How To Hatch Quail Eggs

Hatching quail eggs is a fun and rewarding process that can be done in your own backyard! These small, delicate eggs require a bit of extra care and attention, but the end result is well worth it. Here’s everything you need to know about hatching quail eggs.

Quail are a terrific alternative or addition to your homestead. They are small, relatively quiet, prolific egg producers, and require little feed or space. This makes them a great source of eggs if your location does not permit chickens or ducks.

There are generally few laws and regulations regarding keeping quail for personal consumption, and if you can have a pet bird in your home or apartment, you can probably raise a few quail in a spare room (just make sure you check your local laws first).

two quail eggs
two quail eggs

Better yet, quail are not typically subject to the typical diseases that chickens can acquire, and are not known to carry salmonella. They are a hardy, sustainable source of meat and eggs. The easiest way to add quail to your homestead is to hatch and raise your own.

How Long Do Quail Eggs Take To Hatch?

Quail eggs take on average 18 days to hatch, with coturnix (Japanese) quail taking around 16-17 days, and Bobwhite quail taking around 23 days.

What Does Quail Egg Hatching Look Like in Nature?

The quail egg-hatching process is an amazing thing to behold. After the eggs are incubated for a period of 21-23 days, the tiny chicks begin to peck their way out of the shells.

Once they have broken through, they rest for a few minutes to catch their breath before continuing on their journey.

Hatching Quail Eggs & Brooding Coturnix Chicks with Tips

Do Quail Leave Their Eggs Unattended?

Quail are interesting creatures and are known for their unique call which is somewhat of a whistle. They are also interesting because they lay their eggs in communal nests, but each female will take care of her own eggs.

The male quails take no part in incubating the eggs or raising the young. While it’s natural to wonder if quail leave their eggs unattended, the truth is that they don’t.

The female quail will stay close to her eggs to keep them warm and protected. She will only leave the nest for short periods of time to get food and water. When she returns, she will carefully tuck the eggs back under her body to incubate them.

So, while it may seem like quail leave their eggs unattended, the truth is that they are actually quite attentive mothers.

Tips for Hatching Quail Eggs

After hatching a few hundred quail eggs, I learned a few ways to increase my hatch rate and improve the health of my quail chicks

Let me introduce you to some of the most important bits of advice, below.

Where Should I Buy Quail Eggs?

First, consider your egg source.

You’ll need to purchase fertilized hatching eggs from a reputable source. You could order them online from any number of prominent hatcheries.

You can be assured that these eggs will be treated carefully and shipped well. However, the hatchery does not have any control over what happens to the quail eggs during shipping.

Extreme temperatures, rough handling, or other shipping issues can cause visible and invisible damage to your eggs, which will cause a higher probability of a low hatch rate.

You could search Craigslist for quail eggs and hope that you have a reputable source. Your best bet is to find a local and reputable quail breeder to purchase your hatching eggs.

How to Care For Your Eggs Once They Arrive

Once you receive your eggs, unwrap them and place them point down in an egg carton. Allow them to rest for a full day before placing them in the incubator.

This will hopefully allow time for any damaged air cells to settle and repair themselves.

Begin incubating your quail eggs by the time they are seven days old. Eggs older than seven days may not hatch, and may hatch weak chicks. It is very rare for domestic quail to become broody, or be willing to sit on eggs.

If you are lucky, you will have a great broody hen (silkies or bantams work great) who can do the work of hatching your quail eggs for you. If not, you will need to incubate them.

How Long Can Quail Eggs Sit Before Incubation?

Though it is generally advisable to incubate quail eggs as soon as possible after laying, there are some circumstances in which it may not be possible to do so immediately.

In these cases, it is important to know how long quail eggs can sit before incubation without compromising their viability.

With proper storage, quail eggs can be kept for up to two weeks before incubation. The eggs should be stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. To prevent the eggs from drying out, they can be placed in a container lined with a damp cloth.

Once the eggs are ready to be incubated, they should be placed in an incubator that is set to the correct temperature and humidity levels.

