Mexican Speckled Quail Eggs

Mexican Speckled Quail are a rare color variant of the Bobwhite Quail and are the initial mutation that led to the Snowflake Bobwhite Quail coloration. When these Mexican Speckled Quail are bred there is a chance for getting snowflaked offspring, which means that they will be mostly white with black speckling.

Mexican Speckled Quail have all the characteristics that make Bobwhite Quail so appealing to the hunter and hobbyist. But because their coloration is so rare, they tend to be raised mostly for enjoyment in avian collections or small farms. They are beautiful and striking little fowl. Both sexes share a golden buff background color with well-placed black speckles. Females have tawny light orange heads with a dark band of darker brown extending from the back of the eye down the neck. Males have black and white striping on their heads accented with mahogany. The mahogany accents also extend over the darker speckling on their wings.

Mexican Speckled Quail weigh about 7 ounces and are about 11 inches long when fully mature. These are hardy and stout birds with strong legs and chunky beaks.

Like most Bobwhite Quail, the Mexican Speckled Quail are easy to raise as they are both very hardy and adaptable. Their small size and fast growth make them very efficient producers of both eggs and meat, which are both in high demand, especially in urban areas. They also make a nice additional species that adds diversity to a small farm or homestead raising another type of poultry or fowl. The Mexican Speckled Bobwhite Quail lay solid white eggs.

For hatching eggs, you will need to have either an incubator or a broody bantam hen. We recommend a styrofoam tabletop style incubator for your first time hatching eggs, and we recommend an automatic turner for 12 or more eggs. As quail eggs are smaller than most other poultry species, you will also need a special quail-size rack or quail-size cups for the automatic turner.

Incubation Time: Mexican Speckled Quail Hatching Eggs will hatch in about 22-24 days.

Temperature/Humidity: Mexican Speckled Quail Hatching Eggs will hatch best if incubated at 100 degrees F, decreasing to 98.5 degrees F during the final three days of incubation. Humidity should be kept at 45-55% until day 14 when it should be raised to 55-65% until the chicks hatch. Turning the eggs 3 times a day for the first 20 days is a solid practice. After day 20, stop turning the eggs.

Special Incubation Notes: Start up your incubator 2-3 days before your eggs are due to arrive. This gives your incubator time to fully come to temperature and to stabilize humidity levels. It is also a good practice to let your newly arrived eggs rest at room temperature for about 12 hours before placing them in an incubator. Place them large side up in a clean and dry egg carton. Incubators should be kept in a room with a constant even temperature and out of the sun.