What breed is this quail?

[watson]

I bought this quail as a Japanese quail but after reading up on the net I am starting to believe it to be an Italian?

It may be something simple but what is the difference between Italian and Japanese quail. I know they are both from the coturnix species but don't know much more.

Cheers in advance

 

[Marigold]

As I understand it, (and am open to correction) Japanese are the original wild colour brown ones, slightly smaller than the Italians, which have been bred in a variety of colours and are a bit bigger, (for culinary purposes.) There are also Giant quail, which are not really giants but a bit bigger still, to make more of a mouthful and presumably to lay somewhat larger eggs. But they all interbreed, like chickens of different breeds do. I would say yours is definitely Italian, from what I have read and the quails I've seen. People loosely call all coturnix Japanese quail, but there's often quite a mixture of genes in there.

 

[watson]

So is italian just another name for golden then?

Iv searched the net and cant find much telling the differences :-?

 

[Marigold]

Golden is one of a number of colours within Italian. Others include silver, white, cinnamon, etc.
If you Google Coturnix quail +Colours you will find several sites with pictures, eg http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/NDG/Quail/JapQ/BRKJapQ.html
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/565880/japanese-coturnix-quail-color-varieties