Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Is One Egg Better Than The Other?
Quail egg vs chicken egg; Learn the 10 key differences and which one is better. While the winner in most categories comes down to personal preference there are big differences between quail and chicken eggs. The two different poultry species produce fresh eggs with different sizes, tastes, colors, nutrition profiles, and other unique benefits. Find out why quail eggs become the clear winner in this eggciting competition!
What is a quail vs a chicken?
Quail are several different species of small short-tailed poultry that have been grouped as one. Even though their populations have drastically dwindled in the wild, quail are considered to be game birds. The most commonly domesticated breeds are the Bobwhite and the Coturnix quail. On the other hand, the chicken is a fully domesticated fowl that is bred for meat and for laying eggs. While some chickens do come in smaller bantam sizes, the most prolific layers tend to be twice as big as a quail.
1. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which is healthier?
Winner: Tie
Macronutrient and mineral comparison of quail eggs and chicken eggs
While both eggs have advantages and disadvantages of nutritional value there is no clear winner here. Below is a chart comparing the macronutrients and mineral content of quail eggs vs chicken eggs in equal measurements of 100 grams. Remember this is not a per-egg calculation. A Quail egg is much smaller than the average chicken egg. It takes several quail eggs to equal 1 chicken egg.
| Quail Eggs 100 Grams | Chicken Eggs 100 Grams |
|---|---|
| 158 calories | 143 calories |
| 13 grams protein | 12.4 grams of protein |
| 11.1 grams fat | 9.96 grams fat |
| 0.4 grams carbohydrates | 0.96 grams carbohydrates |
| 64 mg calcium | 48 mg calcium |
| 3.65 mg iron | 1.67 mg iron |
| 13 mg magnesium | 11.4 mg magnesium |
| 226 mg phosphorus | 184 mg phosphorus |
| 141 mg sodium | 129 mg sodium |
| 132 mg potassium | 132 mg potassium |
As you will notice 100 grams of quail eggs not only has more calories, it also has higher levels of minerals overall when compared to 100 grams of chicken eggs.
Essential nutrient comparison of quail eggs and chicken eggs
The chart below shows there is a significant advantage of consuming quail eggs over chicken eggs for certain nutrients. Quail eggs contain almost twice the daily value percentages of riboflavin, b12, vitamin A, iron, folate, and phosphorus in comparison to chicken eggs. None of this is to say that chicken eggs are inferior to quail eggs as they contain significant amounts of nutrients themselves.
| Nutrient | Quail Eggs 50 Grams ( aprox. 5.5 eggs) | Chicken Eggs 50 Grams (aprox. 1 egg) |
|---|---|---|
| Choline | 22% of Daily Value (DV) | 27% of DV |
| Riboflavin | 33% of DV | 17% of DV |
| Vitamin B 12 | 33% of DV | 18.5% of DV |
| Selenium | 27.5% of DV | 28% of DV |
| Vitamin A | 11% of DV | 8% of DV |
| Pantothenic Acid | 16.5% of DV | 15% of DV |
| Folate | 11% of DV | 6% of DV |
| Iron | 11% of DV | 5% of DV |
| phosphorus | 11% of DV | 8% of DV |
The nutritional content of both chicken eggs and quail eggs support the nervous system, muscle development, red blood cell production, and thyroid function.
2. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which egg tastes better?
Winner: Quail Eggs
Quail eggs are filled with a rich flavor of creamy goodness in every tiny morsel. They are the perfect bite-sized snack food as they are around the size of a pearl onion and you can easily pop one little egg after another into your mouth. In comparison, the much bigger yolk of a chicken egg tends to be drier than its smaller cousin the quail egg.
3. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which egg is bigger?
Winner: Chicken Eggs
It takes approximately 3 to 6 quail eggs to equal 1 chicken egg in size. The whole eggs of chicken and quail come in various sizes, colors, and markings.
As you can see below, the quail egg yolks are about 1/5 the size of a single chicken egg. A big difference between the two is that there is a smaller ratio of egg whites to yolk in quail eggs. It is also reported that chicken eggs contain more water. But, when you look at the data gram for gram there is less than a 2% difference in water content of the chicken egg vs the quail egg.
4. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: What egg has the most protein?
