Identifying Quality Quail Cocks

[BReeder!]

I'm still incubating my first quail (103 eggs, hoping for at least 50% hatch rate), but I know that culling is only 2 months away. I intend to breed my quail. I'm not sure what to look for in good breeding stock though, especially cocks. I'll keep every healthy hen for now because I'll appreciated the eggs. I do not want cocks fighting all the time. I will only have 4 breeder cages so I want to be sure to keep the very best cocks for breeding. The rest of the cocks will be culled and put in the freezer. So what do you look for?
Btw, my quail eggs are Jumbo Brown and Texas A&M. Input on these specific breeds would be most helpful, but happy to see you share information on other breeds as well.

 

[igorsMistress]

 

[Crazydoglady99]

I'm just going to follow along here.. I have 4 x 6week old roos, not sure who'll be staying yet (tossing up between the brown &the Texas A&M boys). They are so bloody noisy (and they are fighting) even if I put them in with the girls they just crow crow crow!! Driving me nuts!!!

 

[BReeder!]

I'm really hoping somebody knowledgeable jumps in and shares some selective breeding wisdom.

 

[Sara L]

I think it depends on what your goals are for the quail. If you want larger birds for meat, I would weigh each one (do not go by how they look size wise, you need to actually weigh them) and choose the largest to keep. You might also look at personality, as dealing with an aggressive cock is not fun. If you have a way to mark individual birds, you could weigh as they grow, and choose the ones who gained weight faster.

 

[JaeG]

Females can be fussy about which male they prefer. I'd keep a gentle, polite male who tidbits to the females and isn't rough on them. They should willingly squat for him to mount them (once they are used to him of course).

Flock dynamics are very important and females can attack and kill a male they don't like, or they will be very stressed and unsettled and not accept the males advances. Stressed females don't lay well. If everyone is calm and happy you know you've got a good group. But give the girls a choice of the males that meet what you want size-wise. Don't keep any small boys.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

Well this has been very informative!

I was thinking you probably keep whichever has the best personality in terms of calm/quiet etc.

As mentioned before, I was tossing up between and a Tibetan & a Texas boy. This morning they were all fighting again, so I put brown boy in with the girl.. he was chasing and pecking them right away. So I put Texas boy in. All is calm. Looks like we know who's staying!!

I had 3 Italian boys too.. nasty nasty things. Fight and crow all day& night.

 

[BReeder!]

Keep 'em coming. I am loving the information.
Go for heavy but will mannered cocks... got it! If only my wife knew what I am writing.
I would like to raise for size of course. Growth rate is a good idea too. So far the heaviest cocks at culling time will get pardoned and given the blessing of virgins (or not quite virgins if another male has been around them ). But what if I have 8 heavy weights and only want to keep 4? Any standards for quail? Color, height, girth, shape? Are there things to look for in beaks or feet? The more I know the better.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I would start with size and personality, but I do know someone who culls the loud / annoying ones first lol. Totally up to you really. You could even just cull all the males and replenish your stock once a year or so from a reputable breeder. That way you won't have to deal with the drama.