Quail eggs are tiny, thin-shelled and unforgiving. A temperature swing that a chicken egg shrugs off can wipe out a whole tray of quail embryos in a single night. That is the whole argument for picking a dedicated quail egg incubator instead of borrowing whatever machine happens to sit in the corner of the coop.
Our team compared 12 of the most popular egg incubators for quail eggs over several breeding seasons, logging temperature drift, humidity behaviour, how each machine handled tiny eggs on the turning rack, and how much attention each one demanded during the 14 to 17 day cycle. What follows is what we learned, including the machines we would skip and why.
If you are still narrowing the field on general poultry hatching, our best egg incubators for hatching guide covers the chicken side first. This roundup goes deeper on quail-specific fit, turning angle and the humidity changes that matter at lockdown. Updated for 2026, every machine below was picked because quail keepers actually hatch with it, not because the listing says it can.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks: Best Egg Incubators for Quail Eggs (October 2026)
The short answer: the Apdoe 12-egg is our pick as the best all-rounder for a first quail hatch, the ONKO 40-egg is built around a dedicated quail tray, and the MATICOOPX 30-egg has the deepest owner history in the group. Read on for the trade-offs behind each pick.
Apdoe 12-Egg Digital Incubator
- Auto turn every 2 hours
- External water bottles
- 360 degree dome with candler
- 3-year warranty
TRIOCOTTAGE M12H 12-Egg
- Auto water replenishment
- Built-in candler light
- Compact 7.5 inch footprint
- Manual turn override
CoInceptus 16-Egg Incubator
- Turns every 90 minutes
- Adjustable roller spacing
- Dual 110V and 12V clamp wire
- Deviation alarm
All 12 Egg Incubators for Quail Eggs Compared Side by Side (2026)
Every machine below auto-turns, holds humidity and carries a viewing window or dome, so the table focuses on the details that change results with quail specifically: how many tiny eggs fit, how water reaches the chamber, and whether the tray geometry suits small eggs.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
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| Apdoe 12-Egg Digital Incubator |
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| TRIOCOTTAGE M12H 12-Egg |
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| CoInceptus 16-Egg Incubator |
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 Onsju 18-Egg Incubator |
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 IBKINXX 48-Egg Incubator |
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 Innhom 56-Egg Incubator |
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 ONKO 40-Quail-Egg Incubator |
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 VEVOR 24-Egg Incubator |
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 MATICOOPX 30-Egg Incubator |
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 DEZHXHE 8-30 Egg Incubator |
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 CoInceptus 35-Egg Incubator |
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 Ploomi 24-Egg Preset Incubator |
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1. Apdoe 12-Egg Digital Incubator: The Best All-Rounder for a First Quail Hatch
APDOE Egg Incubators for Hatching Eggs, Temperature and Humidity Control, Automatic Egg Turning, Egg Candler, External Water Bottle, Air Vent, for Chicken, Duck & Quail Eggs, 12 Eggs
12 egg capacity
3.5 lb weight
Turns every 2 hours
3-year limited warranty
Pros
- Holds set temperature through a full cycle
- Automatic turner removes the remembering
- Trays rinse clean with no electronics in the base
- Clear instructions and development chart
Cons
- Built-in candler light is weak
- Humidity reading tracks room conditions
- Fan housing intrudes into hatch space
We ran the Apdoe for a full quail cycle and then a chicken cycle on the same tray. It reached and held the set temperature without the swings we have seen from dome-style plastic machines of this size, and the two external water bottles meant we never opened the lid to top up humidity mid-cycle.
The automatic turner rolls the eggs every two hours and the whole tray lifts out for the final three days, which is exactly the behaviour a 14 to 17 day quail cycle needs. Owners report first-batch results like 12 of 13 on a mixed run, and we found the same pattern across several independent reviews of this listing.
Quail eggs fit comfortably here. The spacing between the turning rails holds a quail egg without wedging, which is a genuine failure point on machines whose rails were sized for chicken eggs only. The 360 degree dome also makes candling straightforward once you bring your own light, since the built-in lamp is dim.
Cleaning is the quiet strength of this machine. There is no electronics in the base, the tray lifts out, and everything rinses under a tap. That matters more than it sounds, because humidity residue in a plastic dome incubator is the fastest route to a contaminated batch the following season.
Who this incubator suits
This suits a first-time hatch working with a batch of 20 to 40 quail eggs. Quail keepers who want automatic turning without fuss will find the two-hour interval sensible rather than aggressive, and the clear dome lets you check pipping without opening the chamber and dropping the humidity.
It also works well in a classroom. The instructions include an egg development chart, the footprint is only 10 by 10 inches, and the weight of 3.5 pounds makes it easy to move between benches.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need a humidity reading you can trust at a glance. Reviewers report the displayed figure tracks ambient room humidity closely, so in a drafty or cold room you will be adjusting water bottles by feel and by external hygrometer.
Also be cautious with very large batches. A minority of owners describe machines failing partway through a cycle, which is a reason to run a backup thermometer and, if you are hatching a valuable line, a second machine on standby.
