If you’ve read my page on the Pros and Cons of Raising Quail and have decided that Coturnix Quail are for you, great! If you are now looking for information on keeping them, welcome to my guide to raising quail! As a disclaimer, please be aware that as my blog is homesteading related, there will be references about keeping them for eggs and meat in this particular article. If you are looking to keep them as pets or are fundamentally opposed to keeping them for utility, this is likely not the guide for you and you should skip it.
With that said, read on if you are looking for information on:
You are viewing: When Do Quail Start Laying Eggs
- History of Japanese Coturnix Quail
- Coturnix Quail Life Cycle
- Incubating Quail Eggs & Treatment For Curled Toes
- Brooding Quail Chicks
- Housing and Predator Proofing
- Feeding and Watering Quail
- Overwintering Quail in Northern Climates
- Sexing Coturnix Quail
- What To Do If Your Quail Is Injured
- Other Tricks and Tips to Successful Quail Keeping
- Why Are My Quail Not Laying?
Remember: Whenever you choose to bring in new animals to your home, quarantine measures should be taken seriously. Do not introduce new birds to your flock for a minimum of 14 days, since there are bacteria and other diseases that can stay in the soil for years, not to mention wipe out your entire flock. Wash your hands, don’t wear the same clothes you did when taking care of the new ones and your existing ones, etc.
Every so often I raise a batch (or two) of Coturnix, usually ordering the eggs online or picking up chicks from a local seller. I quite like them—they are small, taking up very little space, and provide delicious eggs and meat for my family with very little feed. Taking care of them is actually very easy compared to my muscovies—the only reason I don’t do them more often is because unlike my ducks, they can’t free range and take care of garden pests. That said, I do enjoy them when I have them, and there are some things to look out for when you raise them. Hopefully this guide is a good overview on how to do so.
History of Coturnix Quail
Coturnix quail are a genus of Old World quail that have been kept as a source of food for hundreds of years. Both Japanese and European Coturnix (Coturnix japonica and Coturnix coturnix, respectively) are kept as poultry by both commercial operations and smaller homestead/hobby keepers for their eggs and meat, the Japanese species being more likely to be found.
Around the 12th Century, the widespread use and domestication of Japanese Coturnix began (although there is some evidence that suggest it to be earlier). World War II brought the domestic population bred for eggs in Japan to the brink of extinction, careful efforts helped revive the industry. It is thought that all the current egg laying lines are from this group.
Due to the fact that it crosses easily with the Common (or European) Quail, and it is thought that they are the same species but due to geographic isolation has produced variations different enough to warrant separate scientific names, the Japanese Coturnix is used to hybridize with the Common Quail to replenish declining wild populations of the latter.
A ground dwelling migratory species, they can be found in Asia and Europe, with other species in the mediterranean and Australia.
Quail eggs are popular as garnishes for tartare!
Coturnix Quail Life Cycle
A commonly asked question is: How long do Coturnix quail live?
Coturnix quail are not long lived birds, their lifespan averaging between 1.5 – 2.5 years. They start as eggs which are brooded (incubated) by the female, and after 17 days, chicks emerge with the ability to walk, eat, and drink on their own, under the watchful eye of the quail hen. Domestic quail have generally lost the instinct to brood, and the majority of eggs are artificially incubated.
At around 7 – 8 weeks, the female quail will begin laying eggs, and will continue to do so for the rest of her life. The males will begin mating with the females, as well as fighting amongst each other for the chance to do so. There are reports of both monogamous pairings and polygamous pairings among male and female quail, and domesticated quail are often kept in breeding quads of 1:3 male to female, or pairs. They are not as stringent on a pecking order as chickens are, but are territorial, and in some cases cannibalistic, so care must be taken when introducing new quail.
Incubating Quail Eggs
One of the ways to obtain your own set of quail is to purchase eggs for hatching. While the initial investment might be higher due to having to purchase an incubator, the cost decreases as you hatch more. Since the eggs are so small, you can easily hatch two dozen or more in a small incubator. While the original Janoel is now rare to find, many similar ones have been created, including one by Magicfly (forced air, automatic turner) which work quite well for hatching quail. Below I have also included the temperature for still air incubators and egg turning settings for incubators without an autoturner.
Temperature: Depending on the type of incubator you get, the temperature setting will be different. Forced air incubators have fans moving the air around whereas still air does not. While slightly higher or lower temperatures will usually only affect incubation times, large temperature fluctuations may cause deformities and/or deaths, so a surge protector is recommended during incubation.
