Coturnix vs Bobwhite Quail
The short version
| Attribute | Coturnix Quail | Bobwhite Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Incubation days | 17–18 days (most hatch day 17) | 23 days (into day 24) |
| Lockdown day (stop turning) | Day 15 | Day 21 |
| Temperature (forced-air) | 99.5–100°F | 99.5–100°F |
| Humidity (incubation → lockdown) | 50–60% → 65–75% | 55–60% → 65–75% |
| Maturity speed | Very fast — laying by 6–8 weeks | Slow — matures over ~16+ weeks |
| Primary purpose | Eggs & meat | Game / release / dog training |
| Temperament | Calm, easy to keep | Skittish, flighty, wild game bird |
| Hatching difficulty | Easy & forgiving | Fussier — unforgiving of temp drift |
| Sexing | Adult plumage / foam gland ~3 wks | Adult plumage (throat markings) |
The verdict
Pick **coturnix** if you're a beginner, want eggs or meat, and value a fast, forgiving hatch — 17–18 days to hatch, laying birds in under two months, and a calm temperament make them the easiest quail to start with. Pick **bobwhite** if your goal is a game bird for a hunting preserve, dog training, or release: they hatch on a longer 23-day schedule, take far longer to mature, stay wild and flighty, and demand tighter temperature control. If you just want quail and aren't sure, start with coturnix.
The incubation schedules are not interchangeable
The single biggest mistake is treating both species like one bird. Coturnix hatch in about 17–18 days — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension lists japanese quail at 17–18 days and Mississippi State University Extension cites 17 days — with turning stopping and lockdown beginning on day 15. Bobwhite need the full 23 days (Mississippi State), locking down around day 21, three days before hatch.
Both run at 99.5–100°F in a forced-air incubator and both raise humidity to roughly 65–75% at lockdown, so the machine settings feel similar. But if you set both species together and pull bobwhite for lockdown on the coturnix calendar, you will kill the bobwhite hatch — they are still six days from hatching when coturnix chicks are already zipping. Tag your trays and keep the calendars separate.
Different birds for different goals
Coturnix are the production quail: they mature astonishingly fast (hens can lay by six to eight weeks), lay heavily, and are calm enough to keep in small colony setups. That makes them the standard pick for eggs and meat and the friendliest species for a first-time hatcher.
Bobwhite are a native North American game bird. They grow far more slowly, stay skittish and flighty their whole lives, and are raised mostly for hunting preserves, dog training, and habitat release rather than the kitchen. They also tolerate almost no temperature drift in the incubator, so they reward careful calibration and punish a wobbly machine.
Candling and brooding both species
Both quail lay small, heavily speckled eggs that are much harder to candle than chicken eggs — work in a fully dark room with a bright, focused candler and lean on the air cell rather than trying to read fine veining. Coturnix candle around day 7–10; bobwhite around day 7 and again near day 14 before the longer run-up to lockdown.
Chicks of both species are tiny at hatch. Use fine mesh they cannot slip through and a waterer filled with marbles or clean pebbles so they can drink without drowning. Neither can be reliably sexed at hatch — wait for adult plumage (and, in wild-type coturnix, the male's cloacal foam gland around three weeks).
Frequently asked questions
- Are coturnix or bobwhite quail easier to hatch?
- Coturnix are easier. They hatch faster (17–18 days vs 23), mature quickly, have a calm temperament, and are more forgiving of small incubator swings. Bobwhite need the full 23 days and tolerate almost no temperature drift, so they're the fussier hatch. Beginners should start with coturnix.
- How long do coturnix vs bobwhite quail eggs take to hatch?
- Coturnix hatch in 17–18 days (most on day 17) — one of the shortest incubation periods of any poultry. Bobwhite take 23 days (occasionally into day 24). Don't lock down bobwhite early on a coturnix schedule.
- What day is lockdown for each species?
- Coturnix: day 15. Bobwhite: day 21. In both cases you stop turning, raise humidity to about 65–75%, and keep the incubator closed until the chicks hatch — day 17 for coturnix, day 23 for bobwhite.
- Do coturnix and bobwhite need different incubator settings?
- Temperature is the same — 99.5–100°F in a forced-air incubator for both. Running humidity is close (coturnix ~50–60%, bobwhite ~55–60%), and both rise to ~65–75% at lockdown. The real difference is the calendar: 17–18 days for coturnix, 23 days for bobwhite.
- Which quail is better for eggs, and which for hunting or release?
- Coturnix are the egg-and-meat quail — they lay heavily and mature in 6–8 weeks. Bobwhite are the game bird — raised for hunting preserves, dog training, and release, not egg production. Choose based on your goal.
- Can I incubate coturnix and bobwhite eggs in the same incubator?
- Yes, but tag the trays and track two separate calendars. Because coturnix lock down on day 15 and bobwhite on day 21, you'll need to stop turning and raise humidity for the coturnix while the bobwhite are still mid-incubation — get that timing wrong and you lose the bobwhite hatch.
Sources
- Incubating and Hatching Eggs (Table 1: japanese quail — 17–18 days, 99.5°F, transfer day 15) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (University extension)
- Incubation duration periods (bobwhite quail — 23 days; coturnix — 17 days) — Mississippi State University Extension Service (University extension)
- Important incubation factors (temperature, humidity, turning, lockdown) — Mississippi State University Extension Service (University extension)