Incubation Hatch Date Calculator: the complete guide
Missing lockdown by a day is the most common reason a hatch goes badly. Enter the date you set the eggs and this calculator gives you hatch day, lockdown day and both candling dates for chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, quail and guineas.
How the incubation hatch date calculator works
- Chicken eggs hatch on day 21 counted from the day of setting, which is day zero.
- Lockdown is day 18 for chickens, three days before hatch for every species. Stop turning, raise humidity and do not open the incubator.
- Candling on day 7 shows a clear spider web of veins in fertile eggs. Day 14 confirms growth and finds quitters.
- Different species run on different clocks: ducks 28 days, Muscovy 35, geese 30, turkeys 28, guineas 28 and quail 18.
How to use it
- Enter the date the eggs went into the incubator.
- Pick the species you are hatching.
- Note the lockdown and candling dates on a calendar.
- Leave the incubator closed from lockdown until at least 24 hours after the first pip.
Step by step examples
Chicken eggs set on a Monday
Lockdown falls on the Friday of the following week, day 18, and hatch lands on the Monday three weeks after setting.
Duck eggs
Twenty eight days, lockdown day 25, and most breeds want a daily misting and cooling from day 10 onward.
Recommended values
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 days | Lockdown day 18 |
| Duck | 28 days | Lockdown day 25 |
| Muscovy duck | 35 days | |
| Goose | 30 days | |
| Turkey and guinea | 28 days | |
| Quail | 18 days | Lockdown day 15 |
| Incubation temperature | 99.5F forced air | |
| Humidity | 45 to 50 percent, then 65 to 70 at lockdown |
Common mistakes
- Counting the set day as day one. The day you set is day zero.
- Opening the incubator during hatch, which shrink wraps chicks in the membrane.
- Helping a chick out too early. Give it 24 hours from the first pip.
- Turning eggs after lockdown.
Frequently asked questions
How long do chicken eggs take to hatch?
Twenty one days at 99.5F in a forced air incubator. A cool incubator can push it to day 22 or 23.
What day is lockdown?
Day 18 for chicken eggs, three days before the expected hatch date for any species.
When should I candle eggs?
Day 7 to check fertility and day 14 to remove quitters. Do not candle after lockdown.
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What next?
Free tools that pair well with this calculator.