Still Air Temperature: 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.8 degrees Celsius)
Forced Air Temperature: 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius)
Humidity: Humidity is important during incubation and hatching as it controls the moisture loss in the eggs. The larger the surface area of the water source, the higher the humidity will be. Too high and the chicks may drown in the eggs, too low and they are at risk of being shrink wrapped.
Humidity: While most guides say that between 35 – 55% relative humidity for the first 14 days, and 55%-70% the last 3 days of incubation is standard, I find that dry hatching quail when the ambient humidity is higher than 25% results in a higher hatch rate and less drowned eggs. I also find that humidity at lockdown at around 40-50% is better.
Egg Turning: If you don’t have an automatic egg turner, you should turn the eggs a minimum of 3 times per day, although 5 times is best for the first 14 days. Stop turning the last 3 days to prevent pipping at the wrong side. It should always be an odd number, so that it is resting on a different side every night. Marking with a pencil and keeping a notepad handy helps you remember which side it should be on. Not turning the eggs can result in deformities and death.
How to incubate: If you purchased eggs and they were shipped to you, you should let the eggs rest pointed side down (air cell up) for at least 24 hours before you incubate. Throw away any that look cracked since bacteria will have made their way inside, although you can use melted candle wax to seal the cracks to give them a chance. If you collect eggs from your own birds, store them pointy side down in a carton until you have enough. The first few eggs of your hens may not be fertile, so it is best to use ones after a week or two of them starting to lay.
In the meantime, using a separate thermometer and hydrometer, run the incubator for 24 hours to check that the temperature and humidity is stable. For the style of incubator I linked, a small medicine cup filled with water maintains a more stable humidity than pouring water on the bottom (and, I feel, is more hygienic.) Add more cups for higher humidity.
Shipped eggs do best being incubated upright in a carton that gets tilted rather than on their sides, since some can have detached air cells. However, the choice is ultimately up to you.
It takes 17 days for quail eggs to hatch. Remove the eggs from the auto turner/stop manually turning the eggs on day 14 (Day 0 being the day you set the eggs.)If you have to increase the humidity, a sponge helps. Do not open the incubator during hatch, as you can dry out the eggs and cause them to be shrink wrapped. The actual mechanism of shrink wrapping isn’t so much what the humidity is, but the swing in it. Opening the incubator causes whatever water that has condensed on the surface of the shell to evaporate, and since water is polar, it pulls moisture from within the shell out with it. Adding more water can actually be counterintuitive, as humidity stability rather than the actual % is what matters in preventing shrinkwraps.
Quail hatch relatively quickly from external pip (when they make a small hole in the shell) to zip (when they start cutting through the shell.) They burst out of the eggs like popcorn. They can stay in the incubator for about 24 hours before they start to dehydrate, but since opening the incubator is risky, the best thing to do is wait until no eggs are pipped before moving the hatched chicks. Your brooder (which is explained in the next section) should be set up to accept the quail chicks once they hatch.
If no more eggs hatch 36 hours after the first egg, then you can try candling them to see if the rest are good. Any that are clear never developed and can be removed, those that have movement can be placed back in the incubator to finish. It is the unfortunate truth that a portion will have died in the course of incubating—which may be due to any number of factors.
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Any that have pipped but have not progressed in 24 hours likely passed as well, or have something wrong with them. If they are still alive and you are certain they have absorbed all the yolk and blood (there are Youtube videos on how to tell) you can try to assist but there is a school of thought that it’s best to let them quietly pass as these would fail to thrive, or pass on weak genetics.
Treatment for Curled Toes and Spraddle Leg
Once in a while, a chick may come out with curled toes or spraddle leg, or sometimes the two in conjunction. It is thought to be a possible issue with temperature or humidity during incubation if several have it, although once in a while it shows up for no discernible reason. Some attribute genetics, or the hen’s diet while she laid the egg. You can usually tell if one is going to have it within the first half hour of hatching—newly hatched quail chicks right themselves very quickly, but if their toes are curled and the constantly fall over or roll even after the half hour mark, you likely have a curled toe or spraddle leg situation on your hands. You can quickly intervene and fix the issue by using a bandaid and making a little sandal for their feet. I find a regular bandaid with the pad cut in half is perfect for them. I then cut the sticky part into strips to secure the foot. They are small and wriggly so be careful you don’t injure them while doing this.
For spraddle leg, or otherwise known as splayed leg where one leg is stuck out at an angle and they can’t get it under themselves, you can also utilize a bandaid or vetwrap where you bring in the legs and tie them together under the body. I personally use a cotton string, create two loops, slip their feet through by pushing their toes together, and then using either tape or a bandage to tighten the loop. The knot I make is NOT able to be tightened, to prevent the possibility of them tightening it themselves and cutting off circulation. I do it this way so that the chicks can move more freely.
