Description:
Calico is a gene in coturnix quail that causes the bird to have wider striations (lines) on their back, and decreased overall patterning. It was originally classified as recessive but later reclassified as incomplete dominant, meaning you can see it in heterozygous form. It hasn't been studied in a lab setting, so sources listed are from breeders that have worked and studied the mutation.
In homozygous form, the classic "calico" look on pharaoh has increased and very wide cream/yellow striations on the back, along with more black markings and almost no breast spots on females and fainter colors against the mask (1). They can still be feather sexed by the mask. On EB, calico enhancement looks almost identical to fawn enhancement, in that it creates yellow barring across the feathers in both heterozygous and homozygous forms (2).
In heterozygous form, the markings are incredibly faint. The "lines" along the back will be slightly wider and the breast spots will be slightly reduced overall (1). It is usually easiest to see when compared to a plain pharaoh.
Calico is on the ASIP locus, with fawn (2). Calico cannot be on Manchurian, and even on Italian, it will only be in heterozygous form. It is even harder to see on Italian as Fawn has a lot of natural variation, but it will make the breast spots almost nonexistent, and wider, more "v" shaped light patterning on the back (3).
Breeding with Calico: For more information about breeding with this kind of gene, including tips and tricks and a full explanation of how these results were calculated, please see here.
Calico x Calico = 100% Calico
(Y/Y x Y/Y = 100% Y/Y)
Calico x Pharaoh/EB = 100% Het. Calico
(Y/Y x y+/y+ = 100% Y/y+)
Calico x Het. Calico = 50% Calico, 50% Het. Calico
(Y/Y x Y/y+ = 50% Y/Y, 50% Y/y+)
Het. Calico x Het. Calico = 25% Calico, 50% Het. Calico, 25% Pharaoh/EB
(Y/y+ x Y/y+ = 25% Y/Y, 50% Y/y+, 25% y+/y+)
Het. Calico x Pharaoh/EB = 50% Het. Calico, 50% Pharaoh/EB
(Y/y+ x y+/y+ = 50% Y/y+, 50% y+/y+)
Calico x Manchurian = 100% Het. Calico on Italian
(Y/Y x M/M = 100% Y/M)
Calico x Italian = 50% Het. Calico on Italian, 50% Het. Calico on Pharaoh
(Y/Y x M/y+ = 50% Y/M, 50% Y/y+)
References & Further Reading
Roswell, Tamara. (2021, October 3). Reference 3: Calico
Pics 1-3 is homozygous, 4-6 is heterozygous (confirmed through test breeding.) [Facebook Group Post]. Coturnix Quail-Colors and Genetics. https://www.facebook.com/groups/550750305134029/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=1707299889479059
Roswell, Tamara. (2022, March 21). The only homozygous calico rosetta I got from my tests (from rosetta het calico group, some with dotted white) [Facebook Group Post]. Coturnix Quail-Colors and Genetics. https://www.facebook.com/groups/550750305134029/search/?q=tamara%20rowsell
Allyson Filkins. (2023, November 11). Anyone have photos of Fawn het Calico? I have an interesting pattern coming up in my Italians. [Facebook Group Post]. Coturnix Quail-Colors and Genetics. https://www.facebook.com/groups/550750305134029/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=1707299889479059
Gallery of Images