Prepare the Incubator Ahead of Time

When you set up your eggs to rest, get your incubator ready for your quail eggs. I had great results with the Farm Innovators Digital Circulated Air Incubator with optional quail egg turners. Standard chicken-size rails will be too large to hold the quail eggs.

quail egg next to chicken egg for size comparison
quail egg next to chicken egg for size comparison

The air circulating fan will help keep the air moving, and many other incubators on the market also have them. Digital thermometers will also help you keep track of the temp easier.

I recommend having an additional thermometer in the incubator to help keep track of the temperature in case the built in thermometer is not working correctly.

Make sure your thermometer has been calibrated, especially if you have had it shipped to you.

Hatching Quail Eggs Can Be Simple!

How to Incubate Quail Eggs

Ready to incubate your own quail eggs? Here are some general steps to follow…

Quick Steps

  1. Set the incubator temperature to 99.5 °F (37.5 °C).
  2. Set humidity to 45% for the first two weeks, and 65% after that.
  3. Rotate the eggs 3 times a day for the first two weeks.
  4. Remove the baby quail from incubator 24 hours after they start hatching.

Step 1. Set the Temperature Inside the Incubator

Your incubator should be at between 99 Degrees Fahrenheit and 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit consistently. Temperatures that are too low can stunt the chicks’ growth, while temperatures that are too high can kill them.

As the chicks grow inside the eggs, the air temperature in the incubator may increase. For best results, check the temperature in your incubator daily. Digitally controlled incubators will automatically adjust the temperature for you.

Step 2. Place the Eggs

Assuming you have a small incubator meant for quail eggs, the process is pretty simple.

Once the incubator is set up and ready to go, it’s time to start adding quail eggs. The first thing you need to do is figure out which way the eggs should go in.

You can tell by looking at the small end of the egg – there will be a small air sac at the end. The air sac needs to be pointing up when you put the egg in the incubator so that the embryo can develop properly.

Step 3. Rotate the Eggs

Your quail eggs will need to be rotated at least three times a day until day fifteen. Incubators with automatic turners will make the job easy for you so you don’t have to worry about it.

If you do not have an automatic turner in your incubator, you will need to do it yourself.

One way to make sure the eggs get turned properly is to use the x and o method. Mark one side of each egg with an “x” and the other side with an “o.”

With the palm of your hand, carefully roll the eggs to x one time, then later in the day, roll them to the o position. Continue to do this at least three times per day.

Step 4. Maintain Humidity

In my experience, a ‘dry hatch’ works best for hatching quail eggs. This means that there is no additional humidity added to the incubator for the first fifteen days.

If you live in a very dry location, you may want to consider adding humidity. If you do add humidity, you will want to keep the humidity around 45% for the first fifteen days.

You can do this by adding water to the channels in your incubator, adding a damp sponge to your incubator, or by purchasing a stand-alone humidity unit from places such as the Incubator Warehouse.

Increase the humidity to 65% percent for the last three days of hatching. If the humidity gets too high in the incubator, the chicks can drown in their eggs before they hatch. If it is too low, they may have trouble breaking through the membrane or the shell.

When you add water to the incubator, especially for the last three days, use distilled water to avoid the growth of bacteria or pathogens in the incubator. Warm your water up until it feels warm, but not hot to the touch.

This will prevent any dramatic shifts in temperature during the hatch. Try not to open the incubator any more than necessary to keep temperatures and humidity stable.

Step 5. Lock Down

Lock down is the period of time from day fifteen until the chicks have hatched. It is especially important not to open the incubator during lockdown.

If you do, the sudden shift in temperature and humidity could cause the membrane inside the egg to shrink and wrap the chick, making it difficult if not impossible for it to hatch on its own.

When it is time to put your incubator on lockdown, you will need to remove the automatic egg turner assembly from the incubator.

Open the incubator, and carefully lift out the entire egg-turner assembly if possible. Gently remove the eggs and lay them on their sides in the incubator, one at a time. If you do not remove the egg turner, your chicks could get stuck and become injured or die.

Step 6. Hatch Day

Hatch day is exciting and a little nerve-wracking, even for the most experienced quail hatchers. Your baby quail will hatch any time from day 15 to day 25, although most will hatch between days 16 and 18.

