How to Hatch Bobwhite Quails Without Incubation

Bobwhite quails, also called Virginia quails or Northern Bobwhites, can be found in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. These quails are often farmed for various purposes. Unlike other fowl, bobwhite quails are not dedicated mothers and often their quail eggs chicks do not survive if left unattended. Though incubation is a common method for saving quail eggs, it is possible to hatch them by using chickens.

Things You'll Need

  • Basket
  • Tray
  • Air conditioning or heater
  • Thermostat
  • Hen
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Instructions

    • 1

      Monitor your bobwhite quails so that you know exactly when they lay their eggs. When they do, gather the eggs in a basket, handling them carefully. Bobwhite quails will lay several eggs a day, so gather them at least three times a day to ensure that you get all of them quickly. Because the mothers may not sit on the eggs, you need to get to them as soon as possible.

    • 2

      Place the eggs in a flat container or tray and set the container in a room where you can control the temperature. Set the temperature to about 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity to no more than 70 percent. Keep the eggs in this environment for 5 to 7 days.

    • 3

      Find a hen, preferably a Bantam hen, that is broody. A broody hen has her own eggs and her mothering instincts will be strong. When the broody hen leaves her eggs for a brief time to eat or get water, carefully slip the Bobwhite quail eggs in with the Bantam eggs.

    • 4

      Watch as the hen comes back to the nest. On rare occasions, the hen will reject the new quail eggs and may peck at them. More than likely, though, the Bantam hen will accept the eggs as her own and will sit on them and care for them just as she would her own. When the eggs hatch, she should treat the baby Bobwhite quails as her own chicks.