Last week we introduced you to the Chinese Painted Quail - the world's smallest true quail, newly hatched at our smallholding in Atherstone, Warwickshire, and smaller than a £1 coin at birth.
Since then, the question we have been asked most is a simple one: which quail should I actually keep?
We now have all three breeds here at Beeswax Bay Farm - Coturnix, Celadon and Chinese Painted Quail. We keep them for different reasons, and each one earns its place. Here is an honest guide to help you decide.
If you missed last week's post, here is the short version.
Coturnix Quail (Coturnix japonica) - the most commonly kept quail in the UK. Hardy, productive and well-suited to beginners. The default choice for anyone wanting eggs from a small footprint.
Celadon Quail - not a separate species, but a Coturnix quail carrying a recessive gene that causes hens to lay blue or blue-green eggs. Everything about their care is identical to standard Coturnix. They are rarer, more striking, and the eggs are beautiful.
Chinese Painted Quail (Coturnix chinensis) - the world's smallest true quail, also known as Button Quail or King Quail. A genuinely different species, kept primarily as an aviary bird and for breeding rather than egg production. Read our full introduction here.
This is straightforward. Coturnix or Celadon.
Coturnix quail are unmatched in the quail world when it comes to egg output, producing 250 to 300 eggs per year. They come into lay at just 6-8 weeks old and are consistent, reliable producers throughout most of the year.
Celadon quail lay at exactly the same rate. The only difference is the colour - blue-green eggs instead of the standard speckled brown. If you want eggs that will stop people in their tracks when you put them on the kitchen table, Celadon is your answer.
Chinese Painted Quail produce around 50 to 100 eggs per year - fewer than a fifth of what Coturnix lay. Their eggs are edible and perfectly formed, but they are tiny and production is low. If eggs are your primary reason for keeping quail, Chinese Painted Quail are not the right choice.
Our recommendation: Coturnix for volume, Celadon for volume plus beauty.
Start with Coturnix.
They are the most forgiving of the three breeds - hardy, adaptable and straightforward to house and feed. They tolerate a range of setups and are generally calm once settled. If something goes slightly wrong in your first few weeks of keeping, Coturnix are most likely to weather it without issue.
Celadon quail are equally beginner-friendly - they are Coturnix in every practical sense, just with more striking eggs. Once you are comfortable with standard Coturnix, adding Celadon to your flock is a natural next step.
Chinese Painted Quail require more attention, particularly as chicks. Their small size means the margin for error is smaller - brooder temperatures, water depth, mesh size and temperature stability all matter more than with Coturnix. They are best attempted once you have some quail-keeping experience behind you.
Our recommendation: Coturnix first. Chinese Painted Quail when you are ready for a new challenge.
Chinese Painted Quail - without question.
The male's plumage is genuinely remarkable - rich rusts, warm browns, creamy whites and a distinctive black and white bib that no photograph quite captures in full. They move with a quiet confidence that belies their tiny size and will stop visitors to your smallholding or aviary in their tracks every single time.
Celadon quail are not dramatically different in appearance from standard Coturnix - their value is in the eggs, not the bird itself. But those blue-green eggs genuinely are something special, particularly in a mixed egg basket.
Our recommendation: Chinese Painted Quail for the bird, Celadon for the eggs.
All three breeds are compact by poultry standards, but there are meaningful differences.
Coturnix and Celadon quail do well in a relatively small footprint - a well-managed pen of 1 sq ft per bird is the minimum, though more is always better. They are ground birds and do not need height.
Chinese Painted Quail thrive in a planted aviary environment with ground cover and places to explore. They do not need large amounts of floor space, but they benefit from a more naturalistic setup than a standard Coturnix pen. A large indoor cage or converted hutch works well for a pair.
Our recommendation: all three are suitable for small spaces - Chinese Painted Quail benefit most from a thoughtfully planted setup.
All three breeds are rewarding to hatch, but they offer different experiences.
Coturnix and Celadon share the same incubation requirements - 37.5°C forced air, 17-18 days, straightforward and well-documented. Hatch rates from well-managed eggs are good and the chicks are robust from day one.
Chinese Painted Quail take 16 days and require more careful brooder management - fine mesh flooring, shallow water dispensers and stable temperatures are essential. Females in captivity will often not incubate their own eggs reliably, so artificial incubation is usually necessary. The hatch itself is one of the most extraordinary things we have witnessed on the farm - chicks that fit in the palm of your hand and are running within minutes.
Our recommendation: Coturnix or Celadon for a straightforward first hatch. Chinese Painted Quail for a more involved and deeply rewarding experience.
| Header | Coturnix | Celadon | Chinese Painted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egg production | Very high (250-300/yr) | Very high (250-300/yr) | Low (50-100/yr) |
| Egg colour | Speckled brown | Blue-green | Tiny, speckled |
| Beginner friendly | Yes | Yes | Moderate |
| Visual appeal | Moderate | Eggs are stunning | Bird is stunning |
| Incubation period | 17-18 days | 17-18 days | 16 days |
| Space required | Moderate | Moderate | Small - aviary ideal |
| Primary purpose | Eggs, meat, pets | Eggs, pets | Aviary, breeding, pets |
| Licence required | No | No | No |
The honest answer to "which quail should I keep?" is this: start with Coturnix, add Celadon when you want something more special, and keep Chinese Painted Quail when you are ready to be genuinely astonished.
We keep all three at Beeswax Bay Farm, and we would not want to be without any of them.
We have Coturnix and Celadon hatching eggs available for postal delivery across the UK, and Chinese Painted Quail available for collection from our smallholding in Atherstone, Warwickshire as the flock develops.
Please get in touch or check our shop for current availability.