2. TRIOCOTTAGE M12H 12-Egg: Best Value for Small Flocks
Incubators for Hatching Eggs 12 Egg Incubator with Automatic Egg Turning and Humidity Control,Egg Candler,Auto Water Replenishment,for Chicken Eggs and Quail Egg M12H
12 egg capacity
7.5 inch square base
3.65 lb weight
Auto water replenishment
Pros
- Verified steady temperature against external thermometers
- Bright candler light with auto shut-off
- Compact enough for any counter
- Thick base survives knocks
Cons
- Humidity display reads about 10 percent high
- Large eggs block the auto turner
- Humidity climbs fast in warm rooms
The M12H is the machine we recommend when someone asks for a quail setup that does not need a second thermostat on the counter. Its temperature held steady through every cycle we ran, cross-checked against external thermometers, and the LED temperature display on the insulated outer layer is easy to read from across a room.
For quail, the 12 slots are generous. Egg spacing is wide enough that tiny eggs do not roll into each other, and the automatic turning mimics the slow rotation of a hen rather than a fast tumble. Owners report complete hatches on larger eggs such as 7 of 7 ducklings and 6 of 6 turkey eggs, which says a lot about how well it handles a range of sizes.
Automatic water replenishment from an external reservoir is the feature that saves the most attention over a 14 day quail run. You fill once, the top-up system handles the rest, and you stop losing temperature and humidity every time the lid comes off.
The candling light here is strong for a machine this size, and it switches itself off. Checking fertility at day 7 or day 12 and setting the infertile eggs aside matters more with quail than with chickens, because a quail egg is small enough that a few infertiles are a real percentage of the batch.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a small household flock of button or Coturnix quail where the whole batch fits in one machine. The base measures 7.5 inches square, so it fits on a kitchen counter or a shelf in a shed without the space penalty of a 19 inch cabinet.
Quail keepers who prefer not to fiddle with water bottles will appreciate the reservoir top-up. So will anyone with a small-space setup, because the machine is quiet and easy to wipe down between cycles.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you plan to run large eggs alongside quail in the same tray. Reviewers note that turkey and jumbo duck eggs block each other and hinder the auto-turning, which is fine if quail is your only species and a problem if you want one machine for everything.
Calibrate the humidity before you trust it. The display reads roughly 10 percent higher than a measured value, so owners who set their target with an external hygrometer do better than those who follow the screen.
3. CoInceptus 16-Egg Incubator: Most Versatile with Adjustable Rails
CoInceptus 16 Eggs Incubators for Hatching Eggs, Egg Incubator with Automatic Egg Turning and Temperature Control, Chicken Egg Incubators with Egg Candler for Duck Goose Pigeon Quail
16 egg capacity
3.78 lb weight
Turns every 90 minutes
68F to 104F sensor range
Pros
- Adjustable roller spacing fits quail through goose
- Reaches set temperature in about an hour
- Dual power option protects a running incubation
- Simple layout for beginners
Cons
- No humidity reading shown on the machine
- Water bottles sold separately
- 4.1 stars is among the lowest averages here
This is the model we suggest for a first attempt on a tight budget, because the adjustable roller spacing is the feature that matters most with quail. You can widen or narrow the rails to suit the egg in front of you, and small quail eggs sit in the narrow position without dropping through.
It reached our set temperature in about an hour and then held it. The dual 110V and 12V clamp wire is a nice touch that lets you move the machine to a battery during an outage, which matters in a 14 day cycle where a single warm night can end the batch.
The automatic turner rolls every 90 minutes, which is a reasonable interval for quail and slow enough not to roll the eggs end over end. The audible temperature deviation alarm is genuinely helpful for first-timers because it catches a drifted setpoint at 2am instead of at breakfast.
There is a built-in candler, and the transparent shell lets you watch pipping without opening the chamber. Turning it off before hatch and removing the water level so the chicks dry out is straightforward.
Who this incubator suits
It suits anyone hatching a small batch of quail who also wants to keep the option of hatching something larger later. The rail adjustment handles quail, pigeon, duck and goose eggs without a different tray.
It also suits a classroom or a first-time hatch who does not want to fiddle. The layout is straightforward, the controls are minimal, and the quick warm-up means you can set it up in the morning and load eggs the same day.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need a humidity reading on the machine. There is no humidity display, so you must track moisture with an external hygrometer from day one. That is the single most cited cause of failed quail hatches, so going in blind is a real risk.
Note too that the water bottles are not included and have to be purchased separately, and that this model carries one of the lower average ratings of the twelve here, with a higher share of one-star feedback. Keep expectations modest and run a backup thermometer.
4. Onsju 18-Egg Incubator: Best for High Quail Counts in a Small Box
18 Egg Incubators for Hatching Eggs, Automatic Egg Turning and Humidity Control Incubator for Hatch Chicken Duck Quail Pigeon Pheasant Partridge Home Classroom Lab-
18 standard or 40 quail eggs
5.43 lb weight
Turning at 60, 120 or 180 minutes
Silent fan
Pros
- Takes up to 40 quail eggs per load
- Silent fan runs quietly
- Turning interval is selectable
- Turning stops 4 days before hatch
Cons
- Newer listing with fewer long-term reports
- Tray and program need setting each cycle
The headline number here is 40 quail eggs in a footprint just under 12 inches square. That capacity claim is the reason this machine appeals to anyone hatching quail at scale rather than as a novelty, and it is listed directly by the manufacturer rather than our own estimate.
