Q&A for How to Hatch Quail Chicks

Yes, it the same way but it is very unlikely that the eggs from the store are fertilized and will hatch. If for some reason they are fertilized, purchase eggs from a store (the ones in a carton) and leave it in an incubator until the eggs start to hatch.

If you want to incubate the eggs, then yes. If adults aren't near for two days, they will not try to incubate them.

It depends on what type of quail you are hatching. It will usually pip 18-20 days in incubation, so maybe wait a few more days.

The 25 watt lamp would indeed start a fire. However, if you keep the lamp at least 1 1/2 feet above the ground and there is no loose hay or straw near the bulb, it should be okay. Indoors at a room temperature of around 65-75 F, you would still need a brooder lamp.

You should be able to keep 25-50 chicks in a one square foot brooder, but as they get older you will need to provide more space.

Continue to follow the same steps above. The method won't change depending on where you have acquired your eggs from. However, you need to candle your eggs a week into incubation to ensure they are fertile. If you allow infertile eggs to incubate for more than several days, they will explode in the incubator. For your second question, duck and quail eggs require the same amount of care and effort during their incubation process, so they are both very similar. For example, the eggs have to be turned several times a day. However, quail eggs have a shorter incubation range (18 days on average), while duck eggs take up to 34 days to incubate. Thus, quail eggs are less time-consuming.

Quail will jump on and off their eggs when they feel the eggs are getting too hot. Depending on what season you're in, it can still be quite warm in some regions of Australia even during winter and autumn. If you feel like the eggs are at risk, feel free to salvage them and put them inside of an emergency incubator.