The Highs and Lows of Hatching Quail (and Why I Can't Stop)

I’ll admit it: I’m addicted to hatching quail. It is such a fun way to explore something so magical and mystical.

I originally got into quail because of my friend Amanda. She was about to move and had just bought a few quail to try out, so she asked if I wanted them. I immediately said yes. Our first group consisted of three females and one male. We built a small chicken/bunny hutch in the backyard, but on the second day, we opened the cage and one bird flew right over the fence into our neighbor's yard. I remember running over with two frantic kids in the early morning to ask if we could look for it. Looking back, I’m surprised she said yes, but we never found that quail.

For a while we just kept those three, but then I got more involved. I found a local quail group online and bought three more. That’s when the magic really started. Just for fun, I gave two eggs to some friends who had an incubator, and lo and behold, they hatched! Soon after, I got my own incubator. The first time we tried it, only one egg hatched; we loved that little guy for the single day he was alive.

After that, I decided we were done hatching quail. Then one day while I was asleep, my eldest child convinced my husband to incubate some more eggs.

A little more than two weeks later, we had a whole army of baby quail! They grow incredibly fast. With so many new birds, I had to get to work on housing. Since it was mid-summer in Phoenix, they stayed inside. I really enjoyed having them there—until they started to stink.

Eventually, one group of baby quail turned out to be all males, which was difficult. I also had one female in the group that laid blue eggs—a celadon—but she unfortunately passed away. I put all the remaining blue eggs into the incubator hoping to have more one day, but only a few made it, and I have yet to see any more blue eggs.

The males were loud and aggressive, so I knew I had to do something. I started watching videos about culling quail and had to hype myself up to treat it professionally. One night while my husband took the girls out for dinner, I culled about 10–12 males. I tried to be as respectful as possible, holding each one and thanking them for their service. It wasn't my favorite moment, but I felt a sense of pride. Being able to cull poultry felt like a true "homestead" milestone!

We took a break from incubating during our winter move, but eventually I started again. I’ve successfully hatched two different batches in the new house so far. My last batch was a group of celadon eggs; eleven out of twelve hatched! Sadly, I only have six left now. Quail are very fickle birds.

Now all my quail, except for the six babies, are outside enjoying the warm weather. You can bet there will be more incubations in the future!

Confessions of a Quail Landlord: Building the "Good Enough" Home

As the warmth of spring began to break through the bite of our first winter in the pines, I knew it was time to move the quail outside. Let’s be honest: birds stink. Keeping a dozen quail in our sunroom was making the whole house smell. I debated for a long time how to house them. One option was ordering a hutch online, but they can cost up to $400 (why isn’t there a larger market for quail hutches?). I also considered having someone build one or even repurposing an old outdoor playhouse—an idea I still want to try—but I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy the materials myself.

So off I went to Home Depot with my niece and two young kids in tow. I sat in the parking lot with a notebook and a crayon and sketched a design. After a very long trip through the store—my kids can attest to that—I left ready to build. My goal was to avoid any return trips, which is always a challenge. There are always hiccups; for me, it was the screw lengths. I luckily found some longer screws left over from a previous project, but in other parts of the build, even my shortest screws were too long.

Also, I hate boxes…they are the worst. 

As time went on, I could see my idea coming to life. It wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but I did it. I made something that would get at least five of my quail out of the house. By the time I finished the bottom trays, attached the door latch, and moved the hutch into place, the sun was setting. I debated waiting until morning to move the birds, but the excitement of a finished project won out. I chose my younger group of adults and introduced them to their new home. I sat for a good hour just watching them, seemingly paralyzed by the fresh air.

That was the first night I ever had animals outside while I slept. It was nerve-wracking, and the next day I was terrified to check if they were still alive. To my relief, they were! About a week later, I built a bigger and better version. Now all my quail live outside. They’ve survived multiple nights without a single death—well, not from being outside, anyway (one was being a bully, so he had to go).

The point is, don’t let the fear of perfection or failure stop you from doing what needs to get done. You can still get those stinky quail out of your house with an ugly hutch!