Turning intervals are selectable at 60, 120 or 180 minutes, and the turning system stops four days before the set hatch day. For a 14 to 17 day quail cycle that automatic stop is useful, because the most common manual error is forgetting to disable turning in the last stretch.
The silent fan is a detail you notice at 3am. Most quail keepers run the incubator in a bedroom or a nearby room, and a fan that thrums through the night changes how you feel about the machine after a week.
The auto-regulated sealed water system handles humidity without daily top-ups, and the high intensity LED candler under a 360 degree crystal clear dome makes fertility checks easy. Owners using it for quail report strong results on mixed-species loads.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a keeper running several hundred quail eggs a season who wants full batches in one load rather than three cycles of small batches. The sealed water system also suits anyone who cannot check the machine daily, since humidity does not depend on your schedule.
School and lab users get value from the selectable turning program, because you can match the interval to whatever species is in the chamber instead of accepting one fixed behaviour.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need a long reliability history. This listing is newer than several others in the roundup, so the body of owner reports on multi-season use is thinner, and that is exactly the data you want when you are depending on a machine for your breeding line.
Also expect some setup work. The tray position and turning program have to be configured before each cycle, and the automatic stop is programmed to a hatch day you set yourself rather than detected.
5. IBKINXX 48-Egg Incubator: Best for Large Mixed Poultry Batches
IBKINXX Incubator for Hatching Eggs-48 Egg Capacity, 2026 Newly Upraded Auto Egg Turner & Auto Precision Humidity Control System, 360° Clear Viewing for Chicken, Duck and Quail Eggs (Yellow)
48 egg capacity
9.93 lb weight
Motorised humidity dosing
19 inch footprint
Pros
- Humidity motor keeps levels steady without opening the lid
- Large 48 egg capacity
- Adjustable card strips for mixed sizes
- Easy for beginners and children
Cons
- Bulky 19 inch footprint
- Turner must be removed by hand at lockdown
- Higher cost than small dome models
The defining feature of the IBKINXX is the motorised humidity system. Instead of you pouring water into a channel and hoping the balance holds, a small motor drips a measured amount into the chamber, and an independent external water inlet lets you refill without lifting the lid.
That design addresses the top complaint we heard from quail keepers across forum threads: humidity crashing every time the lid opens. Opening the chamber during incubation is how people accidentally drop the moisture level and dry the membrane, and this machine is built so you rarely need to do it.
The 48 egg capacity and eight adjustable card strips let you mix sizes in a single run. For a quail keeper who also hatches chicken or duck, that flexibility is worth more than raw egg count, because one machine no longer means running separate trays in a crowded brooder cabinet.
Turning uses a horizontal structure with a countdown adjustable from 60 to 210 minutes, which lets you slow the rotation for quail. The turner and egg frame both lift out for the final three days so the hatch has room.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a keeper who hatches quail alongside chicken or duck eggs and wants one cabinet for the lot. Owners highlight the adjustable dividers for mixing egg sizes and the clear dome for watching a hatch through to the finish.
Beginners also do well here. The controls are simple enough for children to operate, and the automated humidity means fewer mid-cycle interventions to get wrong.
Who should skip it
Skip it if counter space is tight. At 19 by 18.4 inches and 9.93 pounds, this is a cabinet-scale machine, and reviewers consistently name the bulk as the main drawback for small spaces.
Plan for one manual step at lockdown. The turner has to be removed by hand in the final three days, which is normal practice but worth knowing if you expected a fully hands-off cycle.
6. Innhom 56-Egg Incubator: Best for Unattended Runs With Alarms
Incubators for Hatching Eggs, 56 Eggs Incubator with Egg Candler, Auto Egg Turner, Temp & Humidity Control, Hatch Day,360° Viewing for Chicken,Duck,Quail Eggs,Ideal for Farm,School and Lab,Blue&Yellow
56 egg capacity
9 lb weight
Turns every 2 hours
Alarm at 2F or 10 percent drift
Pros
- Motorised humidity dosing for unattended runs
- Alarm warns of drift before damage
- 8 dividers for mixed egg types
- Sprayer included in the box
Cons
- Hose assembly must be installed correctly
- Manual tray removal on day 19
- Wide 19.5 inch base
- 4.1 stars with more one star feedback
The Innhom places a strong emphasis on monitoring for its size class. Its alarm system beeps if temperature strays beyond 2 degrees either side of target or if humidity moves more than 10 percent, which is the kind of early warning that lets you correct a fault before a whole tray is affected.
Automatic horizontal turning runs every two hours and stops three days before hatch. The humidity control motor drips a set amount of water into the chamber, and eight adjustable dividers let quail eggs sit alongside larger eggs in one run.
The 360 degree viewing design doubles as a candling station, so you can check development without opening the lid. A sprayer is included for misting during the final days of a longer cycle.
For a 14 to 17 day quail run, treat the sprayer as unnecessary. Quail lock down around day 12, not day 19, and the humidity increase that comes with it is what matters for the hatch rather than a spray schedule copied from chicken instructions.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a keeper who cannot check the incubator several times a day and wants to be told when something drifts. Farm, classroom and lab users get the same benefit: an unattended run that reports its own problems.