At first the quail chick will have difficulty standing and moving around, but it will eventually get the hang of it. You can remove it after two or three days to see of the issue has been fixed.
The Celadon Gene
According to the original importer of the first Celadon quail, the genes that make the eggs speckled should not be bred together due to the fact that beak and feet deformities, plus low weight and size have been reported (from JMF Premier Coturnix). I can confirm this to be true in a batch of Celadons I hatched—several had feet issues, were very tiny, and had spraddle leg so be aware of this possibility.
Brooding Quail Chicks
You hatched (or got) some quail chicks! Your brooder should have been set up for at least 24 hours prior to hatching/receiving chicks. This is so you can check the temperature is correct and stable before placing them in it. A brooder simulates the heat the mother quail would be providing to the babies, and provides them with a safe place to grow.
When your quail first hatch or your receive them as chicks or even adult birds, it is a good idea to provide electrolytes and nutrients in their water, such as Sav-a-chick powdered electrolytes. I prefer giving them GROGEL extra hydrated in lieu of water for the first three days. They love the green jiggly gel and it has protein, vitamins, and electrolytes.
Some quail naturally find their food and water, but others may need some help. There are several ways to tempt them to start eating and drinking, so feel free to try these methods if you have to teach your baby quail how to eat/drink:
- Tapping method – using your finger, tap the food and water. They can be very curious and they may copy you.
- Play a video of other quail eating/drinking (with sound).
- Place something shiny like a dime in their food and water.
DO NOT force feed them as they will aspirate (get food and water into their lungs) which will lead to death.
The brooder should have a heated side and a non-heated side so the chicks can choose which side they want to stay on. If they’re too hot they can cool down at the unheated side, and if they are too cold they can move to the heated side. While a heat lamp (ceramic bulb or regular heat bulb) can be used, many people choose to use a heat plate brooder because it allows the chicks to sleep and is also not a possible fire hazard like the lamps can sometimes be.
The temperature on the heated side should be 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week, decreasing 5 degrees every week until it reaches the ambient outdoor temperature. At about 5-6 weeks, the quail will have fully feathered out and can go outside so long as night temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
I highly recommend brooding them in the garage, shed, or somewhere not in the house, as poultry dust isn’t great for the lungs, and they tend to smell. Wood shavings (so long as it’s not Cedar) is fine as bedding. Avoid newspapers, since it can become slick when wet, or any other slippery surfaces as it can cause injury to their legs.
Make sure whatever you use to keep your food and water (they should be very shallow and no higher than a 1/2 inch off the ground) that they won’t get trapped or fall asleep and drown in it. I use the lids of jars for their first week.
Quail chicks are so tiny that they need the food (24 -30% protein, like game bird starter: Purina, Dr. Pol’s, Nutrena) to be ground up finely. A coffee grinder or food processor works well for this purpose. You can also skip this step and just moisten the feed with a little water—however, it will have to be changed out often to prevent mold. Once they are about two weeks old, the crumbles would be fine, and as adults they can move to pellets.
Housing and Predator Proofing
Once the quail are ready to move outside at around 5- 6 weeks, you’ll need secure housing for them. The most important thing to remember is that everything, and I mean everything wants to eat them. Raccoons, feral cats, wild dogs, foxes, coyotes, rats, opossum, hawks, just to name a few of the animals that would make quick work of quail.
Whatever you choose to keep them in will need to be reinforced with 1/4 inch welded wire/hardware cloth, 19 gauge or thicker. Anything larger means a raccoon can reach in and kill a bird, dragging it out piece by piece. I reinforce the bottom with hardware cloth as well (double layered, a few inches away), but it may not prevent rats from nibbling toes. Providing them some sort of platform to climb onto to escape can help prevent that.
Some people use rabbit hutches, others use movable runs. For a while I used finch flight cages that I placed within my duck run. At my new place, I’m using rabbit hutches. For cleaning, a wire bottom can allow droppings to fall through to the ground, which you can shovel to your compost pile (it will have to be composted for a year before it’s usable for your plants, as the high nitrogen content can burn the roots.) You can also use a tray but if you have a lot of birds, it can be quite a bit to clean.
In commercial operations, 4 quail can be kept in 1 square foot of a cage. I personally prefer to give them more space, as I feel it provides them with a better quality of life.
