“It Must Be Nice” Over 15 Years in the Making

“It must be nice.”

We hear it more now.

It must be nice to have a successful quail business.

It must be nice to have good breeding stock.

It must be nice to have a reputation for quality.

What people don’t see is the 15+ years behind it.

They don’t see the long nights.

They don’t see the missed weekends.

They don’t see the money that went back into the birds instead of into vacations.

And they definitely don’t see the quiet sacrifices Kristina and I made while raising a family and building this from the ground up.

Our Coturnix quail operation wasn’t handed to us. It was built on a solid foundation of passion and stubbornness.

There were no shortcuts.

No secret investors.

No hidden assistance.

Just two people who believed in doing something the right way — even when it was harder.

For over 15 years, Kristina and I have poured ourselves into producing high-quality Coturnix quail. That meant learning genetics. Refining breeding groups. Tracking hatch rates. Culling responsibly. Improving feed programs. Upgrading equipment — often slowly — as we could afford it. This also meant falling prey to paying “experts” for information along the way, realizing that some, if not most are in it for the profit and really don’t want to see your success.

Every improvement came from reinvesting profits right back into the farm.

While others upgraded their lifestyle, we upgraded brooders.

While others planned vacations, we planned new breeding pens.

Quality doesn’t happen by accident, It’s intentional.

There were plenty of nights that stretched far past normal working hours. The late-night egg collections to keep hatch schedules tight. Monitoring incubators because one mistake could cost an entire cycle. Fixing water systems before freezing temperatures hit. Cleaning pens after long days because biosecurity matters. Sorting birds on Christmas day because it needed to be done.

Animals don’t recognize holidays.

They don’t understand “time off.”

So neither did we.

We didn’t have the luxury of calling in sick. If something went wrong, it was on us to fix it. If a hatch failed, it was on us to learn why. If a predator tested a fence line, it was on us to reinforce it.

That responsibility never left our shoulders and the weight was carried, even on the days we didn’t want to do anything other than relax on the couch and binge watch a TV series while eating ice cream.

Building this business didn’t happen in isolation from our family life, it happened alongside it. We raised our children while raising coveys. There were school events scheduled around hatch days. Family dinners after evening chores. Conversations about genetics or our next plans at the kitchen table.

Our kids didn’t just grow up in a household, they grew up watching commitment in action. They saw what consistency looks like. They saw what reinvesting instead of overspending looks like. They saw what it means to build something slowly, carefully, and honestly.

That matters more to us than any outside recognition. Although, who doesn’t like a little recognition here and there.

Our focus has always been simple: produce excellent quality Coturnix quail.

Healthy birds.

Strong genetics.

Reliable production.

Honest representation.

We didn’t chase trends.

We didn’t cut corners.

We didn’t sacrifice quality for quick growth.

We studied bloodlines.

We selected carefully.

We improved generation after generation.

About That “Assistance”

Lately, we’ve heard people imply they had a hand in our success.

Here’s the truth: encouragement is appreciated. Community matters. But success in agriculture is built daily, not claimed casually or purchased from someone else’s success.

No one was there for the 10 p.m. lockups.

No one was there when equipment failed and money was tight.

No one was there making the hard calls on breeding stock.

Kristina and I carried that weight together.

We don’t say that with bitterness.

We say it with clarity.

Yes, you know what…..It Is Nice

It is nice to look back at 15+ years of steady growth.

It is nice to see birds thriving because of disciplined selection.

It is nice to have built something sustainable while raising a family.

But it’s nice because it was earned.

Through sacrifice.

Through reinvestment.

Through long nights.

Through unwavering standards.

“It must be nice.”

Yes.

It is.

And it’s the result of two people who refused to quit, refused to compromise on quality, and committed themselves fully — to the work that needed to be done.

That’s what 15+ years of dedication looks like.

-Aaron Guidroz

*******Zero G Note*******

If you haven't checked out the NEWLY REFRESHED website https://buyhatchingeggs.com/ you need to swing over and give it a look. It is absolutely and amazing collection and glad they put all this hard work in and it shows in what they produce. Were glad we get to call them friends.

-Brent