Sometimes we get stuck in the norm and forget to expand our horizons. Quail eggs are little nutritional powerhouses that simply don’t get enough mainstream recognition. Let me show you how these eggs are small but mighty!

Quail are delightful little birds with many purposes. I didn’t know much about quail until well into my adult life. Learning about keeping quail and how to use their eggs was a very interesting endeavor and I’m excited to share this journey with you.

Quail Hen Up Close With Two Baby Quail Chicks

Quail Antics

We will mostly be talking about quail eggs in this article but I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you a thing or two about the bird that produces the eggs you’ll be using.

Quail are adorable for starters. They are comical and quirky and just plain fun little pets. Quail are not known for high IQs, so they won’t be helping your teens with algebra or anything like that. 😉

Aside from being cute, they are also quieter than chickens (they don’t crow like roosters). They chirp more like that of a parakeet or other house bird. If you live in a place where you can’t have chickens, quail may be a good fit. They also grow quickly, which is a plus if you are looking for a dual-purpose bird as well.

These little quirky birds are social creatures and do not like being alone in their coop or cage. They need a buddy, you’ll need to keep that in mind.

There are several different species of quail. Some of the quail species are Common Quail, King Quail, Japanese Quail, and Northern Bobwhite Quail (and many others beyond this list). If you decide to get quail you will want to do your due diligence on which one suits you best.

Nutritional Value of Quail Eggs

I get it, I’m not the first one to volunteer to try chocolate-covered grasshoppers or escargot. In fact, I may be the last one in line. But we all eat eggs, and quail eggs are just little chicken eggs in essence. They are packed full of nutrients and that is the biggest draw for eating these little powerhouses.

It’s not that quail eggs are significantly more nutritious than chicken eggs, although they do exceed chicken eggs in some categories. The deal is, you either have quail or want quail and this information will help you understand the hidden benefits of these pets. Eggs!

Quail eggs and chicken eggs, if compared gram for gram, are pretty much neck and neck except for when they aren’t! Quail eggs have significantly more iron and B-12. In fact, one quail egg provides a good portion of your vitamin B-12 daily value needs. That’s great.

However, they also have more cholesterol than that of chicken eggs. but don’t judge that too hastily because 60% of the cholesterol is the good kind that our bodies need.

Quail eggs are smaller so you have to eat more of them to equal the same amount as a chicken egg (approximately 3 quail eggs to 1 chicken egg). An interesting thing about quail eggs, which contributes to their extra nutrients, is that their yolk is proportionately larger than the white portion compared to a chicken egg. And the yolk is where most of the vitamins and minerals are found. The white contains most of the protein.

Both quail and chicken eggs are full of nutrients (including choline, selenium, riboflavin, folate, phosphorus, iron, and several vitamins). You can learn more scientific information about the nutrition of quail eggs here and about chicken eggs here.

Of course, it goes without saying that the nutritional value of the egg is affected by what the quail are eating. Be sure to feed them quality feed and treats.

What Do Quail Eggs Look Like?

On the adorable scale, they rate a 10. They are super fun to gather, especially for kids (or those of us that are kids at heart).

Quail eggs are a creamy light brown color with little brown speckles randomly placed all over the shell. They are quite pretty. They remind me of wild bird eggs, or (better yet) candy eggs!

The shells are usually pretty hard due to a very thick membrane, thicker than a lot of chicken eggs. The inside of the shells can be a bit surprising with a hint of a blueish color. That’s fun. And the eggs you are thinking about eating look just like a smaller version of a chicken egg.

Quail eggs are a little over an inch long and about one inch wide.

What Do Quail Eggs Taste Like?

Pretty much like a chicken egg, but with a little more yolk than white (proportionally). That being said, it has a richer flavor. Just imagine a chicken egg with an extra dose of yolk. Since I love the yolk and tolerate the white part, this is good news for me!

Two quail hens with bucket of quail eggs

Why Eat Quail Eggs?

Look, I’m not getting paid by the “National Eat Quail Eggs Association!” Nor am I a traveling quail eggs salesman. I’m just informing you about all the wonderful things you might want to know about quail eggs. You are looking for some information about their eggs after all.

If you are going to own quail, for either a pet or meat or training hunting dogs, you might as well utilize their eggs as well. And eggs in general are packed full of vitamins and minerals. Quail eggs (as well as chicken eggs) have every vitamin a body needs except for vitamin C. Impressive. And if quail eggs are equal to, or greater than, chicken eggs – then you should probably use the eggs if you have them.

There are many claims of health benefits of quail eggs. So let’s hop to it and see what a few of those are.

Potential Health Benefits of Quail Eggs

May Reduce LDL (bad cholesterol)

Even though quail eggs have more cholesterol than chicken eggs, more than half of that is HDL (good cholesterol). There are studies that show that this good cholesterol can actually lower the bad cholesterol. Nifty. Common sense says this would potentially lower the chances of heart-related ailments.

