Why do quails lay eggs with different colored shells? Quail eggs can have shells with different colors and stain patterns. Variation is normal and is mainly related to the genetics of each bird. ?Download the g1 app to see news in real time and for free According to veterinarian Carlos Pozzebom, responsible for a farm with around 5,400 quails in Coronel Freitas (SC), each egg has its own characteristics. "This diversity occurs due to the birds' genetics. Each egg will have its own color, different sizes, spots. Each egg is unique", he explains. The pigments responsible for the color of the shell are produced by glands located in the bird's uterus. The genetics of each quail determines whether the shade will tend more towards brown, blue or green. Understand why quail eggs have different colors Reproduction/Globo Rural Quails lay an egg every 23 hours. Shell pigmentation occurs in the final stage of egg formation, during shell formation. At this stage, the pigments that give rise to the different shades and designs of the shell are deposited. Eggs that always remain whitish may indicate that something is not going well with the bird. According to the expert, this can occur due to nutritional deficiency or stress, caused by a lack of light, high temperatures or too many birds per cage. Quails need around 18 hours of light per day, considering both natural and artificial lighting. The ideal temperature for breeding is between 20 °C and 25 °C. The available space also influences the well-being of the birds. "Several birds in a cage can make them feel like they are in a very cramped environment and become stressed," says Pozzebom. According to him, the most commonly used measure on farms is to keep up to 10 quails per square meter.