Domesticated quail facts for kids

A domesticated quail is a type of small bird that people have raised for thousands of years. They are a kind of fowl, which means they are birds like chickens or turkeys. Humans started raising quails mainly for their meat and eggs. Some people also keep them as pets! The most common type of pet or farm quail is the Coturnix quail, also known as the Japanese quail. Quails usually live on the ground and don't fly much unless they have to.

Types of Domesticated Quails

There are many different kinds of quails in the wild, and over 70 special types (called breeds) that people have developed.

Popular Quail Breeds

The Coturnix quail is very popular because it's bigger than other quails. This means it has more meat and lays more eggs, making it great for farms.

Another type is the Button quail (also called King Quail, Chinese-Painted Quail, or Blue-Breasted quail). These quails are much smaller and don't lay as many eggs, so they are rarely raised for food. Instead, people often keep them in large bird enclosures to help clean up leftover seeds on the floor.

Some other quail types like California, Gambel, and Bobwhite quails are less common as pets.

Here's a list of some well-known quail breeds:

• Coturnix or Japanese quail
• Button, King, Chinese-Painted or Blue-Breasted quail
• (Northern) Bobwhite quail
• Gambel's quail
• Mearn's quail
• Mountain quail
• Scaled quail
• California (Valley) quail
• Manipur Bush quail
• Jungle Bush quail

Both Button and Coturnix quails come in many different feather colors. This is because people have been breeding them for a long time to get new looks! For example, the common wild Coturnix quail is called the Pharaoh breed, which has brown feathers. The wild Button quail male has a red chest, blue body, black and white head, and a brown back. Females are usually brown all over. The Manipur Bush quail can be found mainly along the Brahmaputra River in parts of India.

Cool Feather Colors of Coturnix Quails

Coturnix quails come in many cool colors, often due to small changes in their genes. Here are some examples:

• Pharaoh - This is the original wild color. They have rusty brown feathers on their belly and brown on their head and upper body.
• English White - These quails are completely white, both males and females.
• Manchurian Golden - They are light rusty all over with a pattern. Males have a darker rusty color on their head.
• Italian - These are beige with striped markings. Males often have brown faces.
• Tibetan (Dark British Range) - They are dark chocolate all over with a small white spot under their beak.
• Rosetta (British Range) - These are red-brown chocolate all over.
• Silver - They are light grey all over.
• Tuxedo - This color is a mix of white and brown.
• Cinnamon (Red Range) - They are light brown all over.
• Scarlet (Red Golden) - These quails are red-brown all over.
• Roux - This color is a lighter version of the Pharaoh (wild) type.
• Golden Tuxedo - They have white feathers all over with some blonde feathers.

Other colors you might see are often new mutations!

Cool Feather Colors of Button Quails

Button quails also have many interesting feather colors:

• Wild (Common) Feather Color - Males have a red chest, blue body, black and white face, and a brown back. Females are brown all over.
• Silver - This is another common color. Both females and males are light grey. Males still have a black and white face.
• White - These quails are plain white all over, for both males and females.
• Red Breasted - They have a large red belly, similar to the wild color.
• Blue Faced - Males have a blue belly and a dark brown back. Females are dark brown all over.
• Cinnamon - They are light brown.
• Golden Pearl - Females of this color are a lighter brown.
• Tuxedo Pied - This is a mix of white and brown colors.

Just like Coturnix quails, other colors you might see are often new mutations!