You may hear tiny chirps coming from the unhatched eggs… This means they have likely pierced the inner membrane and you can watch to see when they will ‘pip,’ or poke a hole in the shell with their beak.

After the egg has pipped, you will see it begin to ‘zip’ – this is when the baby quail begins to create a crack all the way around the shell in preparation for hatching.

Most eggs will go from pip to hatch in twenty four hours, although it sometimes can take a little longer without issue.

If you’re hatching a large number of quail, you may find yourself with a delicate balancing act. Do you snatch the hatched quail from the incubator while the rest are hatching? Or leave them there until all of the quail have hatched?

Once the baby quail have begun to hatch, you can typically leave them in the incubator for 24 to 30 hours.

However, if you open the incubator and other quail eggs have pipped but not hatched, they may become shrink-wrapped in their eggs and be unable to hatch without assistance.

Some incubators are able to withstand occasional opening without humidity and temperature issues, while other incubators may not.

Step 7. Remove the Quail from the Incubator

You will have to decide if you want to risk the unhatched eggs by removing the hatchlings, or risk the hatchlings by leaving them in the incubator longer than 30 hours. It may take a few hatches to find out which works best for you and your incubator.

Once a few early quail have hatched, they will start popping out of their eggs like popcorn. It is a fun and exciting thing to watch.

After you have reached day 18, the chance of the remaining eggs hatching goes way down, but it is still possible. If you wish, you can do a float test on the remaining eggs to see if they will hatch.

Step 8. Take Care of the Rest of the Eggs

Take a few, or all, of your remaining eggs, and float them in 99-degree water. Eggs that sink are no good, but the ones that bob at the top still have air and likely, a viable chick.

However, if you simply have patience, you can skip the float test and just keep your incubator running with the remaining eggs. Check periodically to see if any have hatched.

Remove the chicks from the incubator after they have dried off and look fluffy and active. Chicks that are wet or lethargic from hatching should stay in the incubator a bit longer to rest and dry off.

The next step to raising your baby quail is to move them from the incubator to the brooder.

Tips for Successful Hatching

How Do You Tell if Your Quail Eggs Will Hatch?

There are a few ways to tell if your quail eggs are going to hatch. One way is to candle the eggs. To do this, you’ll need a dark room and a flashlight.

While people typically candle their chicken and duck eggs to watch for signs of growth, quail eggs are very difficult to candle. The mottled, thick shell makes it difficult to see if veins are growing or the chick is continuing to progress.

That said, it IS possible to do it – just a bit more difficult.

Hold the egg up to the light and look for veins running through the center of the egg. If you see veins, that means the egg is fertile and has a good chance of hatching.

Another way to tell if an egg is fertile is to gently shake it. If you can feel movement inside the egg, that means there’s a developing chick inside. That said, this method will really only work well very late in the incubation game.

Can You Hatch Quail Eggs Without an Incubator?

When it comes to hatching quail eggs, there are two main methods: using an incubator or relying on a broody hen. An incubator provides carefully controlled temperature and humidity levels, which helps to ensure a high hatch rate.

However, incubators can be expensive, and they require regular attention.

Broody hens, on the other hand, naturally incubate their eggs by sitting on them until they hatch. While this method is often less reliable, it is free and easy to set up.

So, if you’re looking to hatch quail eggs without an incubator, using a broody hen is your best bet. Just be sure to provide her with a comfortable nest and plenty of food and water.

Can I Put Quail Eggs in the Chicken Incubator?

You might be surprised to learn that you can put quail eggs in the chicken incubator, but it’s actually a perfectly viable option.

The main thing to keep in mind is that quail eggs are much smaller than chicken eggs, so you’ll need to adjust the settings on the incubator accordingly.

Additionally, quail eggs have a slightly different incubation period, so you’ll need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t hatch too early or too late.

But if you’re careful and do your research, putting quail eggs in the chicken incubator can be a great way to add variety to your flock.