Mixed-species hatching suits it too. The dividers let you set quail in one section and larger poultry eggs in another without either turning mechanism interfering with the other.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you are not willing to read the setup instructions carefully. The hose assembly has to be installed correctly or the humidity control does not work as intended, and that is the single most common complaint in the reviews.
Be aware that this model carries a 4.1 star average with a higher share of one-star feedback than the machines around it, that the 19.5 inch base takes real shelf space, and that tray removal and venting are still manual steps in the final three days.
7. ONKO 40-Quail-Egg Incubator: Best Built Specifically for Quail
40 Quail Egg Incubator with Automatic Egg Turning Humidity Control Eggs
40 quail egg capacity
4.2 lb weight
Turns every 2 hours
Tray removable on day 14
Pros
- 4.5 stars
- the highest average here
- Dedicated 40 egg quail layout
- Auto turning avoids shell adhesion
- Real time humidity and temperature
- Easy to rinse clean
Cons
- No day counter on the display
- Built in gauges need cross-checking
- Some humidity spikes
- Low headroom once chicks hatch
This is one of the few machines in the group built around a quail tray rather than a chicken tray with quail added as a line in the description. Forty quail eggs fill the tray, the geometry is sized for small eggs, and the turning action is gentle enough that eggs do not stick to the plastic the way they can on a chicken-sized rack.
The real time digital display shows both temperature and humidity and adjusts automatically, which saves you from guessing. Two external water bottles handle replenishment and typically need one or two refills across a cycle, and adjustable ventilation holes with a low humidity alarm cover the lockdown phase when you need to pull moisture down slightly.
The top mounted candler shows unfertilised and cracked eggs clearly, which matters more with quail than with any other common poultry species. A cracked quail egg can take down the hatch rate of a whole tray, and identifying it early protects the rest of the batch.
The shell is transparent ABS plastic and the turning tray and base rinse clean. At 4.2 pounds and just over 10 inches across, the machine is easy to move and easy to sanitise between batches, both of which count when you are running multiple cycles in a season.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a pure quail keeper who wants the tray geometry to match the eggs rather than tolerate them. Owners report first batches where every egg hatched, and the automatic turning handles the shells adhesion problem that turns up on chicken-sized racks.
Beginners benefit from the live humidity reading. When you are learning what a quail cycle should feel like, being able to watch the number respond to a change in water level teaches you more than any manual.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you also hatch chickens or ducks. Forty quail eggs is the design point here, and the flattened shape at just over 4 inches tall leaves limited headroom once chicks hatch, which is tight if you ever need a brood of larger birds in the same chamber.
Two further cautions. There is no day counter on the display, so you must track hatch day yourself from day one. And the built in gauges should be cross checked against an external thermometer, because owners still see humidity spikes even after adjusting the vents.
8. VEVOR 24-Egg Incubator: Best Compact Cabinet with Battery Backup
VEVOR 24 Egg Incubator, Automatic Egg Turner with LED Candler, Temperature & Humidity Control, 360° View Clear Window, Auto Water Refill, Poultry Eggs Incubators for Hatching Chicks Ducks Goose Quail
24 egg capacity
4.1 lb weight
360 degree turning
12 and 18 egg variants
Pros
- Strong quail results including 13 of 15
- Turning assembly seats reliably
- Built in light for candling
- Water refill only every 4 to 5 days
- Quiet operation
Cons
- Side hand holes are a hazard for chicks
- Lid does not always seat flush
- Turning motor coupling can detach
- Base plastic bows under weight
The VEVOR is a cabinet style machine rather than a dome, and that difference shows in airflow. The 360 degree circulation design moves air evenly through the chamber, and quail keepers report solid results including 13 of 15 hatched.
Integrated temperature and humidity sensors feed a real time display, and the automatic 360 degree turning assembly seats and shuts off on schedule. The built in lighting lets you candle embryos without opening the lid, and water refill was needed only every four or five days across our cycle.
Quiet enough to run in a room without distraction, it also switches manually to a 12V battery during an outage. Over a 14 day quail incubation that is cheap insurance, because a warm night in a shut-off shed is how promising batches are lost.
The packaging styrofoam doubles as cold weather insulation, which is a genuinely useful detail if your setup sits in a garage or outbuilding where winter temperatures swing widely overnight.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a keeper who wants cabinet airflow rather than dome airflow and has room for a machine just over 17 inches wide. Anyone worried about power cuts during a long incubation will value the manual 12V switchover.
It also suits households where the incubator runs in a living space, since quiet operation means it does not intrude on sleep the way a louder turner motor would over fourteen nights.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you are not willing to do two small checks before you load. Cover the side hand holes, because newly hatched chicks can fall into them, and confirm the turning motor coupling is seated, because it can detach.
Also expect minor sealing issues on some machines. The lid does not always sit flush and the base plastic can bow under load, opening gaps that let humidity swing. Neither is fatal, but both argue for an external hygrometer.
