How to hatch quail eggs

How to hatch Coturnix quail eggs: incubator temperature and humidity, turning, candling, lockdown on day 15, hatch day 17–18 and what to do afterwards.

Still-air incubators run warmer at the top of the egg, usually around 38.5–39 °C measured at egg height. Follow your incubator's manual. Put your setting date into the hatch calendar for every date.

Before you start

• Run the incubator for a day or two first so it's stable.
• Use a separate thermometer and hygrometer to check its readings.
• Store eggs pointy-end down in a cool room (not the fridge) for no more than about 7 days before setting.
• Don't wash hatching eggs.

Days 0–14: incubation

Set the eggs, close the lid and leave the temperature alone for the first day while it settles. Turn eggs several times a day if your incubator doesn't. Around day 7–10 you can candle: shine a bright torch through the egg in a dark room. Veins and a dark shape mean it's developing. Quail shells are speckled, so it's harder than with hen eggs.

Day 15: lockdown

Stop turning. Lay eggs flat, remove turning rails if your incubator has them, raise the humidity to 65–70% and close the lid. Don't open it again until the hatch is over: every opening drops the humidity and can leave chicks stuck in their shells.

Days 17–18: hatch

You'll see pips (small holes), then the chick "zips" around the shell and pushes out. Most hatch on day 17 or 18, a few on day 19. Leave chicks in until they're dry and fluffy, then move them to a brooder at 35–37 °C.

Next: brooding quail chicks.

Quick answers

Checked November 2026. General information, not veterinary advice.