Brooding Quail Chicks

Every brooder needs to have water, food, heat, and bedding. In the beginning, quail chicks will need very little room to move around. In my experience, a medium-sized plastic tote makes a terrific quail brooder.

Cover the top with an old window screen to keep the chicks in, and any other animals out.

quail babies in brooder
quail babies in brooder

If you are handy, you can carefully cut out a large square in the lid of the tote and glue, staple, or zip-tie a piece of screen or mesh over the hole to allow for airflow while keeping the chicks safe inside.

Bedding

When the chicks begin to grow, you will want to give them more room. You can move them to a larger brooder or move some of the chicks to an additional brooder.

For the first few days, a couple of layers of paper towels make good bedding for the tiny chicks. This will give them a little bit of traction, make cleaning easy, and allow you to easily spot and remove ailing chicks.

It is normal to lose a few chicks out of a large hatch. Be sure to remove them promptly. After the first few days, you may want to add pine shavings or some other bedding to the brooder as well.

Heat for Quail

There are several options to keep the chicks warm. Some folks prefer to use an inexpensive and easy-to-find heat lamp for their baby quail. Caution must be used with a heat lamp because they can shatter or fall and start fires.

If you use a heat lamp, you will need to have a thermometer in the brooder and make sure there is room for the chicks to leave the heated area if they get too warm.

Keep the temperature at 100 degrees for the first week, dropping it two or three degrees each week until the quail are fully feathered. Lower the temperature by raising the heat lamp a little bit at a time.

Quails that are too warm will lay flat, act lethargic, and may even pant. Quail that are too cold will huddle together and cry loudly. Comfortable baby quail will move in and out of the heated area, eating and drinking, and returning to get warm.

For baby quail, remove one of the legs and put the other leg on the lowest setting. This will give the quail room to move around and find the spot that is just right.

There is a much lower risk of fire with this type of heater, and the size of the chick, not the temperature, determines how high to place the heater. The chicks enjoy going under the heater much like a baby chick would hide under a mother hen.

Introduce Them to the Brooder

When you move chicks from the incubator to the set-up brooder, you will need to show them where the food, water, and heat source are.

Use a waterer that is specifically made for quail chicks, which will help prevent the baby chicks from drowning in a bowl or saucer, or chicken waterer.

You may want to place clean marbles or gravel in the bottom of the water bowl for a week or two so that the chicks can get a drink without falling in or getting wet and cold. Quail water gets dirty quickly, so be sure to change it often.

What to Feed Baby Quail

For the first few days, sprinkle the quail food onto paper towels so it is easy for the tiny birds to find.

Commercial game bird food has the correct amount of protein for quail, but you will probably need to grind it with a coffee grinder to make it into smaller crumbs. Even normal-size quail crumbles may be too large for their tiny beaks.

As you move the chicks from the incubator to the brooder, pick each one up carefully with two hands. Quail chicks are fast and active, and may easily squirm out of your grasp. Be especially careful not to drop them!

Watering Quail Chicks

Lightly dip the chick’s beak into the water, and show them the food by scratching it with your finger. Usher them under the heater so they can get warm again. They may cry as they are scared and unsure of where their hatchmates are.

As long as they are warm, fed, and watered, they will soon settle down and sleep. Once a couple of chicks have figured out how to eat and drink on their own, the other chicks will pick it up much more quickly.

Baby chicks will sleep a lot of the time during the first several days, only coming out to eat and drink and then hiding under the heater for more naps.

baby quail in cage
baby quail in cage

Be Attentive!

Baby quail grow quickly and may double in size the first day or two. There may be a large difference in size from quail that hatch just a day or two later, but they will quickly catch up and their sizes will even out in just a few days.

Keep a close watch to try to make sure all of the chicks are able to eat and drink. In a few days, the chicks will be large enough that you can switch to regular game bird crumbles in a quail feeder.

Quail are by nature a bit skittish. Once they are a few days old, they enter the ‘popcorn’ stage, where the slightest disturbance startles them and they jump about like popcorn.

Soon, the little chicks will be able to fly and you will have trouble keeping them in the brooder when you open it to feed and water them. It will help to keep the flighty birds in the brooder if you can keep part of the top of the brooder covered while you work.

