Recessive Silver

Recessive silver is a gene in button quail that dilutes the black pigment in the feathers to be a pale blue color. It is different from the silver mutations seen in both chickens and coturnix quail in that is completely recessive and believed to be non-sexlinked (3). It has not been studied in a scientific lab to determine the gene, locus, or allele responsible, or to see if it is allelic to the blue gene seen in coturnix quail.

Unlike pearl or other button mutations, silver doesn't affect the underlying pattern of the bird, just the color. While males will not have the the red breast or ventral plumage that normally is used to sex the bird, they will still have an unmarked breast and chinstrap to help distinguish between the heavily marked females (1).

Recessive Silver is often combined with other genes to create more interesting colors. When paired with red-breasted birds, the button quail will be a soft tan color with light blue and reddish markings on the back and breast in females and a bright red breast coming through the grey coloration in males (2).

Slate is created by combining the blue faced and silver genes.

Ivory is created by combining silver and cinnamon genes.

Smoky is created by combining silver, cinnamon, and blue faced genes. (2)

More work needs to be done to study the effects of silver on other genes and to see if the dilution is peliotropic.

Silver x Silver = 100% Silver

Silver x Wildtype = 100% Carries

Silver x Carrier = 50% Silver, 50% Carriers

Carrier x Carrier = 25% Silver, 50% Carrier, 25% Wildtype

Carrier x Wildtype = 50% Carriers, 50% Wildtype