Winner: Quail Eggs – but not by much
Both quail eggs and chicken eggs are a great source of protein. The quail egg holds a slight advantage of having .6 grams more protein content than a chicken egg. When comparing the two types of eggs, the increased amount of protein in quail eggs’ is negligible. With that said, if you are body builder who is trying to squeeze in every gram of protein you can, please, choose the quail eggs over the chicken eggs.
5. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which egg has more essential amino acids?
Winner: Quail
Both quail and chicken eggs contain all 9 of the essential amino acids. Compared to chicken eggs, quail eggs contain higher amounts of the essential amino acids as well. Additionally, quail eggs tend to have an advantage over chicken eggs when it comes to certain amino acids. There are slightly higher levels of the 3 branch chain amino acids needed for muscle recovery from bodybuilding exercises; leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
6. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which egg has less cholesterol?
Winner: Chicken Eggs
Quail eggs have almost double the amount of cholesterol in comparison to a chicken egg. Quail eggs contain 844 mg of cholesterol, while a chicken egg only contains 411 mg of cholesterol per 100 grams. If you are watching your cholesterol choose chicken eggs.
This is not to say that quail eggs are bad for you. This only means that you may need to lower the amount that you eat.
The big advantage that quail eggs have is that their high-fat content is mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Which is beneficial for heart health. Thus they may help balance your cholesterol levels positively despite containing high levels themselves.
7. What is easier for farming Quail eggs or Chickens eggs?
Winner: Tie
The answer to this question depends on who you are and where you raise poultry. The benefit of raising quail for eggs is that they can start laying eggs at 6-8 eggs weeks of age. In contrast, a chicken might start laying eggs around 4 months or later. Domesticated quail will not hatch their own eggs, so you must have an incubator if you plan on hatching their eggs.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Many backyard chicken farmers may prefer to raise quail as they are much quieter than chickens. Unlike noisy chickens that squawk and crow, the quail makes a softer almost fluttering sound. Moreover, you can also keep a larger flock of quail in a smaller space compared to a chicken. For example, this 2 foot wide quail cage on amazon 
can hold up to 6 quail and can be kept in a garage.
My husband on the other hand would challenge anyone who prefers to raise quail. His impression is that quail are extremely messy compared to chickens. He has to clean their coops 2 to 3 times as often as the chicken coops. If he had a choice he would get rid of the quail. Unfortunately for him, I won’t let him because I love quail eggs!
8. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which egg is better for allergies?
Winner: Quail eggs
Chicken eggs have a reputation for being problematic when it comes to food allergies. Unfortunately, the immune system can create a dangerous overreaction to the proteins in chicken eggs, thus developing a chicken egg allergy.
Surprisingly, quail eggs may help our immune systems to prevent allergic rhinitis or seasonal allergy symptoms. A French physician in the 1970s noticed that quail farmers had fewer environmental allergy symptoms compared to his other patients. Subsequent studies, confirm that the presence of ovomucoids in quail eggs may reduce allergic reactions of people who ingest quail eggs. Please, consult with your physician before attempting to use quail eggs to treat allergies.
9. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which egg is better for your dogs?
Winner: Quail Eggs
Similar to duck eggs and other game, quail eggs are not normally included in commercial dog food. Therefore, they may be a better option for dogs that have food allergies. Additionally, they include healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that can improve the health and coat of your favorite canine friends.
10. Quail Egg vs Chicken Egg: Which egg is easier to get?
Winner: Chicken Eggs
Although I have heard of finding quail eggs in specialty and small community stores, the little eggs are hard to find in most grocery stores. On the other hand, you can find chicken eggs in every grocery store that you enter.
Most quail egg lovers have to resort to getting farm fresh eggs from their own backyard.
If that does not work for you, I have recently heard that Whole Foods and Sprouts sometimes have quail eggs for sale.
There is also the option of having farm fresh eggs shipped to you via Amazon
Summary
The winner is quail eggs! Despite their small size, a single quail egg is extremely nutritionally dense and full of creamy flavor. The quail egg benefits are that they are better for allergies, muscle recovery, essential nutrients, and taste. That said, chicken eggs are comparable and should not be dismissed. If you have no health contraindications, I suggest that you raise and eat both chicken and quail eggs.
Great comparison! I’ve been wanting to get quail and this may help me convince my husband. Thanks!
LOVED this post!! These pictures are gorgeous!!🤩