Mutations of the Button Quail
For decades in the US, the only Button Quail mutation available was the Silver. I was told by a breeder that the first Silver Button Quail offered for sale in the US in the early 1950's sold for $75 per pair. That was consided a very expensive price to pay for a bird at that time. By the time I began searching for Silver Button Quail in 1971, the going price was $2.50 per pair. Today, the Button Quail buyer now has more than 15 different color varieties to choose from. While it would be difficult to greatly improve on the natural wild type, some of the new mutations are very colorful and quite spectacular to see. New mutations that have recently made their appearance in the US are, Cinnamon, White, Red Breasted, Blue-Face, and Golden Pearled. These new mutations can be interbred to produce a surprising number of interesting completely new varieties. I have identified 19 different distinct combinations from these five basic mutations, and there are even a few additional ones that could be produced. I hope to eventually have pictures of all of these for you to view. by Garrie P. Landry & Chris Rogers