Keep a close eye out for any escapees so you can track them down before they get into trouble. Change the bedding whenever it becomes dirty or wet.

Don’t be startled if some of your chicks look like they have expired! Baby chicks tire easily, and may stretch out on their sides or fronts to sleep. Even adult birds may occasionally sleep in the “playing dead” position. As long as they are not too warm or sick, there is nothing to worry about.

a few quails inside a cage
a few quails inside a cage

Raising Young Quail

After three to four weeks, your baby quail should have all their feathers and you can move them to a grow-out pen. If the temperatures in your area are very cold, you may want to consider keeping a heat source available for the quail for a couple more weeks.

If you’re raising coturnix quail, they will begin to lay eggs by eight to nine weeks. Bobwhit quail will take a little longer, but their tiny white eggs are certainly worth the wait.

By six to eight weeks, you can begin to sex your quail. If you leave too many males per number of females, the roosters will fight or over-mate with your hens. This can cause injury to the hens.

Adult quail cannot be free-ranged like chickens. They will become easily lost or be taken by predators. They will need at least one square foot of cage space per bird, with a low ceiling so they do not hurt their heads on the ceiling if they are startled.

If you are going to breed your quail, keep no more than one male for every two to five hens. This will give you enough fertility to breed more quail without causing injury to your hens.

Collect and store your eggs and you can begin the hatching process all over again, or enjoy the delicious fresh quail eggs and meat for yourself.

FAQ

How long do quail need to be under a heat lamp?

In general, quail chicks should be kept under a heat lamp for the first four weeks of their lives. After that, they can be slowly transitioned to a cooler environment. However, it’s important to make sure that the temperature change is gradual, as sudden changes can be harmful to the chicks.

How do you hatch an egg without an incubator or heat lamp?

If you are planning on hatching quail eggs without an incubator, there are a few things you will need to do. First, you will need to find a place where the eggs can stay at a consistent temperature of around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. A warm spot in your home, such as near a heating vent, should work well.

You will also need to turn the eggs several times each day to ensure that they are receiving even heat. Finally, you will need to keep the eggs moist by misting them with water several times each day.

Are quail eggs hard to hatch?

Quail eggs are generally small in size and slightly more oval than chicken eggs. They also have a softer shell, making them somewhat more delicate. As a result, quail eggs can be more difficult to hatch than chicken eggs. However, with a little care and patience, it is possible to successfully hatch quail eggs.

How late can quail eggs hatch?

Some research has shown that quail eggs can hatch up to 24 days after they are laid. This extended incubation period provides the chicks with time to develop and grow before they have to fend for themselves.

In addition, the extended incubation period allows the parents to have multiple broods of chicks, increasing the chances that at least some of their young will survive to adulthood.

How can you tell if quail eggs are alive?

If you find quail eggs and are unsure if they are still alive, there are a few things you can do to check. First, examine the egg for any cracks or damage. If the shell is broken or pierced, the egg is likely no longer viable.

Another way to tell if an egg is alive is to candling, which involves holding the egg up to a bright light. If you can see a small, dark spot in the center of the egg, that means the embryo is still developing.

Why are my quail eggs not hatching?

When it comes to quail egg incubation, there are a few things that can go wrong. One common issue is that the eggs are not turned frequently enough. During incubation, the eggs need to be turned several times a day in order to ensure that the embryo developing inside has enough room to move around.

Another problem that can occur is that the temperature or humidity levels in the incubator are not ideal. If the temperature is too high or low, or the humidity is too high or low, it can prevent the eggs from hatching.

How do you help quail eggs hatch?

The best way to help quail eggs hatch is by using an incubator. Incubators are temperature-controlled chambers that provide the ideal environment for eggs to develop. By mimicking the conditions found in a quail’s nest, incubators help to ensure that eggs are properly incubated and that chicks hatch strong and healthy.

While it is possible to incubate quail eggs without an incubator, the process is much less reliable and can often result in lower hatching rates.

Can humidity be too high to hatch eggs?