May Help People With Anemia

Anemia is when you have an issue where you do not have enough healthy red blood cells to properly carry oxygen to your body’s tissues. There are many reasons a person may face this issue, and symptoms include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and headaches.

Quail eggs are very high in iron, and iron is the mineral needed to combat many certain types of anemia.

May Reduce Chances of Cancer

If you’ve been around for any amount of time, you have heard that antioxidants fight free radicals (cancer-causing cells). But what you probably haven’t heard is that quail eggs are full of antioxidants! Put two and two together, and you can see why eating these cuties is beneficial.

May Help With Some Allergies

There is a protein by the name of ovomucoid. This is a protein that serves as an anti-allergenic. This natural protein can help your body with inflammation and congestion which happens with many allergic reactions.

May Help With Hyperglycemia Related to Diabetes

According to several studies on lab rats, quail eggs had significant positive effects on hyperglycemia and glucose levels. These studies show promising uses for these eggs as a natural aid in managing diabetes as well as related kidney disorders.

More Benefits of Quail Eggs

But wait! There’s more! There is quite a lengthy list of the potential benefits of quail eggs. Everything from fighting depression to skin and hair care, plus the other benefits I’ve already mentioned. A simple internet search and you will have several days’ worth of reading on the subject. I highly recommend doing so if you are wanting to get quail, or already have quail.

I’m Not a Medical Professional

I am certainly not a medical professional or even an expert on the medical benefits of quail eggs. This article is not intended to be used as medical advice. Rather, it is to inform you about the potential benefits. As with all eggs, they should be eaten in moderation. And consult your doctor with any questions!

At the end of this article, you will find a list of references used in the writing of this article. If you are genuinely interested in learning more about the studies I’ve mentioned, there is a lot of interesting information in the provided links.

Top Uses For Quail Eggs

These adorable specialty eggs are used for many culinary reasons, but mostly in countries other than the United States. They are considered to be a delicacy in Japan and are used in sushi. They are regularly used in countries like Indonesia and South America. In many places, they are pretty common and even used as topping for things like hamburgers.

Scotch eggs are a fun and delightful dish that calls for eggs. It’s basically eggs wrapped in sausage, breaded, and then fried. It’s making me hungry just thinking about it.

Scotch Quail Egg on plate with garnishes

If you are a culinary wiz, learning about specialty eggs may excite you. You can find many special recipes that incorporate them. If you are not a chef, and more of a cook – there are plenty of uses for you as well. You can use them in any way you would regularly use chicken eggs for starters.

A super common use, and one that sounds appetizing, is simply hard-boiling them. They are adorable, and super snackable, a size that makes them great finger food. These hardboiled snack-sized powerhouses are also appealing on a salad. You can use them for egg salad, or even tiny deviled eggs!

They can be fried, baked, scrambled, poached, and more. Or use them as soft-boiled eggs. The options are endless.

I will warn you, the shells are much harder to crack than a chicken egg. Some folks used a sharp paring knife to cut them open. This may be a deterrent to some people. They can be just as tricky as a chicken egg to peel once hardboiled. A tip for all eggs is to let them sit in cold water for a few minutes before peeling. On the upside, they take a lot less time to boil than chicken eggs because of their small size.

Summary

Quail are not only great pets, among other things. But they are useful too. Much like a chicken you can gather their eggs and find many uses for them. In my book, it’s always great to have an animal with multiple uses. The fact that you can easily eat quail eggs made them a reasonable pet to have around my place.

References

Healthier Quail Eggs – Diabetes Anemia
Healthline – 6 Reasons Why Eggs Are the Healthiest Food On the Planet
National Library of Medicine – Metabolic effects of quail eggs in diabetes-induced rats: comparison with chicken eggs
Organic Facts – 9 Surprising Benefits Of Quail Eggs
WebMD.com – What to Know About Quail Eggs
Stylecraze – Quail Eggs: 18 Important Health Benefits, Nutrition, And Side Effects
National Library of Medicine – The Golden Egg: Nutritional Value, Bioactivities, and Emerging Benefits for Human Health
Healthline – Quail Eggs: Nutrition, Benefits, and Precautions
US Department of Agriculture – Egg, quail, whole, fresh, raw
US Department of Agriculture – Egg, whole, raw, fresh
National Library of Medicine – Bioactive Egg Components and Inflammation
National Library of Medicine – Effects of quail egg on kidney functions in alloxan induced diabetic Wistar rats
Research Gate – Effects of Various Concentrations of Quail Egg Solution on Glycemia and Antioxidant Parameters of Alloxan-induced Diabetic Rats
National Library of Medicine – BioActivities of Coturnix japonica (quail) egg yolk and albumen against physiological stress


Leah Betts

A happy wife, mother, teacher, writer, hobby farmer, lover of chickens, and contributor to Pampered Chicken Mama!

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