Hi sundown! Coturnix quail eggs 'should' hatch about day 18, but I have had many that hatched on day 16. You should stop turning them on day 14, just to be safe. But it doesn't seem to bother them even if they do hatch in the turner, so if you miss a few, don't stress.
When I first got quail eggs, I was told 'same as chickens'. What I was
not told was that this should be 'same as chickens
should be. I was trying to incubate around 30%, and trying to hatch around 50%. I got 2 from 18 eggs, and 1 from 20. I keep my incubator at 50% during incubation, then up to at least 65% for the hatch. This works well for me.
Also, they shouldn't be left in the incubator more than 24 hours, 12 is better. They are so tiny that they need to eat and drink sooner than bigger birds. Also, I have noticed that they seem to do better if you keep the brooder temp closer to 100 degrees for the first week. This deters piling, which is probably the #1 reason for quail chick death, next to drowning. Even if you have the quail water base, you still need to have pebbles or something in the base. Good luck!!
