By Leo Chan, Senior Packaging Consultant, BonitoPak. Last updated: November 2026.
Quail egg cartons are molded pulp packs with small cells cut for quail eggs, not chicken eggs. Ours come in 12, 18 and 24 cells, with cells about 32 mm wide at the rim and 25 mm deep, and they weigh 18 to 30 g depending on the count. They suit Coturnix and Bobwhite eggs, and they are made for breeders, specialty poultry sellers and gourmet retail.
Fit is the whole job. A cell that is too big lets eggs rattle and chip. A cell that is too small leaves the lid open or cracks a shell. This guide covers sizes, which quail eggs fit, why a chicken carton does not work, labeling, printing on a small lid, windows, hatching egg transport and a simple test, using the specs of the cartons we make in Dongguan, China.
What Are Quail Egg Cartons and Who Uses Them?
Quail egg cartons are small molded pulp trays with a locking lid, built around the size of a quail egg. Breeders use them for retail packs and customer sales. Specialty poultry sellers, gourmet grocers and food service buyers use them too. Ours are formed from post-consumer recycled paper pulp by wet pressing, with a top fold clamshell and a front locking tab.
The cell is cut to genuine quail geometry. It is not a chicken mold with shallower cups. That matters because a quail egg is far smaller than a chicken egg, so the shape of the cup, not only its depth, decides whether the egg sits still. You can see the product on our quail egg cartons الصفحة.
What Sizes Do Quail Egg Cartons Come In?
Ours come in 12, 18 and 24 cells on a compact footprint. The 12 cell carton measures 130 x 100 x 42 mm and the 18 cell carton measures 165 x 115 x 42 mm. The 24 cell outer size is not published, so ask for a drawing before you plan case sizes. The table shows the spec.
| الميزة | BonitoPak quail egg cartons |
|---|---|
| Cell counts | 12, 18 or 24 |
| Models | EC-Q12, EC-Q18, EC-Q24 |
| Cell size | About 32 mm at the rim, 25 mm deep |
| Outer size, 12 cell | 130 x 100 x 42 mm |
| Outer size, 18 cell | 165 x 115 x 42 mm |
| Unit weight | 18 to 30 g, depending on count |
| الطراز | Top fold clamshell with front locking tab |
| Colors | Natural pulp, six stock colors, custom match |
| العلامة التجارية | Embossed, debossed or flexographic print |
The height is only 42 mm, so a stack of empty quail cartons is very compact. They nest, and we pack them in bulk in export cartons, or with custom packing if you ask.
How Many Quail Eggs Equal a Chicken Egg?
Roughly four to five quail eggs match one large chicken egg by volume. A quail egg typically weighs 10 to 14 g, against about 57 g for a chicken egg. That is why twelve and twenty-four are common retail counts for quail, and six is rare.
It is worth stating this on the pack. Shoppers who are new to quail eggs ask it again and again, and a short line such as “about 4 quail eggs equal 1 chicken egg” saves a question and lifts confidence. Put the count of eggs and the recipe note where a buyer can read both at once. If you sell a twelve and a twenty-four, the pack count also tells shoppers how much they are buying, because the carton looks small either way.
Which Quail Eggs Fit a Quail Egg Carton?
Coturnix and Bobwhite eggs sit correctly in our cells, since their eggs fall in a similar size band. Button quail eggs are noticeably smaller, at around 20 mm, and sit loose in a standard quail cell. If you run Button quail only, we recommend custom tooling rather than accepting a loose fit.
Weight spread inside one flock is the part buyers miss. One breeder on a quail forum weighed 35 eggs from young hens and found weights from 13.9 to 24.5 g, with only the lighter ones fitting the cartons they had tried. That is one flock, not a standard, but it shows the trap. A flock sold as quail can include eggs well above the average, and a carton that fits the average egg can still reject the largest. Weigh a sample of your own eggs, including the biggest, and test those in a formed carton before you plan a run.
If your hens lay very large Coturnix eggs, say so when you ask for a quote. We can discuss a custom mold sized to your eggs. A retail listing for a standard quail carton states plainly that it does not hold Coturnix or jumbo eggs, so check the claim on any carton you buy, ours included.
Why Can You Not Use a Chicken Carton for Quail Eggs?
A chicken carton is too big for quail eggs, and the eggs roll, rattle and chip. A cell cut for a 57 g egg gives a 12 g egg room to move, and every bump in transport becomes a hit against the cell wall or a neighboring egg.
Tight cell fit prevents the rattle and shell chipping that oversized cells cause. That is the reason we cut a dedicated quail cell and do not offer a chicken mold with shallower cups. A chicken carton with padding is not a safe fix for a product you sell.
What Label Rules Apply to Quail Eggs?
Quail eggs follow different label rules than chicken eggs, and the rules depend on your state. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture fact sheet on egg labeling is a useful example. It says non-chicken eggs need the species on the label, and they are labeled ungraded, because no USDA or Wisconsin grade standard applies to them.
The same fact sheet lists the usual elements: the word eggs, the packer name and address, net quantity, a refrigeration statement, safe handling text and a date of pack. It also gives a sell by limit of no more than 30 days from pack. Other states differ, so confirm yours with your state department of agriculture before you print.
We print the artwork you supply, but we do not create or verify regulatory content, because those items are issued to you and vary by state. Our guide on ملصقات وأختام علب البيض shows what most sellers print on chicken cartons, and much of it carries over to quail.
Can You Print on a Small Quail Carton Lid?
