Oz Snowy

Oz Snowy (not to be confused with Oz Sandy) is a recessive mutation in Coturnix quail that causes a bird to be either shades of tan or light cream. It has not been studied in a lab. It was originally documented in Australia, and has been imported to several countries abroad, including the US and UK, though the phenotypes of UK birds vary and some breeders suggest this is a separate mutation (4)(5). This page is describing the current mutation found in Australia and the US because it is the most researched.

In Australia, it fairly prevalent, though often hidden in lines of Oz Sandy and other mutations, and has a tendency to crop up in breeding pens because it is recessive (1).

On a pharaoh base, Oz Snowy creates a warm grey color, very similar to Oz Sandy and Egyptian Fee. It will be slightly darker than Oz Snowy. On fawn, however, Oz Snowy creates a light cream colored bird, with black and orange markings (1)(2). It is unknown how it interacts on EB bases, but it has been suggested to just make the bird slightly lighter (3). The easiest way to determine if a bird has Oz Sandy or Oz Snowy is to cross it with fawn.

The locus, gene, and chromosome is unknown, as Oz Snowy is currently able to interact with all of the known mutations in Australia (1). More testing is needed to see how it interacts with mutations in the United States, such as Fee, Andalusian, and others, as it is possible Oz Snowy is found on one of these loci.

Oz Snowy also presents with possible health issues, including failure to thrive and mortality in the shell. Some breeders have reported up to 17% of chicks die in the shell, along with generally smaller birds and weaker frames (1). This needs more study to determine if it is a line-specific trait or if Oz Snowy is actually pleiotropic.

Breeding with Oz Snowy:

Oz Snowy x Oz Snowy = 100% Oz Snowy

Oz Snowy x Wildtype = 100% OS Splits (they look wildtype)

Oz Snowy x OS Splits = 50% Oz Snowy, 50% OS Splits

OS Splits x OS Splits = 25% Oz Snowy, 50% OS Splits, 25% Wildtype

OS Splits x Wildtype = 50% OS Splits, 50% Wildtype (All will look wildtype)