The Scaled Quail is a blue-gray quail of dry southwestern grasslands, nicknamed cottontop for its white crest. The Audubon Field Guide lists it at 10 to 12 inches and 6.7 to 9.9 ounces, with a clutch of about 12 eggs incubated about 22 to 23 days. Coveys tend to run rather than fly when disturbed.
| Length and weight | 10 to 12 in; 6.7 to 9.9 oz |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Cottontop, for its fluffy white crest |
| Habitat | Dry southwestern grasslands and brush; a permanent resident |
| Clutch | Usually about 12 whitish eggs speckled light brown |
| Incubation | About 22 to 23 days, mostly by the female |
| Diet | Weed and shrub seeds, green leaves, berries; more insects than most quail |
Native and wild-type game birds can need state or federal permits. See the FastPoultry legal guide before you buy.
Source: Audubon Field Guide, Scaled Quail species account, read 2026-10-08. Individual lines and strains vary, so ask each breeder about their own stock.
You can request Scaled Quail through FastPoultry, which matches buyer requests with breeders. Choose from 2 request pages for adult birds and breeder pairs, then tell us your quantity, preferred age, and delivery state in the form on this page. Matched breeder options arrive within 1 business day, and you arrange payment, pickup, or shipping directly with the breeder you choose.
Prices for Scaled Quail are set by each breeder and change with season, line quality, age, and quantity, so FastPoultry does not publish a fixed price. Submitting a request is free. Matched breeders reply with current pricing, and you should ask whether the quote includes boxing, shipping, and vaccinations before you pay the breeder directly.
According to the Audubon Field Guide, Scaled Quail eat seeds of many annual and perennial weeds such as snakeweed, Russian thistle, and broomweed, plus seeds of woody plants like mesquite, green leaves, and berries. They eat more insects than most quail, especially in spring and summer. In captivity, ask your breeder what game-bird ration their line was raised on before you switch feeds.
The Scaled Quail is part of the FastPoultry Quail catalog, with request pages for adult birds and breeder pairs. We do not yet publish a full care profile for this breed, so ask matched NPIP-certified breeders about temperament, climate fit, space needs, and the purpose of their line before you commit.
The Scaled Quail can be requested as adult birds and breeder pairs. Adults are proven layers or show birds at point of lay or beyond. Breeder pairs are proven, compatible stock for starting your own breeding program. Pick the age that matches your brooding setup and how soon you want eggs or breeding stock.
The USDA NPIP state importation table (May 20, 2026) lists VS Form 9-3 as required for shipments into 44 of 50 states, and 31 states list a permit, approval number, or other entry requirement, so check your state's location page before you order. VS Form 9-3 is the NPIP report of sales that the shipping breeder completes, and some states add a permit number, a Pullorum-Typhoid or avian influenza clean-flock rule, or a health certificate. FastPoultry does not ship to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands through standard requests.
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