Quail Egg Incubation Calculator
Quail eggs hatch after about 17 days (Mississippi State University Extension), normally between 16 and 18 days from the start of incubation. A typical clutch is 10-12 eggs.
Quail egg incubation calculator
Expected hatch date
Tuesday 24 November 2026
Earliest
23 Nov 2026
Latest
25 Nov 2026
0 of 17 days elapsed
A quail does not have a gestation period. Birds do not carry developing young inside the body: the female lays an egg and the embryo develops inside that egg, outside her, warmed either by a sitting parent or by an incubator. The correct term is incubation, and it is measured from the day the eggs are set or the parent begins sitting, not from mating and not from the day the first egg appears.
Key quail incubation facts
- Quail eggs hatch after about 17 days of incubation, with a normal range of 16 to 18 days.
- A typical clutch is 10-12 eggs.
- Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
- Poultry eggs are usually set in an incubator at 37.5°C and 55% humidity, with turning stopped a few days before hatch.
How to count the days
Day one is the day the eggs go into the incubator or the day a parent starts sitting continuously, not the day the first egg was laid. Eggs can be held for up to a week before setting without much loss of hatch rate, and holding them keeps the clutch hatching together. Stop turning around day 14 and raise humidity for the final days. If nothing has happened by day 20, candle the eggs before discarding them: a cool incubator can delay a hatch well past the average.
How long do different quail eggs take to hatch?
Coturnix (Japanese) quail, the most common quail kept for eggs, hatch in about 17 to 18 days. Bobwhite quail take about 23 days, and button quail (king quail) about 16 days. Check which species you have before setting a hatch date.
What incubator settings do quail eggs need?
Run quail eggs at 37.5°C (99.5°F) in a forced-air incubator with humidity around 45–50%, rising to about 65–70% for the last three days. Quail eggs are small, so they need narrow turner rails or a quail-sized tray.
When do you stop turning quail eggs?
Turn coturnix eggs at least three times a day and stop on about day 14 or 15. For bobwhite eggs, stop about day 20.
What do quail chicks need after hatching?
- Chicks are tiny and lose heat fast, so move them to a brooder at about 35°C once dry.
- Use shallow water dishes with marbles or pebbles so chicks cannot drown.
- Feed a game bird or turkey starter crumb, ground finer for the first days.
- Coturnix grow quickly and can start laying at around six to eight weeks old.