Make sure there is no more than 1 male to every 3 – 4 females (more females and egg fertility goes down, less and the males tend to scalp them due to overbreeding), and it is best if multiple males don’t stay in the same cage—they will fight and kill one another. Quail in general can be quite territorial, and are often fine until they are suddenly not (many people wake up one day to find that the birds have slaughtered one another). It’s best to do introductions slowly, avoid overcrowding, and not keep multiple males together.
A note of caution: if you use any enclosure that’s higher than 2 feet tall—quail, when startled, have a tendency to fly straight up which can cause them to break their necks from bonking their heads on the top of the cage. Insect netting 2 – 3 feet up from the bottom of the cage can help prevent that from happening. The holes in bird netting may be a strangulation hazard, so be aware of that if you choose to use it.
The enclosure should have protection from the rain and wind driven rain, so a roof will be necessary. It is your choice to provide sleeping/nesting boxes for them or not. Sometimes they will use it to lay eggs in, sometimes they won’t. About half of my quail enjoy sleeping in a cardboard box at any given time.
Some people purchase specially made quail cages to make egg collection easier, as the cage bottom is tilted slightly so that the eggs roll down to a collection tray.
Feeding and Watering Quail
Game-bird feed with at least 24% protein is needed for quail at all stages of life, who basically lay up until the day they pass. Higher protein can help increase egg production, but too high can cause obesity which can actually decrease production. You have a few options that can be found at your local farm and feed supply, or you can order feed on Amazon: Purina, Dr. Pol’s, Nutrena.
The hens also need a source of calcium to form the egg shells, so you should make sure there is calcium in the feed you are providing. You’ll know you aren’t providing enough if they start laying soft shelled or no shelled eggs. An easy way to do this is to roast their spent egg shells (or chicken egg shells) and powder them to add back to their feed. A teaspoon per cup of feed is more than enough. You can also hang cuttlefish bone and the ones who need it will take it. Cuttlefish bone is soft enough for them to break off pieces themselves.
I personally use 30% turkey starter and switch to 1:1 with 16% layers feed once they start laying so that they get the calcium in their feed.
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Quail also need a source of grit, which is small pieces of stone used to help grind up food in their gizzard (since quail don’t have teeth.) Poultry feed generally include that so you don’t need to add it specially.
Once they are past the chick stage and no longer at risk for drowning, you can use regular gravity chick feeders and waterers. However, I really like using a large hamster bottle or chicken nipple waterer for water, and they easily and readily use it. It keeps the water clean and you can easily add more without having to open the cage and risk the birds flying away.
As for treats, try not to give them more than 10% of their diet in treats. They enjoy chopped fresh vegetables and fruits, seeds, and mealworms or crickets. A cautionary phenomenon called coturnism exists where people become gravely ill from eating quail that have eaten certain toxic plants (some blame hemlock, hellebore, or woundwort for the reaction) so caution should be taken when feeding them non-commercial feed with the intent to use them for meat.
Overwintering Quail in Northern Climates
In northern climates like here in Long Island, Coturnix can survive the winters with just a little bit of help. They don’t need supplemental heat (and in fact, supplemental heat can be dangerous since if it cuts out, they can die from the sudden shock—which actually may be due to the sudden condensation of water in the warm area onto them and the freeze causing hypothermia. Warm air holds more moisture.) but they do need protection from the wind, snow, and rain but have enough air flow so that humidity doesn’t build up since wet and cold is what kills poultry in the winter. Plastic sheeting can be installed around 3 of the sides to minimize wind driven rain and draft.
You’ll want something that can keep the water from freezing—heated waterers exist as well as de-icers you can purchase to submerge in their existing waterers. There are also rabbit type water bottles that are heated to keep the water from freezing, if you prefer that type.
A nest box that has wood shavings in it can give them some warmth as well, especially if they snuggle up to one another. An easy to clean idea is cutting holes in cardboard boxes and stuffing it with straw—once it gets too gross just throw it out and replace.
Sexing Coturnix Quail
In general, there are a few phases of Coturnix that can be sexed by the colors of feathers. The males and females of the wild type, the most common color variation, can be separated through the colors of their chest feathers-the males are not speckled and have a reddish hue to the feathers on the breast, while the females have a speckled chest. Below is a picture comparison. The male is on the left, the female is on the right.
When they come of breeding age, you can vent sex them (but be careful so you don’t injure them)—males produce a foam from their cloaca while females do not. The female’s cloaca will be bigger than the males since they must pass the eggs. You will have to use this method if you have a color variety that can’t be sexed by the feathers.
You can also, if your hearing is good enough, differentiate between the males and the females, and while both call, males tend to call more and will have their version of a “crow.” A tip I was given was to play a male crowing on loop, the females will call back while other males will come running (I suppose in order to challenge the “new male” into a fight.)
