Egg hatch date calculator

Pick the bird and the day your eggs went into the incubator. You get the hatch day, every candling day, the lockdown date and the temperature and humidity to aim for. You can also work backwards from the day you want chicks.

Targets are for forced-air (fan) incubators. Still-air incubators run about 1 °C (2 °F) warmer, measured at the top of the eggs. Always follow your incubator's manual and check the temperature with a calibrated thermometer.

How the hatch date is counted

The day you set the eggs is day 0. Chicken eggs set on a Sunday are due on the Sunday three weeks later (day 21). Counting from the hour does not matter: embryos start developing as the eggs warm up, so a few hours' difference is lost in the normal spread of the hatch.

Most healthy chicks pip within a day of the due date and hatch within 24–48 hours of pipping. Eggs that run warm hatch early; eggs that run cool hatch late. That is why the calculator gives you a two-day hatch window after the due date.

Incubation days by species

• Chicken: 21 days
• Duck: 28 days
• Muscovy duck: 35 days
• Goose: 30 days
• Turkey: 28 days
• Coturnix quail: 17 days
• Bobwhite quail: 23 days
• Guinea fowl: 27 days
• Pheasant: 24 days
• Partridge (chukar): 23 days
• Peafowl: 28 days

For temperature, humidity, lockdown and candling days for each bird, see the printable incubation chart.

What lockdown means

Lockdown starts three days before the due date (day 18 for chickens). From then on:

• Stop turning. The chick needs to move into hatching position with its beak toward the air cell.
• Raise the humidity to the hatch value so the membranes stay soft.
• Keep the lid shut until the hatch is over. Every opening drops the humidity and can glue pipped chicks to the shell.

Planning chicks for a date (Easter, a school project, spring)

Switch the calculator to “I want chicks on” and pick the date. It tells you when to set the eggs. Example: for chicken chicks on Easter Sunday, 28 March 2027, set the eggs on Sunday 7 March 2027. For ducks (28 days), set them on 28 February.

Frequently asked questions

My eggs are on day 21 and nothing is happening. Should I help?

Give them time. Cool or shipped eggs often hatch a day or two late. Candle the eggs that have not hatched by day 23 (chicken) before you decide anything, and avoid opening the incubator while others are still hatching.

When should I candle?

Around day 7 to remove clear eggs and blood rings, again around day 14, and once more just before lockdown. See the day-by-day candling guide.

Can I add the dates to my phone's calendar?

Yes. Press Add to calendar and open the downloaded file. It adds every candling day, lockdown and hatch day as all-day events. For reminders at turning times, use the free Hatch Day app.