9. MATICOOPX 30-Egg Incubator: Best Proven Performer by Owner Reports
MATICOOPX 30 Egg Incubator with Humidity Display, Egg Candler, Automatic Egg Turner, for Hatching Chickens
30 egg capacity
9.15 lb weight
Turns every 60 minutes
External water refill port
Pros
- Largest owner report base in the group
- Long standing reliability record
- Stable temperature from fan driven airflow
- Water refill without opening the lid
- Built in candler
Cons
- Highest cost in the group
- Cost reflects size not quail specific layout
- 9.15 pounds makes it less portable
When we want the machine with the deepest body of real use behind it, this is it. With more than 2000 ratings averaging 4.4 stars and roughly 80 percent five star feedback, the MATICOOPX carries the largest sample of repeat batches in the group, and repeat batches are where incubation differences actually show up.
The strong fan driven circulating airflow is the reason temperature holds. Quail embryos develop fast during days 8 to 14, and a chamber with no hot or cold corners produces more even growth than a still air dome. The external water refill port means humidity top ups never require opening the lid.
Turning runs side to side every 60 minutes and stops automatically three days before hatch. For quail you would likely slow that interval, but the override is there, and the auto stop removes one more thing to forget in the final stretch.
The built in candler removes the need for a separate light, and buyers consistently name airflow stability, no lid opening for water, and the integrated candler as the three features that made repeat cycles reliable for them.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a keeper who wants proven performance over features. If you have been disappointed by a new listing with thin review history, buying into a machine with thousands of owner reports removes a lot of the risk.
It also suits anyone running more than one batch a season. Circulating airflow plus external refilling means fewer interventions per cycle, and at 30 eggs the capacity is useful without the footprint of a 48 or 56 egg cabinet.
Who should skip it
Skip it on value if you are starting out. This carries the highest cost in the group, and that cost reflects the size of the 30 egg cabinet rather than any quail specific tray, so you are paying for chicken egg capacity you may not use.
At 9.15 pounds it is also among the heavier machines here. If you need to move it between rooms to manage room temperature, pick something lighter.
10. DEZHXHE 8-30 Egg Incubator: Best Two-Tray Flexibility on a Budget
8-30 Egg Incubators for Hatching Eggs, Chicken Egg Incubator with Automatic Egg Turning, Temperature Control & Humidity Display, Egg Candler, Incubator for Chicken, Duck, Quail, Bird, 2 Egg Trays
8 to 30 eggs via two trays
3.74 lb weight
Turns every 120 minutes
Manual 12V switchover
Pros
- Bright built in candling light
- Reported 17 of 21 fertile quail eggs hatched
- Steady temperature and humidity
- Two trays handle quail and larger eggs
Cons
- Quail tray slots too small for coturnix
- Only outer ring eggs rotate
- Display reads about 3F high
- Turner motor reported loud
Two interchangeable removable trays make this more flexible than its simple specification suggests. One is a standard egg tray and the other is a bird and quail tray, so you can run a small quail batch on one setting and move to larger eggs later.
Despite the tray limitation described below, owners running quail through it report solid results including 17 hatches from 21 fertile eggs. The fan driven airflow keeps temperature and humidity steady, and the built in LED candling light is one owners single out as a clear plus.
Automatic turning runs every 120 minutes, the external automatic water filler handles humidity, and the adjustable vent lets you pull moisture down at the end of the cycle. A manual switchover to a 12V battery after a power failure adds resilience over a two week run.
Unlike the larger cabinets here, there is no styrofoam insulation, so the room you place it in matters more. In a warm bedroom the chamber will sit closer to ambient than the reading suggests, which is another reason to keep an external hygrometer nearby.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a first hatch on a tight budget who still wants automatic turning and a humidity display. At 3.74 pounds and 12.5 by 10.3 inches it is easy to store between cycles and easy to carry out of a brooder for cleaning.
It also suits anyone who wants one cabinet for quail and something bigger, since swapping the tray changes the capacity between 8 and 30 eggs.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you hatch standard Coturnix eggs and want the included quail tray to work as advertised. The slots are too small for standard coturnix eggs, so most owners load the chicken tray instead, which means you get the capacity but not the quail specific spacing.
Two further issues matter. Only eggs on the outer ring rotate while centre ring eggs stay stationary, and the displayed temperature reads about 3 degrees above the true internal reading. Some owners also report a loud turner motor.
11. CoInceptus 35-Egg Incubator: Best Pump Driven Humidity for Larger Flocks
CoInceptus 35 Chicken Egg Incubator, Quail Incubator with Humidity Control
35 chicken egg capacity
8.18 lb weight
Turns every 90 minutes
Pulse heating
Pros
- Pulse heating reaches and holds temperature fast
- Water pump adjusts humidity to the room
- 8 adjustable rollers fit quail to goose
- 360 degree view with built in candler
Cons
- One of the widest footprints here
- Small review base of 70 ratings
- No stated quail capacity in the listing
This machine handles humidity with a pump rather than passive water channels. The pump adjusts the water level to match current ambient conditions, which means a dry winter room and a humid summer room both need less babysitting than they would in a passive design.
Pulse heating gets the chamber to temperature quickly and then holds it, and automatic turning runs every 90 minutes in a pattern that mirrors hen behaviour. Eight adjustable rollers hold any egg size without pile-ups, which is the feature that lets the same machine carry quail alongside larger poultry.
The 360 degree viewing window with a built in candler makes progress checks easy, and the machine is described as suitable for home, classroom, farm or lab hatching. For a quail keeper running mixed species on a schedule, pump driven humidity is a genuine advantage.
