Quail Egg Incubator Settings: Day-by-Day Schedule for Coturnix

What incubator settings do quail eggs need?

Quick answer: For coturnix, run a forced-air incubator at 99.5°F (37.5°C), hold about 45% humidity for days 1 to 14, turn the eggs three to five times a day, then at lockdown on day 14 or 15 stop turning and raise humidity to 65 to 70% through hatch around day 17 or 18.

If you do not have a machine yet, see our Best Quail Egg Incubator (2026): 5 Top Picks for units with quail-fit trays and real humidity control. This guide assumes you have one and walks through the correct settings.

What you'll need

• A forced-air incubator with quail rails or a quail tray: chicken cups swallow quail eggs. The Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 (about $158) has a humidity display and dial, which makes holding 45% simple.
• A separate hygrometer: cross-check the built-in sensor. It drifts, and humidity is where hatches live or die.
• A thermometer you trust: a steady 99.5°F is the whole game.
• A pencil: mark one side of each egg to confirm the turner is actually moving them.
• The set-and-forget route: the Brinsea Ovation 56 EX (roughly $530) runs humidity automatically from an external reservoir, so the lid never opens at lockdown.

How do I set up the incubator for quail eggs?

Step 1: Set 99.5°F and let it settle

Set the thermostat to 99.5°F (37.5°C) for a forced-air machine. If you run a still-air box, measure at the top of the egg and hold 101 to 102°F. Let it run empty for 2 to 4 hours so the heat stops swinging, then check it twice a day. A thermometer you trust beats the built-in display, because a steady 99.5°F matters more than one that drifts at night.

Step 2: Hold humidity at about 45%

Fill the humidity wells and hold about 45% for days 1 to 14. Dry-hatch keepers who run 25 to 35% can stay there for these two weeks, but everyone raises it at lockdown. Trust a separate hygrometer over the built-in reading, because most cheap sensors read a few points off.

Step 3: Turn the eggs three to five times a day

Turn the eggs three to five times a day, or switch on the auto turner and let it roll. Turning stops the embryo from sticking to the shell. Mark one side of each egg with a pencil so you can see at a glance that they are moving.

Step 4: Lock down on day 14 or 15

On day 14 or 15, stop turning and raise humidity to 65 to 70%. From here the chick lines itself up for the hatch, so the eggs must sit still. This is where hatches go wrong, so resist the urge to peek.

Step 5: Hold through the hatch window

Let them pip on their own. Most pip within 24 hours of day 17 and hatch through day 18. Leave stragglers alone until day 19 or 20 before you decide anything. Opening the lid to help is how healthy chicks get hurt.

Common incubation mistakes

• Trusting the built-in sensor: it drifts, and a couple of degrees off can end a hatch. Cross-check against a separate hygrometer.
• Opening the lid at lockdown: each lift dumps the humidity you just built. Keep it shut from day 14 on.
• Leaving the turner running: past day 14 or 15, turning stops chicks from settling into hatch position.
• A chicken tray swallowing quail eggs: the cups are too big and the eggs roll. A quail tray or rails fixes it, and it is a big reason the right machine matters. See our Best Quail Egg Incubator (2026): 5 Top Picks.
• Skipping lockdown humidity on a dry hatch: dry-hatch keepers run 25 to 35% for two weeks, but everyone raises to 65 to 70% at lockdown. Skip that and chicks shrink-wrap in the shell.

Troubleshooting low hatch rates

Shrink-wrapped chicks

The membrane dried tight around the chick, which means lockdown humidity was too low. Next time, raise it to 65 to 70% and keep the lid shut.

Pips, then dies

Usually the lid got opened or humidity dropped mid-hatch. Once a chick pips, leave the machine alone.

Nothing by day 18

Do not panic. Leave them to day 19 or 20 before deciding anything. Consider an assisted hatch only if a chick has been sitting pipped for more than 24 hours with no progress, and even then, help only if it clearly needs it. Once chicks are out, our hatching and brooding guides cover what they need next.

Do button quail eggs need different settings?

Button quail want the same 99.5°F forced-air temperature, but they run 16 days, with 15 to 17 in practice. Hatch both kinds in one machine by starting the button eggs a day later, so both batches hit lockdown on the same day and you only run one humidity change.

Frequently asked questions