Hatch Date Calculator
Hatch Date Calculator
Set eggs today — when do they hatch? Pick your species and setting date for the hatch day, the lockdown date, and when to candle, all counted for you.
Chicken eggs take about 21 days at the correct temperature. Muscovy ducks are the famous exception at around 35 days, and bantam chicken eggs sometimes arrive a day early.
Your hatch day
Pick the day your eggs are set to see the hatch date.
How it works
Incubation counts full days from the set date — the day eggs go in is day 0. Hatch day is simply set date + the species' incubation period: 21 days for chickens, 28 for ducks and turkeys, 18 for quail, 30 for geese. Lockdown is always three days before hatch, and the first candling check lands at about 40% of the way through.
Worked example: chicken eggs set on 1 March candle around 9 March, go into lockdown on 19 March, and hatch on 22 March. All dates are calculated in UTC so a daylight-saving change mid-incubation can never shift your hatch day by an hour — or a day.
Incubation periods by species
The planning figures this calculator uses. Individual breeds and incubator temperatures can shift a hatch by a day either way.
| Species | Incubation | Candle around | Lockdown from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 days | day 8 | day 18 |
| Duck | 28 days | day 11 | day 25 |
| Quail | 18 days | day 7 | day 15 |
| Turkey | 28 days | day 11 | day 25 |
| Goose | 30 days | day 12 | day 27 |
Muscovy ducks break the duck rule at about 35 days — if you are setting Muscovy eggs, count 35 days and lockdown from day 32.
Frequently asked questions
How long do chicken eggs take to hatch?
21 days from the day they are set, at a steady 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) in a forced-air incubator. Bantam eggs sometimes pip a day early, and a slightly cool incubator can stretch the hatch to day 22–23 — which is why day 21 is a target, not a deadline.
What is lockdown in incubation?
The final three days before hatch: you stop turning the eggs, raise the humidity (typically to around 65–70%), and stop opening the incubator. The chick is positioning itself to hatch, and opening the lid dumps the humid air it needs to avoid sticking to the shell membrane.
When should I candle eggs?
Around 40% of the way through incubation — about day 7–8 for chickens, day 10–11 for ducks — is the classic first look, when veins and a dark embryo are easy to see in a dark room. Earlier candling risks chilling or dropping eggs for little information; clears (infertile eggs) can be removed at this check.
Why is my hatch late (or early)?
Temperature is almost always why. A incubator running half a degree cool delays development and pushes hatch late; running hot speeds it up and weakens chicks. Count the set day as day 0 as well — a common off-by-one is expecting hatch a day before it is due.
How long do duck, quail, turkey and goose eggs take?
Most duck breeds take 28 days (Muscovies are the exception at about 35). Coturnix quail take 17–18 days, turkeys 28 days, and geese around 29–31 days depending on breed — this calculator uses 18 for quail and 30 for geese as planning figures.