Sweet Rain Quail

09/07/2026

PSA: 150+ chicks make a lot of p**p! That is all.

(more posts to follow)

08/28/2026

Got Chicks? Just getting started and need gear? Here is what i usually recommend. Best part is that you can get all this from Waimanalo Feed and Farm Supply and their prices often are better than online. Shop Local for the win!

I will make a separate post in regards to feed.

If you click on the individual pictures, I there is a brief description. First off, if you have new chicks that have not feathered out (generally below 3-4 weeks) you will need a heat source to keep them warm. Heat lamps and heat plates are both available at the shop, with heat lamps being less fussy. I use both and both work just fine. Oh, and be sure that your brooder has a decently grippy surface. No newspaper, that is slippery. My favorite are the blue shop towels that you can buy at Costco. Yes, get the 8 pack, you will need it.

Next you will need feeders. When chicks are new, I just put the feed on the ground near the heat source. Later I put it on a old jar lid. Avoid slippery paper plates, you don't want to chance splay legs. Later I use the feeders so i can put more feed in a neater manner and cut down on them p**ping in their food. During their older brooder phase (2-3 weeks) I prefer the long red feeders or the hanging feeders depending on which brooder I have them in. My adult birds all eat from J feeders.

One thing to note about the quart screw top feeders (the one with the green bottom in the picture): During their first week or two, I would recommend not using the container top for it. Chicks have a magical way of climbing into the feed and getting stuck in the container. They will cheep for help, but if you are not around, they can chill or worse.

Finally waterers. The chick watering bottoms are the right call here. I know a lot of people use the chicken waterer bottoms with stones or marbles in them, but I don't like to give the quail more surface area to p**p in. They will p**p in their water, but having a smaller target makes it happen less often. Also, it is safer for them as they think they can swim but they cannot. In a future post I will be building a automatic watering system with water cups you can get from Thieving Otter Farm.

08/22/2026

Celadon Part 2

Okay, lets keep on the celadon train. I had mentioned in the last post that the celadon gene can act to bring out the faults in a line. Let’s look at a few of those issues that can make celadon tricky to work with. I promise after that, I will end on a high note.

It is a recessive gene. Without having one copy of the gene inherited from each parent, the hens will not lay celadon colored eggs. The term “true blue” when used to describe the celadon gene refers to when both parents have two copies of the gene and will produce offspring that will also have two copies and “breed true” for that trait.

Shell quality: One of the more common pitfalls to watch for is papery or thin shells. Celadon eggs seem to be more prone to this fault and that is definitely a trait to breed away from.

Bird Size: Quail of any size can lay celadon eggs. True jumbo celadon lines are not easy to come by. As a rule the celadon gene has been know to produce smaller birds; 10-15% smaller on average. So if you start a new line, there is a good chance you will have to cull hard to get them to jumbo size.

Faults: Undesirable traits can show up more often and need to be bred away from. Aggressive culling and selection is needed to remove those traits.

Harder to transport and hatch: The shells can be thinner and I have been told that celadon eggs need higher humidity to hatch. They can be more prone to cracking as well.

Whew! That was a lot of pitfalls to avoid! Celadons lines can be trickier than non celadon lines to breed and that is before you consider the other genes that could be experiencing interactions. Last post we talked about the most common celadon line found here in Hawaii and my theory on their origin. There are other lines than those, I remember someone selling chicks here that featured “ a strong celadon presence” in the line. Not true blue, but likely carriers. Are they worth working with? Sure, the eggs are pretty and it can add a bit of pizzazz to a line. I happen to know of some really neat celadon projects out there that will hit the market. One is a celadon egg that is lays richer colored eggs for its lifetime (as opposed to fading to the pale blue as the bird settles in or ages). Or another that also lays celadon and is a completely new color combination. Exciting times to be in!

Speaking of shells, the pepper like markings on a celadon egg is raised and bumpy and can be scrapped off with your nails if you are so inclined. They can also come with no markings at all and be glossy and smooth. Which is your preference: are you team spots or no spots?

08/18/2026

I have been getting a lot of questions about “celadon quail” and so I thought I would write a piece about the Celadon Gene while also giving a little bit of history about the most prevalent celadon line I am seeing here in Hawaii.

First, what is this thing we call celadon in quail? When we mention celadon, we are talking about the egg shell color on the outside of the egg. The change in color is caused by a recessive gene mutation.

If a hen has two copies of celadon, it is easy to spot, she will lay blue eggs! If a male carries either one or two copies, how can you tell? The only way to tell is to test breed. Test breeding takes time, takes space, and takes patience. Getting both parents to have two copies of the gene so that they breed true is tricky because the gene tends to amplify any faults in the line so heavy culling and selection is required for a quality line.

Any color of coturnix can carry the celadon gene, meaning that any color can lay celadon eggs. So why is it that 99% of all celadon laying quail in Hawaii all look similar? They either present as white birds (dotted white), tuxedo, or red range. One of the first quality celadon lines came from Southwest Gamebirds in Arizona (now in Texas). The story is mentioned in the video linked below, but long story short, those his red range tuxedo celadon line was one of the first and most widely distributed lines. All the lines here likely descendants of that line. Is that a bad thing? No, not at all. As long as careful selection is maintained, they can be a beautiful and productive line.

I don’t want this to get too long, so I will end it with a video clip and will make a part 2 with more info.

Here is the Debunking Celadon episode of Two Chix Coturnix. A great episode that breaks down common misconceptions about the gene.

https://youtu.be/w0WIep8wDFI?si=qUr0UwSsKdEYnUEG

08/15/2026

All my 808 (Hawaii) peeps:

Get ready for the weather coming.

Feed your birds while it is dry
Collect those eggs now
Make sure to weather proof their housing
Clear debris around the property
Scrape those trays...you dont want post-storm p**p soup (ask me how i know).

See you on the other side of this.

08/13/2026

In the words of the great poet B Spears, Opps I did it again!

08/11/2026

Hey all,

Sorry I am not posting much here. I am not the social media type, but I thought I would give everyone an update.

All my old breeders have gone to their next home, quite a few are at a "retirement" home living the good life. New lines are being set up now and will be released in the fall. This includes a secret project I have been working on.

I will post more updates and reveals as we progress into the fall.

08/02/2026

Have you ever communicated with me and wondered what language I was speaking? When I first looked into quail, I was baffled by the terms I was hearing. Locus? Zygote? Here is the video I wish I had when I started. It breaks down some of the basic terms that aid in the understanding of quail genetics. While you are there like and subscribe to the Two Chix Coturnix channel! You will get a lot out of the information that they share.

Wanting to learn quail plumage genetics? Not sure what all the gene...

07/18/2026

There are atill chicks at the shop. I have packed up and left the shop. Hope it was helpful for those that made it.

Here to answer any and all quail related questions. There are 60 quail chicks in store now!

07/15/2026

Pips 'n chicks and Jen Jordan of a covey full life are judging birds at the virtual show. For those not familiar, Bre from Pips 'n chicks and Jen Jordan are two ladies that know their stuff and that I respect for their devotion to the quail community. I interact with Jen with regularity if you are not following her, you may want to do so.

In this video they are judging birds and giving feedback. This is a pretty good way to learn what to look for in your own flock.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1J5m3Bz5YX/

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