When do I stop turning coturnix quail eggs?

After day 15, according to Mississippi State's incubation table. From then on leave the eggs still, raise the humidity, and keep the incubator closed so the chicks can get into position.

What temperature and humidity do coturnix quail eggs need?

Mississippi State lists 100°F in a forced-air incubator (2 to 3 degrees more in a still-air one). Humidity is a wet-bulb reading of 85 to 86°F until day 15, which works out to about 54 to 57 percent relative humidity, then 90°F wet bulb (about 68 percent) for the hatch.

When should I candle coturnix quail eggs?

Around day 6 and day 11. Those are the chicken candling days scaled to a 17-day hatch (about one-third and two-thirds of the way through), because the extension tables only list candling days for chickens.

Free tool

Coturnix Quail egg incubation calculator

Coturnix Quail eggs hatch in 16 to 18 days; plan on day 17. Enter the day you set them and get the whole hatch on a timeline, with the incubator settings and the source behind every number.

Date eggs were set

The fastest hatch in the barnyard. Sources put Coturnix anywhere from 16 to 18 days, so have the brooder warm by day 16.

0
Set eggsTue, October 6, 2026
Eggs go in the incubator. Begin turning (or confirm the auto-turner is on).
6
First candlingMon, October 12, 2026
Look for spider-web veining. Remove clears and early quitters.
11
Second candlingSat, October 17, 2026
Embryos should fill most of the egg with a clear air cell. Remove any quitters.
15
LockdownWed, October 21, 2026
Stop turning, raise humidity, and keep the incubator closed until hatch.
17
Hatch dayFri, October 23, 2026
Pips and zips! Sources put this hatch anywhere from day 16 to day 18. Leave the chicks in until fluffy and dry.
Hatch window: Thu, Oct 22 to Sat, Oct 24

Downloads a .ics file that works with Apple, Google, and Outlook calendars.

How long do coturnix quail eggs take to hatch?

It depends on who you ask, which is why the calculator shows a window (day 16 to day 18) around its planning day of 17. Here is what each reference prints.

Source	Days to hatch	Applies to
Mississippi State University Extension	17	Coturnix Quail
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension	16–18	Japanese (Coturnix) quail
Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota	17–18	Japanese quail

Incubator settings for coturnix quail eggs

Temperature: 100°F forced-air (add 2–3°F in a still-air incubator)
Humidity to day 15: about 54–57% (wet bulb 85–86°F)
Humidity for the hatch: about 68% (wet bulb 90°F)
Stop turning: after day 15
Open the vents further: day 14

These come from Mississippi State's incubation table, which gives humidity as a wet-bulb temperature. We converted it to relative humidity with the same extension chart, so treat the percentages as close, not exact. Follow your incubator's manual where it differs.

Hatching something else?

Common questions

How long do coturnix quail eggs take to hatch?: Plan on 17 days, and be ready from day 16 to day 18. Mississippi State says 17, Univ. of Kentucky says 16 to 18 and Univ. of Minnesota says 17 to 18.
When do I stop turning coturnix quail eggs?: After day 15, according to Mississippi State's incubation table. From then on leave the eggs still, raise the humidity, and keep the incubator closed so the chicks can get into position.
What temperature and humidity do coturnix quail eggs need?: Mississippi State lists 100°F in a forced-air incubator (2 to 3 degrees more in a still-air one). Humidity is a wet-bulb reading of 85 to 86°F until day 15, which works out to about 54 to 57 percent relative humidity, then 90°F wet bulb (about 68 percent) for the hatch.
When should I candle coturnix quail eggs?: Around day 6 and day 11. Those are the chicken candling days scaled to a 17-day hatch (about one-third and two-thirds of the way through), because the extension tables only list candling days for chickens.

Where these numbers come from

Important Incubation Factors. Mississippi State University Extension.
Development of the Chick (ASC-195). Tony Pescatore and Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. December 2012.
Hatching and Brooding Small Numbers of Chicks (AG-FO-0631). Melvin L. Hamre, Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota. Reviewed 1990.
Care and Incubation of Hatching Eggs. Dr. Tom W. Smith, Mississippi State University, Poultry Science.

We read each document ourselves and last checked this page against them on October 5, 2026. Where they disagree, we show you the disagreement instead of picking a winner quietly.

Get a nudge on lockdown day

Log the hatch in PoultryPal and it counts down with you, then records how many chicks hatched and your hatch rate. Premium adds lockdown and hatch-day reminders. Free to download on iOS and Android.