I know a bit about chicken color genetics from raising both — are coturnix color genes similar in how they inherit, or is it different enough that I shouldn’t assume anything carries over?
Good question, Ron, and glad you’re thinking it through before assuming anything carries over — because it really is a different genetic system.
Coturnix color genetics are their own thing, not a mirror of chicken genetics. Some concepts translate loosely (dominant vs. recessive inheritance, sex-linkage existing in some genes), but the actual gene loci and how colors interact are different critters entirely. For example, Coturnix has genes like the autosomal recessive “recessive white,” a “roux/pastel” gene, and sex-linked genes like the brown/wild-type interactions that produce things like the “Pharaoh,” “Tuxedo,” “Italian,” “A&M,” “British Range,” etc. — none of that maps directly onto chicken extension/dominant white/barring genetics, even where the vocabulary sounds similar.
Sex-linkage is actually one of the most practical differences to know: in Coturnix, the roux and some other genes are on the Z chromosome, which is why certain color crosses let you sex chicks by color/down pattern at hatch (similar concept to chicken sex-links, but different genes doing the work).
Honestly, Coturnix color genetics are less thoroughly mapped/documented than chicken genetics — a lot of what keepers know comes from breeder observation and forum knowledge-sharing rather than one settled reference. So it’s smart to ask specifically about the colors/crosses you’re working with here, since other keepers in this community have probably worked those combos and can share real results. What colors are you starting with?