How Many Eggs Does a Quail Lay?

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Bobwhite quails lay an average of 12 eggs per clutch, though they can lay as many as 20; they only lay one egg a day. They lay a large number of eggs because they often lose their nests. It takes nearly a month for the quail to hatch.

They also account for losing their nests by laying another clutch. Each time they lose a nest, they lay another, at least until the end of the season. Both the large number of eggs and the persistence in hatching a clutch helps to offset the fact that quail have a high mortality rate each year.