Yes, but keep it to one element. A twelve cell quail lid gives around 90 square centimeters, enough for a brand mark and a short line of text. Embossing tends to work better than print at this scale, because it does not need registration accuracy on a small curved panel.
You have three finishes. Embossing is formed in the mold, so it adds no print step. Debossing presses a mark into the lid and reads as quiet and premium. Flexographic print adds color, with a plate charge for each color. Pulp texture softens fine detail, so a bold mark reproduces better than small text. Put the required text on a small sticker or a sleeve if it does not fit. Our guide to custom printed egg cartons and labels compares what lasts on pulp.
Which Colors Come in Quail Egg Cartons?
Our cartons come in natural pulp, six stock colors and custom matched shades. The pigment is blended into the pulp before forming, so the color runs through the fiber. Quail eggs are speckled, with brown and cream markings, so natural pulp shows them honestly and a soft color can frame them.
If you want a brand shade, we match to a Pantone reference or a physical sample as closely as pigmented fiber allows. An exact ink match is not possible in pulp, because fiber scatters light differently from coated paper. We send a formed sample for approval before production. You can compare the stock shades on our كرتون البيض الملون الصفحة.
Can a Quail Carton Have a Clear Window?
A windowed carton needs a plastic film insert, and that breaks the single material construction. It also stops the carton composting as one unit. Buyers who want the eggs visible usually specify an open top tray inside a printed sleeve, which keeps everything fiber based.
This is a real choice, not a detail. Shoppers like to see speckled eggs, so a window sells. If you want both, the tray and sleeve gives the view and keeps the pack plastic free. Ask for a sample of the sleeve and tray together, and check that the sleeve slides on and off without catching.
Does the Carton Affect Quail Egg Shelf Life?
The carton does not extend or shorten shelf life, but it does help with moisture. Unwashed quail eggs stored cool typically hold quality longer than chicken eggs relative to their size, because the shell membrane is dense. Pulp contributes moisture regulation, since fiber neither traps condensation against the shell nor dries it out the way a sealed plastic pack can.
Keep eggs cold, keep the pack dry and put a pack date on it. Do not state a shelf life on the pack unless your state rules and your own records support it.
Can You Ship Hatching Quail Eggs in These Cartons?
Our product page lists hatching egg transport as a use, but a carton alone does not make a safe shipment. Hatching eggs need cushioning, a snug fit and a rigid outer box, and carrier and state rules vary. Treat the carton as the inner tray and test the full pack before you send eggs to a customer.
Weigh the full box, drop test it from table height and open it to check for movement. If eggs shift, add filler until nothing moves. Do this with real eggs and not with dummies, because the weight and shape of a real egg change how it behaves.
How Do You Test a Quail Egg Carton Before You Order?
Run a short test on a formed sample with your own eggs. A carton passes when every egg sits on its cell floor without rattling and the lid closes with no pressure on a shell.
- Weigh your lightest and heaviest eggs and seat both in the sample.
- Close the lid and check that the front tab locks with no force.
- Shake the closed carton gently and listen for rattle.
- Stack three filled cartons and look for lid bulge.
- Carry one packed case a short distance and check for cracks.
- Check that your label text fits the lid, or plan a sticker.
Keep the approved sample as your standard for reorders.
How Do You Order Quail Egg Cartons From BonitoPak?
Send your cell count, color and artwork idea to leo@bonitopak.com, and say whether you want a stock carton or a custom mold. Stock molds carry a lower minimum than custom tooling, and we confirm the exact minimum with each quote. The range is friendly to low volume specialty breeders, so ask for a sample first. If you also sell chicken eggs, compare our علبة بيض سعة اثني عشر بيضة and order both cell counts in one shipment, which is quoted per line and shipped in one container.
Egg cartons are generally treated as secondary rather than direct food contact packaging, but requirements vary by market, and we supply material declarations on request. Our product page describes the cartons as biodegradable and home compostable, so ask for the supporting documents before you print that on your own pack. Seasonal sales fail on approval time, not on manufacturing, so allow time for shade approval, artwork proofing and sea freight. You can see the rest of the range, including the 18 cell and 24 cell sizes, on the BonitoPak homepage.
الأسئلة الشائعة
Q: What size are quail egg cartons?
A: Ours come in 12, 18 and 24 cells. The 12 cell is 130 x 100 x 42 mm and the 18 cell is 165 x 115 x 42 mm. Cells are about 32 mm at the rim and 25 mm deep. Ask for a drawing of the 24 cell.
Q: Will Coturnix, Bobwhite and Button quail eggs fit?
A: Coturnix and Bobwhite fit, since their eggs fall in a similar size band. Button quail eggs are about 20 mm and sit loose, so we recommend custom tooling if you run Button quail only.
Q: How many quail eggs equal one chicken egg?
A: Roughly four to five, because a quail egg weighs 10 to 14 g against about 57 g for a chicken egg. That is why 12 and 24 are common retail counts, and it helps to state it on the pack.
Q: Can you print on a quail egg carton?
A: Yes, with one element. A twelve cell lid gives around 90 square centimeters, enough for a mark and a short line. Embossing works better than print at this scale.
Q: Do you make quail cartons with a clear window?
A: A window needs a plastic film insert, which stops the carton composting as one unit. Most buyers choose an open top tray inside a printed sleeve instead.
Q: Do quail eggs need a grade on the label?
A: Not under USDA grading. Non-chicken eggs are labeled ungraded with the species named, and rules differ by state, so confirm yours before you print.
About the author: Leo Chan is a Senior Packaging Consultant at BonitoPak, a molded pulp packaging manufacturer in Dongguan, China.