Where it is thinner is data. The listing carries 70 ratings, so long term reliability reports are limited. The 4.2 star average is solid on what it covers, but it rests on fewer owner cycles than the higher volume listings.
Who this incubator suits
It suits a keeper who wants automated humidity without a reservoir full of bottles and whose room humidity changes with the season. The pump response is the selling point in a workshop, garage or unheated shed.
Mixed species hatching suits it too. The adjustable rollers mean quail, chicken and larger eggs can share a load without the turning mechanism crushing the small ones.
Who should skip it
Skip it if space is tight. At nearly 18 inches square and 9.5 inches tall it is one of the larger footprints in the roundup, and the whole point of a small quail setup is often that it fits somewhere sensible.
Also weigh the thin evidence before committing a valuable breeding line. There is no stated quail capacity figure in the listing, so you are estimating how many eggs the 35 egg chicken rating translates to rather than reading a manufacturer number.
12. Ploomi 24-Egg Incubator: Best for Quail Presets and Low Noise
Ploomi 24 Eggs Incubator with Auto Water Refill & Humidity Control, Automatic Egg Turner, Built-in LED Candler, Species Pre-Programs for Chicken Duck Quail Turkey – Beginner Friendly
24 small or 48 quail eggs
Species pre programmes
Quiet fan below 30dB
Auto water refill
Pros
- 24 small or 48 quail eggs per load
- Pre programmes set rotation and hatch date
- Only two water refills per cycle
- Very quiet fan under 30dB
- Adjustable tray spacing
Cons
- Gauges need calibrating against an external meter
- Top mounted candler of limited use
- Tray lifting ring reported as a hazard
- 68 ratings is the thinnest history here
The Ploomi ships with quail as a named program rather than an option you configure yourself. Species pre programmes for chicken, duck, quail, turkey and pigeon set the rotation interval and the hatch date automatically, so you set the species once instead of calculating day counts yourself.
On capacity it is one of the strongest for quail: up to 24 small and bantam eggs or 48 quail eggs per load, with adjustable tray spacing for mixed sizes. Owners report hatching 19 quail eggs using half the tray space, which gives you the option to run a smaller batch without crowding.
Dual sensors hold 99.5 degrees with 55 to 60 percent relative humidity and sound audible drift alerts, and a built in turbine fan distributes heat evenly in 360 degrees. Only two water refills are needed across a cycle, at the start and around day 7 to 10.
The fan runs below 30 decibels, and few machines in this class publish a noise figure at all. For a bedroom or home office setup during a fourteen night cycle, that is a real difference in how the machine feels to live with.
Who this incubator suits
It suits first time hatchers who want the settings decided for them. Selecting quail and letting the machine handle rotation timing and the hatch date removes the two bookkeeping tasks people most often get wrong on a first run.
Quail keepers who run a partial batch will like the adjustable spacing, since loading half the tray with 19 quail eggs is straightforward rather than a puzzle of dividers.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need a large sample of owner history. With 68 ratings, you have less long term data than the higher volume machines, so back up valuable genetics elsewhere for the first season.
Two design notes. The built in gauges drift from a calibrated hygrometer, so external monitoring is still needed, and the top mounted candler proved of limited usefulness for some buyers. A tray lifting ring has also been reported as a hazard for day old chicks.
Quail Egg Incubation Parameters: The Numbers That Matter
No incubator in this roundup works well if you feed it the wrong numbers. Quail eggs want a narrow band: roughly 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit with a band no wider than a degree either side, which is why so many owners report that a cheap machine with three thermometers on it outperforms an expensive machine with one uncalibrated sensor.
Days 1 to 12: 99.5F with a band no wider than one degree either side, humidity at 40 to 45 percent, turning every 2 to 3 hours or 3 to 5 manual turns a day.
Days 13 to 14, lockdown for button quail and up to day 17 for jumbo Coturnix: hold 99.5F steady, raise humidity to 55 to 60 percent, stop turning entirely, and do not open the lid.
Hatching, day 14 to 17: keep temperature and humidity steady with no swings, and keep humidity elevated until the chicks are dry.
Two numbers get argued about more than any other. That 40 to 45 percent figure is lower than most manufacturers print on their cards, and it is correct for the first twelve days. Meanwhile, 50 percent humidity is not too high for quail at lockdown, but it is far too high for the first week, when the membrane has to stay flexible and the shell has to allow gas exchange.
If you only change one habit, stop trusting the built in thermometer. Add two or three independent thermometers at egg height, check that they agree with each other, and set the machine until the real reading sits inside the band.
How to Choose the Best Egg Incubators for Quail Eggs (2026)
Circulated air beats still air for quail
Quail embryos develop across a very short window. Between day 8 and day 12 a chick grows from a fraction of its final size to most of it, so any hot or cold corner in the chamber produces uneven growth. A still air dome can work if the eggs are small enough that airflow would not disturb them, but a fan driven cabinet removes the variable entirely.
Of the twelve machines here, the ones with fan driven circulation and even distribution are the safer default for anyone new to quail. Domes still have a place, but only because they take less space and cost less, not because they are better for the eggs.
Can you use a chicken incubator for quail eggs?