Yes, too much humidity can prevent eggs from hatching. The air inside the egg is too saturated with water to allow the chick to breathe. The chick also cannot move around to rotate and turn the egg so that the yolk doesn’t stick to the shell, and as a result, the embryo can become deformed.

High humidity can also cause mold and bacteria to grow on the eggshell, which can penetrate through the pores and contaminate the egg.

hatch quail eggs pin

18 thoughts on “How To Hatch Quail Eggs”

  1. Perry @ Backyard Quail

    Great post with great information! I would highly recommend the expense of an egg turner. Doing it manually is both a pain to remember and affects the heat/humidity every time you open the incubator. Not sure about you, but no matter how hard I try to get it right, I still only average about a 60% hatch rate with my quail.

    1. Heather Harris

      Thank you! You are so right, the egg turner IS totally worth the expense! I have gotten about a 50-60% hatch rate myself…and hoping to increase it. Thanks for stopping by!

  2. I’ve just tried my second atempt at hatching quails and again it has been a complete failure. Out of this batch of 6 only one was fertile and he appears to have died the day before he was due to hatch. He was fully formed, feathered and a large size. He had absorbed all the yolk apart from one small part. On my last lot they all died at different stages of development with the longest survingredients one failing to absorbs it’s guts. Have you any idea as to why this would happen?

  3. We have been hatching quail for one year. We bought a few eggs on eBay and set up an incubator. I am not sure how we have been so lucky but we have 90% to 95% hatch rate each time. Our birds are so healthy and strong. It has been amazing! The only things I highly recommend is adding electrolytes to the chick water and be very careful to ONLY us a shallow dish and add marbles. I mix the electrolytes in a gallon of water and use this in all my brooders. We call it chick gatorade?

  4. One thing that works to get your temp as accurate as possible, get an external thermometer with a probe.. like the Brinsea Spot Check. Get an easter egg and drill a hole in the top. Seal the seam where it joins. Fill with water then insert the temp probe. Raise temp until you get to 99.5 reading the water inside the egg. This will be the internal temp of all eggs in the incubator (if you have the circulating air incubator). This has helped my hatch rates dramatically.

  5. Hello all and wow, I am impressed and disappointed at the same time. Impressed with your success rate and disappointed with mine.

    I am new at this but still, I hoped for better.
    An Army Colonel and he had about a 25% success rate and my first attempt, like Karen was a failure as well. Similar to her, I had only one that hatched but then died.

    I am on my second attempt with three days to go to see if I have a successful hatch this time.

    Wish me luck.

  6. I am in South Florida, where would you suggest I purchase my quail eggs? This would be my first experience with quail.

  7. Judith murray

    On one of your articles you say 75% humidity. In this one you sat 45%. Which is it? Big difference! Thx

  8. Teri Anderson

    I’m in Northern Utah, and use an incubator with the fan and automatic egg turner. My hatch rate hasn’t been great. Out of 30 eggs I got only 8 chicks. Some of the tips on here I hope will improve the hatch rate. The hatch I did prior to this one was of store bought quail eggs. I wanted to see if they would hatch, as I was already incubating chicken eggs, so, I put them in together for incubation but moved the quail eggs to a different incubator for lockdown. Out of 29 eggs I got 4 chicks. That was fun, and exciting, so, I ordered hatching eggs online, and that’s when I got the 8 out of 30.

    1. Temperature is usually the main culprit. Do not only trust your incubator thermometer. I usually have 3-4 of them to calibrate the incubator thermometer and also to detect uneven temp locations in the incubator.

  9. Not sure what’s right!

    Hi!
    Thanks for the information! I’m looking to Hatch quails primarily for educational purposes with my daughter. However, I don’t want to really keep the quails as pets for forever. Can you let them go in the wild? Or is this horrible? Will they survive on their own? Would you suggest giving them away to someone who can care for them? Or should I botch the idea? Thanks!

  10. I loved this!! Found you in Pinterest. I have 119 quail eggs in my incubator right now. 4 days until lockdown. I’m so excited to add these babies to my urban homestead. They join 6 rabbits ready to kindle any day. Great info!!!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *