Egg incubation chart
Days, temperature, humidity, lockdown and candling days for 11 kinds of poultry and game birds, on one page you can print and pin next to the incubator.
| Species | Days | Lockdown | Candle on day | Temp. (forced air) | Still air | Humidity to lockdown | Humidity at hatch | Cool & mist from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 18 | 7, 14 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 45–50 % | 65–70 % | – |
| Duck | 28 | 25 | 7, 14, 21 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 50–55 % | 65–75 % | 10 |
| Muscovy duck | 35 | 32 | 7, 14, 21, 28 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 50–55 % | 65–75 % | 10 |
| Goose | 30 | 27 | 7, 14, 21 | 37.4 °C / 99.3 °F | 38.4 °C / 101.1 °F | 50–55 % | 70–75 % | 10 |
| Turkey | 28 | 25 | 7, 14, 21 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 50–55 % | 65–70 % | – |
| Coturnix quail | 17 | 14 | 7 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 45–50 % | 65–70 % | – |
| Bobwhite quail | 23 | 20 | 7, 14 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 45–50 % | 65–70 % | – |
| Guinea fowl | 27 | 24 | 7, 14, 21 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 45–55 % | 65–70 % | – |
| Pheasant | 24 | 21 | 7, 14 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 45–50 % | 65–70 % | – |
| Partridge (chukar) | 23 | 20 | 7, 14 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 45–50 % | 65–70 % | – |
| Peafowl | 28 | 25 | 7, 14, 21 | 37.5 °C / 99.5 °F | 38.5 °C / 101.3 °F | 50–55 % | 65–70 % | – |
Day 0 is the day the eggs go in. Lockdown is the day you stop turning and raise the humidity. Temperatures are for forced-air (fan) incubators; still-air incubators need about 1 °C (2 °F) more, measured at the top of the eggs. Humidity is relative humidity. Values are the consensus of incubator makers' manuals and university poultry extension guides; always follow your own incubator's manual.
Rules that apply to every species
Turning
Turn at least 3 times a day, always an odd number, until lockdown. An odd number means the egg spends alternate nights on alternate sides. Automatic turners do this for you. Stop at lockdown.
Temperature
Temperature matters more than anything else. Check it with a second, calibrated thermometer at egg height. A steady half degree too warm or too cool shifts the hatch by about a day and lowers the hatch rate.
Humidity
Eggs must lose about 13 % of their weight before they hatch. Use the chart values as a starting point and adjust by watching the air cell. See the humidity guide.
Lockdown and hatch
From lockdown on, keep the lid shut. Opening it drops the humidity and can glue pipped chicks to the shell. Leave the chicks in until they are dry and fluffy.
Waterfowl: cooling and misting
Duck and goose eggs have a thicker shell and more fat in the yolk. Many keepers cool them once a day from day 10 until lockdown: open the incubator for 10–15 minutes and mist the eggs with lukewarm water. It helps the eggs lose moisture and mimics the mother leaving the nest to feed.
Before you set the eggs
- Run the incubator for 24 hours first and check it holds a steady temperature.
- Let shipped eggs rest pointy end down for 12–24 hours at room temperature.
- Set eggs that are less than 7–10 days old; hatch rates fall with every extra day of storage.
- Don't wash hatching eggs. Set clean eggs only, and wash your hands before handling them.
More hatching guides
- Hatch date calculator: your dates for candling, lockdown and hatch day
- Candling guide, day by day: what you should see and when to remove an egg
- Incubator humidity guide: air cells, weight loss and the dry hatch
- Quail incubation guide: Coturnix and bobwhite