Need advice on hatching quail eggs

[Woodey2]

HI! I have hatched 1.5 groups of chickens. Waiting on the second group to hatch. I would like to hatch quail eggs. Any dos and don'ts that you can give me would be great. Thanks

 

[Erkenstein]

Hi and welcome. Basic rules for chicken incubation apply for quails as far as humidity and temp. Quail take less time (17-18 days for coturnix).

Since they are smaller than chicken chicks, they may be more prone to leg issues from the floor of the incubator when they hatch. For instance, if your incubator has wire mesh that would be fine for chicken chicks, it may not be ideal for quail. I cut a piece of shelf liner (with holes) to fit inside the incubator at lockdown so that when they hatch they can get their feet under them and not spraddle.

You'll want to candle at Day 14, but you won't be able to see much detail. You'll see yellow/green "clear" infertile eggs which should be removed, but developing eggs will be dark and filled with chick.