Catching Up with a Gamebird Grower

What does a quail production season look like from the perspective of a gamebird grower? We caught up with John Tuck of Tuck Farms to talk about the process, from preparing breeders and collecting fertile eggs to managing weekly hatches and navigating the challenges of hot weather.

John also shared some practical advice for anyone considering getting into gamebird production, including why establishing a market should come before investing in birds, equipment, or space.

Preparing for the Breeding Season

For John, the breeding season begins around March 1, when breeder pullets, hens, and roosters are moved into the layer facility to begin producing eggs.

The first eggs of the season are not always ready for the incubator. Early eggs can be smaller, less uniform, and have lower fertility. John typically allows the breeders a month or two to work through those early eggs before getting into the first good sets.

Once production gets going, eggs are collected for about 10 days before the first set. From there, eggs are set in the incubator each Friday, with hatching taking place roughly 23 to 24 days later, typically on a Monday.

A Season of Weekly Hatches

John’s first hatch of the year usually takes place around the last week of May. From there, the farm can have 22 to 23 consecutive weekly hatches through mid-October. The production curve is somewhat like a pyramid. It starts lower, reaches its peak around four to eight weeks into the hatch season, and then gradually tapers off.

Choosing the right breeders plays an important role in that production cycle. John prefers first-year layers, often using birds from later hatches the previous October. By the time production begins, these birds are around 30 weeks old.

Birds that are too young may not be ready for consistent production, while second-year layers can have reduced fertility. Some producers balance this by using a combination of new and older breeders.

Breeding for Performance

Gamebird production is about more than simply producing birds. Quail are bred with athleticism and performance in mind, particularly because many will eventually enter the hunting and gamebird industry.

That means breeders, fertility, hatch rates, nutrition, and overall bird health all play a role in producing birds that can perform well beyond the hatchery.

Managing the Heat

Hot weather is one of the biggest challenges John faces during the production season, particularly in the Deep South.

Heat can affect egg numbers, eggshell quality, and fertility, while also increasing stress and the risk of mortality. Good ventilation, proper nutrition, cooling, and overall stress reduction become especially important as temperatures rise.

For gamebird growers, managing heat is not just about keeping the birds comfortable. It can have a direct impact on production.

What Should New Growers Consider?

For anyone thinking about getting into gamebird production, John recommends starting with the market rather than the birds. Before investing in facilities or deciding how many birds to produce, growers need to know who they will sell to and what that market needs. Unlike some segments of poultry production, gamebird producers are generally responsible for finding their own customers.

Once the market is established, growers can determine the appropriate scale, space requirements, and production plan. That includes deciding whether to hatch their own chicks or purchase them, as well as determining how they will manage the grow-out process.

Existing poultry houses can sometimes be adapted for quail production, which may give growers another option when evaluating their facilities.

A Look Inside Gamebird Production

From preparing breeders in the spring to managing weekly hatches through the fall, gamebird production requires careful planning and attention to the details that influence fertility, hatchability, bird health, and performance.

To hear more from John and other industry professionals, visit the Poultry Biosecurity YouTube channel.