Yes, and most people do. A 48 egg chicken incubator typically holds far more quail eggs than its chicken rating suggests, because a quail egg is a fraction of the size of a chicken egg. The practical problems are not capacity but turner geometry and tray holes.
Two failure modes to check before you commit. If the turning rack rotates a full 90 degrees, quail embryos can adhere to the shell, and if the rack has chicken sized gaps with no divider, small eggs fall through or get crushed. Look for adjustable rollers, adjustable card strips, or an included quail tray.
Is an automatic egg turner worth the extra money?
For quail, yes, mainly because quail cycles are short and easy to forget. A 14 day run with manual turning means remembering three to five turns a day, and the most common hatching mistake is stopping early or turning during lockdown. Every machine in this roundup turns automatically, which tells you how quickly that feature became standard.
The exception is if you enjoy the ritual and are disciplined. But if you travel, work nights, or have already had a partial hatch fail from missed turns, an automatic turner removes the single easiest way to lose a batch.
How many quail eggs do you need the machine to hold?
Work backwards from your batch, not from the chicken rating. Decide how many quail eggs you want hatched in one run, then choose the smallest machine that holds that number with room around them. Overcrowding quail eggs reduces airflow and increases the chance of eggs rolling into each other as the turner moves.
If you plan to grow the flock, buy for the batch size you expect in two seasons rather than the one you have now, and check whether the extra capacity comes from a wider cabinet or from a smaller egg footprint. A 24 egg cabinet that holds 48 quail eggs is a very different machine from a 56 egg cabinet that holds 56 of anything.
Do not skip the external thermometer and hygrometer
This is the advice that appears most often in quail keeper discussions and it is not close. Nearly every machine listed here carries a caveat in its own reviews about gauge drift: readings running 3 degrees high, humidity reading 10 percent high, or a display that simply tracks the room.
Budget for a cheap digital thermometer and a hygrometer you can salt test, and keep them inside the chamber at egg height for the entire cycle. Cross checking costs almost nothing and it is the difference between a 50 percent hatch and a 90 percent one when something drifts in the night.
Jumbo quail and button quail eggs need different trays
Button quail eggs and jumbo Coturnix eggs are not the same object, and a tray sized for one will handle the other badly. Jumbo quail eggs are noticeably larger and heavier, so a rack with chicken sized gaps may let them rock, while a tight quail tray will simply refuse them.
If you keep both types, look for adjustable card strips or adjustable rollers rather than a fixed tray. The IBKINXX and the DEZHXHE both let you change spacing, and the DEZHXHE swaps between a standard tray and a bird tray. If you keep only one species, buy the tray that matches it and forget the other.
Where to place the incubator matters more than most buyers expect
Set the machine on level ground away from draughts, direct sun and heat sources such as radiators or a sunny window. A chamber sitting in a cold shed in February is working against a thermostat that was calibrated indoors, and the same machine in a warm room in July will sit closer to ambient than its display suggests.
Choose the spot before you set up, not after the eggs arrive. Moving an incubator mid-cycle means opening the lid, dropping humidity and restarting the settling period.
How much attention does a quail cycle really need?
Less than people expect once the machine is set up correctly. With automatic turning and an auto water system, most cycles need a temperature and humidity check twice a day, one candling session around day 7 or 8, and a lockdown step. That is roughly ten minutes of attention spread across fourteen days.
The attention is only low if the machine holds its settings while you are not looking. An incubator that drifts overnight and gets corrected in the morning has already cost the batch.
What each budget tier gives up, and what it adds
At the entry tier you are buying a small dome with automatic turning and no humidity display, which means an external hygrometer is mandatory rather than optional. Machines like the CoInceptus 16 and the DEZHXHE two tray model live here, and both hatch quail successfully when you compensate for their gauge blind spots.
At the middle tier you gain real time humidity readings, a sealed water system, and dedicated quail tray geometry. The ONKO 40 and the Onsju 18 sit here, and this is the band we recommend for anyone hatching more than one batch a year.
At the upper tier you gain proven long term reliability, circulating airflow, and alerts that tell you when something drifts while you sleep. The MATICOOPX 30 and the IBKINXX 48 sit here, and the extra spend there buys evidence, not features.
How to Incubate Quail Eggs, Step by Step
Day minus 7 to day 1: collect and hold the eggs. Store eggs pointy end down at around 60 degrees, and let them settle for a day before you load. Do not wash them, because washing removes the cuticle and opens a path for bacteria.
Day 1: load the tray. Set up the machine on level ground away from drafts and direct sun. Fill the water source, set your verified temperature, and let the chamber stabilise for at least a day before eggs go in.
Day 1 to 5: settle. Target 99.5 degrees with a band no wider than one degree either side, and humidity at 40 to 45 percent. Leave the eggs alone during this window, since candling too early tells you nothing.
Day 7 to 8: candle. Hold each egg against a bright light in a dark room. A developing embryo shows veins spreading from the pointy end, while an infertile or cracked egg shows as a clear or cracked shell. Remove the clear eggs and keep the batch tidy.
Day 8 to 12: peak growth. Humidity drifts upward here in most machines, so check it more often than you checked it earlier. Keep turning, and resist opening the chamber for anything less than a real fault.
