Brooding quail chicks
How to look after quail chicks: brooder temperature week by week, safe water for tiny chicks, starter crumb, flooring and when they can go outside.
| Age | Temperature under the heat |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | 35–37 °C |
| Week 2 | About 32 °C |
| Week 3 | About 29 °C |
| Week 4 | About 26 °C, then room temperature once feathered |
The rule of thumb: start at 35–37 °C and lower by about 3 °C a week. Watch the chicks rather than the thermometer: huddled under the heat means cold, spread out at the edges means hot, scattered and busy means right.
The brooder
- A large plastic box or brooder with high sides
- A heat plate or lamp at one end so they can move away from it
- Kitchen roll or a non-slip mat for the first few days (slippery floors cause splayed legs), then wood shavings
- A mesh lid: chicks start jumping and fluttering within days
Water
Quail chicks are tiny and can drown in ordinary drinkers. Use a chick drinker with marbles or clean pebbles in the trough for the first week so they can drink but can't fall in.
Food
Game bird starter crumb, which is higher in protein than chicken chick crumb. For the first days, grind it finer if the crumb is large. Switch to quail or game bird grower or layer feed at around 5–6 weeks.
Sexing
With the standard (pharaoh) colouring, you can usually tell at about 3 weeks: males develop a rusty, plain chest, females a cream chest with dark speckles. Other colour varieties are harder and may need vent sexing or waiting for males to start calling.
Quick answers
When can quail chicks go outside?
Why are my chicks huddled under the heat?
Checked November 2026. General information, not veterinary advice.