What To Do If Your Quail Is Injured
Injury and illness generally follow poultry first aid. You can take a look at the first aid kit list myself and some other members of the BYP Discord server put together.
Isolate so the ill or injured quail isn’t bullied and also decreases the chance of it passing whatever it has onto the rest of the flock.
Keep it warm UNLESS you believe it has a traumatic physical injury (keep it cool in that case to reduce swelling, especially for head injuries) but give it space to escape the warmth if it wants to.
Keep it in a quiet, dim place to reduce stress.
Give it electrolytes and nutrients in the water (like Sav-a-chick) EXCEPT in cases of suspected cocci, due to the fact that the nutrients will cause the cocci to bloom. Provide fresh water with no additives as a choice, so it can drink from both.
If it has an external injury, clean the wound, apply a cream that doesn’t have a pain killer (as it is toxic to animals), and either keep it isolated until it has healed, or once the bleeding has stopped, use Blue Kote so that the wound won’t be attractive to the other quails to pick on. Birds tend to like the color red, and once they begin picking at a wound, they often don’t stop and make it worse—sometimes even killing and eating the injured animal. Blue Kote turns the wound blue which is not an attractive color for them.
Other Tricks and Tips to Successful Quail Keeping
Sand for dust bathing – Quail dust bathe to keep themselves clean, so providing a place for them to do so is not only stimulating for them and may keep them from feather picking out of boredom, but can also keep them healthier. You can purchase chinchilla dust bathing material plus a chinchilla dust bath container that they can hop into so they don’t make too big of a mess.
Diatomaceous earth for mites – mites are pests that sometimes show up in quail. Adding a little to their dust bath and around the cage (not too much, as it can cause respiratory issues) can help keep them at bay. This is not a cure, but as a preventative measure—actual infestations will require medication.
Treats are okay to give in moderation (no more than 10% of their daily intake of food) and quail enjoy seeds, insects (mealworms and black soldier flies), and sometimes greens like chick weed or alfalfa.
Quail seem to prefer laying in the afternoon, and will use a nest box if you provide it to them. Some will lay gorgeous blue eggs with brown speckles if you manage to get birds with the Celadon gene.
Why Are My Quail Not Laying
You got quail and you’re eager to start collecting eggs. Perhaps they’re already over 8 weeks old and you haven’t seen one yet, or maybe you got adults and while they laid the first two days you had them home, it’s been a week and they haven’t done so again. What gives, and what can you do to help?
Age – First thing’s first, the age of the bird is important. Coturnix quail can lay as young as 6 weeks old, or wait until 5 months or more (depending on what time of the year they hit maturity.) Quail generally don’t like very long so they tend to lay until they pass, but some older ones slow down or stop.
Gender – Make sure your birds are female, as some morphs of coturnix can be difficult to feather sex.
Weather – Quail tend to be sensitive to weather, so storms and sudden changes in temperature (high or low) can cause them to stop laying for several days. My quail, due to a warm and bright February, started laying one week and then a snowstorm stopped them for half a month. Heat stress can also cause them to stop laying.
Time of Year and Light – My quail here in New York stop laying in October and generally start in April*. They CAN start early which is related to the amount of light they get. Quail need about 15-16 hours of light in order to trigger egg laying. In the winter, when there is less light, they tend to stop laying but you can artificially increase it by stringing up LED lights on a timer to have them lay throughout. *An important thing to note is your hutch position matters as well—if it’s in a shaded area it will take longer for them to start in the spring. I have two hutches, one in shade and one in sun (both are in half day of sun in the summer—the one shaded is only because it has a structure casting shade on its south side during the winter.) The one in shade will start in April, the one in the sun can start as early as February.
Stress – Quail can stress easily and anything from weather, to changes in location/environment, to predators taking a look at them, or loud noises will cause them to go off lay. A camera watching your coop can tell you whether or not a predator is harassing them. Having a place they can escape to like a covered area is a great way to make sure they feel safe. Too many males that cause overmating or aggression can also cause the birds to stop laying so make sure your gender ratio is correct.
Nutrition and Egg Eating – If the protein level/nutrition level is off, they will stop laying. I always recommend using a feed that has been pre-formulated rather than mixing your own. They need about 24% protein feed to lay every day (although they can survive on 16% layers feed). If they don’t have enough nutrition, they may stop laying altogether, or they may start eating their own eggs to make it up. Either way you will have no eggs. If you suspect egg eating, a roll away cage or a tilted mat that rolls the eggs into a covered area they cannot reach can help you determine if that is an issue. It’s important to fix the feed to extend their life of lay.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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