetically pure wild Chinese painted quails – Song
Group of genetically pure wild Chinese painted quails – Call
Group of genetically pure wild Chinese painted quails – Song

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 Red-breasted 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-old “Fallow” Chinese painted quail 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
US Black-breasted males selection from the first birds discovered in 2014: HERE
US Black-breasted male from offspring 2024, ten years after: HERE