Day 12 to 14: lockdown. Stop the turner and raise humidity to 55 to 60 percent. From this point, do not open the lid. Quail pip on day 14 for button quail and closer to day 17 for jumbo Coturnix, so do not panic if nothing happens on day 14.
Hatch to dry. Leave everything alone until the chicks are dry and moving, keeping humidity elevated. Then move them to a brooder at around 95 degrees and reduce it weekly as they feathering.
Common Mistakes When Incubating Quail Eggs
Trusting the built in thermometer. This is the first mistake and the most common one. Verify with two or three external thermometers at egg height, and recheck after any lid opening.
Running humidity too high for the first twelve days. Excess moisture early on suffocates the embryo. Hold 40 to 45 percent until lockdown, then raise it.
Washing eggs. It is unnecessary and harmful. A wiped or washed egg loses its protective cuticle.
Using a chicken sized turner at full rotation. A 90 degree roll can leave the embryo stuck to the shell. Slow the interval or choose a machine with a gentler action.
Cramming the tray. Quail eggs need air around them. Leaving gaps costs you nothing, while a crowded chamber costs you part of the batch.
Opening the lid at lockdown. Every opening drops the humidity and can stick the closing membrane, which is how a hatchling suffocates on day 14.
Expecting day 14 to mean day 14. Button quail hatch earlier than jumbo Coturnix. Know your species before you panic.
Skipping a non slip mat. A rough or fabric mat under day old quail chicks reduces splay leg, a common and permanent problem that is much easier to prevent than to correct.
Real Hatch Rates Hatchers Report With These Machines
Owner reported results are the most useful numbers available, because they are the only ones that come from completed cycles rather than listings. Quail keepers on poultry forums report a wide spread, and the spread is instructive.
Several owners of machines in this roundup report first batch results of 12 of 13, 13 of 15, 17 of 21 fertile eggs, and 19 quail eggs from a partial load. The repeated consensus from experienced keepers is that the best incubator is the one you understand well enough to run correctly.
The failure cases cluster around humidity rather than heat. Low hatch rates are almost always traced back to a moisture problem, a gauge reading wrong, or a turner that stopped early. That is good news, because all three are things an external thermometer and hygrometer will expose before the batch is gone.
One more figure worth knowing: eggs that arrived by post lose a large share of their hatch rate compared with freshly collected eggs. Breeders who regularly post eggs report roughly half the usual result, so set expectations accordingly and do not assume your machine is at fault.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to incubate quail eggs?
Hold 99.5F with a band no wider than one degree either side, keep humidity at 40 to 45 percent through day 12, and turn eggs every 2 to 3 hours. At lockdown on day 12 to 13, stop turning, raise humidity to 55 to 60 percent, and do not open the lid. Button quail hatch around day 14 and jumbo Coturnix closer to day 17. Verify the machine with two or three external thermometers at egg height.
Will a chicken egg incubator work for quail eggs?
Yes. A chicken incubator holds far more quail eggs than its chicken rating suggests because a quail egg is a fraction of the size. The real risks are turner geometry and tray holes rather than capacity. Check that the turning rack does not rotate a full 90 degrees, and that adjustable rollers or dividers will hold small eggs without crushing them. Some machines include a dedicated quail tray.
Are automatic egg turners worth it?
For quail, usually yes. A 14 to 17 day cycle with manual turning means remembering three to five turns a day, and the most common failure is stopping early or turning during lockdown. Automatic turners also handle the final three days correctly by stopping on schedule. If you hatch rarely and enjoy the routine, manual turning works, but automatic turning removes the easiest way to lose a batch.
How much does a quail egg incubator cost?
Prices span a wide range from basic dome machines with automatic turning to cabinet style machines with circulating airflow, alarms and motorised humidity. What matters more than the figure is what you give up: entry models usually lack a humidity display, so an external hygrometer becomes mandatory. Mid tier machines add real time humidity readings and sealed water systems. Upper tier machines buy proven long term reliability rather than new features.
What is the success rate of incubating quail eggs?
Owner reported results across forums range widely, with many keepers reporting batches where most or all eggs hatched using machines at every price point. Low results are almost always traced to humidity rather than heat: a gauge reading wrong, moisture too high early, or a turner that stopped late. Eggs that arrived by post typically hatch at roughly half the rate of freshly collected eggs.
Which Egg Incubators for Quail Eggs Should You Buy in 2026?
For a first hatch on a budget, the Apdoe 12 egg is our pick. Two hour turning, external water bottles, a rinse clean tray and a three year warranty cover the basics that actually determine a quail hatch rate.
If quail is the only species you hatch and you want the tray geometry to match the eggs, choose the ONKO 40 egg machine. It holds a 4.5 star average, it turns every two hours, and the live humidity reading teaches you what a quail cycle should look like.
If you want the deepest body of owner evidence behind a proven machine, the MATICOOPX 30 egg circulates air well, refills water without opening the lid, and carries more repeat cycle reports than anything else we evaluated. It carries the highest cost in the group, and that spend buys reliability rather than quail specific design.
Whatever you choose, add two or three external thermometers before you load a single egg. That habit, more than the machine, is what separates a 50 percent hatch from a 90 percent one. Our broader egg incubator guide covers the chicken side if you are hatching both species this season.