Hatching Quail Eggs in Summer: Everything You Need to Know

June is one of the best months of the year to hatch quail eggs at home. The weather is warmer, school holiday projects are beginning, and if you have been thinking about keeping quail - or expanding your flock - now is the time to get eggs in the incubator.

Here at Beeswax Bay Farm in Atherstone, Warwickshire, our Coturnix quail are laying well through the summer months. Here is everything you need to know about hatching in June and July.

Why Summer Is a Great Time to Hatch

Quail can be hatched year-round with the right equipment, but summer has some genuine advantages.

• Brooding is easier - keeping chicks warm in a brooder requires less energy in summer. In winter you are fighting the ambient temperature; in June the room temperature is already working with you
• Outdoor access earlier - quail chicks feather up quickly, and summer-hatched birds can move to outdoor housing sooner
• School holiday projects - June and July hatch perfectly for families wanting a summer holiday project that genuinely holds children's attention from day one to hatch day
• Flock building - if you want a laying flock producing eggs by autumn, June hatched birds will be at point of lay by late August

What You Need Before Your Eggs Arrive

• An incubator with automatic turning and a reliable thermostat
• A digital hygrometer for accurate humidity readings
• A brooder box ready for when chicks hatch (a large plastic tub with a heat plate works well)
• Chick crumb with at least 28% protein - quail chicks need high protein from day one
• Shallow water dishes with marbles or pebbles to prevent drowning

Summer Incubation Settings for Coturnix Quail

One summer-specific note on humidity: on hot days, the air in your home may be drier than usual if you have fans or air conditioning running. Check your hygrometer more frequently in a heatwave and add water to your incubator's reservoir as needed to maintain the 45-50% target.

What to Expect: A Summer Hatch Timeline

• Day 1: Eggs set in the incubator, automatic turning begins
• Day 10: Candle the eggs - developing eggs show a dark mass of veins; clear eggs are likely infertile
• Day 15: Lockdown - stop turning, raise humidity to 65-70%
• Days 17-18: Hatching begins. You may hear cheeping from inside the eggs the day before

A good hatch rate for shipped fertile eggs is 60-80%. Order slightly more eggs than you need to allow for natural variation.

About Our Eggs

Our fertile Coturnix quail hatching eggs come from our free-ranging flock here in Atherstone, Warwickshire. They are collected fresh, never washed (to preserve the natural bloom), individually bubble-wrapped and dispatched within 48 hours of collection.

We recommend resting eggs for 24 hours on arrival before setting them in the incubator - pointed end down, at room temperature.

Perfect For

• First-time incubators wanting a quick, rewarding hatch (17-18 days is fast!)
• Families looking for a summer holiday project with a real payoff
• Schools and community groups - we love supporting educational projects
• Experienced keepers expanding their summer flock

Packaging & Dispatch

The eggs are bubble-wrapped and packed in a sturdy postal box. Dispatched within 48 hours of collection - tracked postage with dispatch notification.

Order Fertile Quail Hatching Eggs