When will your eggs hatch?

What the hatch date means

Incubation length is the number of days from the moment the eggs are warm to the moment the chicks pip and hatch. The publications print it as an approximate figure: chicken eggs take 21 days, turkey, duck and guinea eggs 28, goose eggs 28 to 34 depending on which table you read, Muscovy ducks 33 to 37, Coturnix quail 17 to 18 and bobwhite quail 23 to 24. Conditions move the date a little: Mississippi State notes that low humidity produces an early hatch, and that chicks hatching after the 22nd day are usually not healthy, which points to incubation conditions that were not right. This calculator adds the number of days to the day you set the eggs, counting that day as day 0.

How the dates are found

Every date is the set date plus a number of days from the Mississippi State Extension tables. Hatch is the set date plus the incubation period. Stop turning is the set date plus the day in the table's “do not turn eggs after” row, which is about three days before the hatch for chickens, turkeys and ducks, and earlier or later for Muscovy, goose and Coturnix. Candling for chicken eggs is the set date plus 4 to 7 days, and again plus 14 to 16 days. The settings come from the same tables: dry-bulb temperature in °F for a forced-air incubator, and the wet-bulb reading that gives the right humidity.

Worked example: eggs set on March 1

Chicken eggs set on March 1 hatch on March 22, 21 days later. Turning stops on day 18, March 19, and the first candling falls between March 5 and March 8. Duck eggs set the same day need 28 days and hatch on March 29; Muscovy eggs, counted as 35 days, on April 5, with turning stopped on day 31, April 1. Coturnix quail are ready in 17 days, March 18, and the printed range runs one day longer, to March 19. That is why a mixed batch should never go into one incubator on the same day: the chicks of the fast species would hatch while the slow species still need turning.

Humidity and the wet bulb

Humidity matters more than most beginners expect. Mississippi State explains that careful control keeps the eggs from losing too much moisture, and that low humidity makes it hard for the chick to tear the tough shell membranes, so it may stick to the shell and die. The relative humidity for the first 18 days of a chicken hatch is 58 to 60 percent, and for the last 3 days at least 65 percent, which is why the incubator is not opened during that time: the moisture escapes. Candling gives a second check. As incubation proceeds the air cell grows because of moisture loss, so the size of the air cell at each candling tells you whether humidity adjustments are needed.

Limits of these dates

The tables come from extension documents written for small flocks, and they disagree in places, so treat the date as the middle of a window. The hatchery guide and The Avian Embryo give different periods for Muscovy ducks and geese, and Oklahoma State's incubation fact sheet, which was not available to us when we wrote this page, is reported by other sources to print 36 days for Muscovies and 32 for geese. The temperatures are for forced-air machines; a still-air incubator runs 2 to 3 °F higher, and your manufacturer's manual overrides a table. Mississippi State also says that eggs not incubated within 3 or 4 days of laying should be turned daily while they wait, which the calendar cannot see. Finally, the calendar does not tell you whether the eggs are fertile: candle them.

How many days does it take for chicken eggs to hatch?

Chicken eggs take 21 days. Mississippi State Extension says all the chicks should be out of their shells by the end of the 21st day when the incubator was kept at the right temperature and humidity, and that chicks that hatch after the 22nd day are usually not healthy and vigorous. The publication ties a late hatch to incubation conditions that were not maintained, so treat it as a warning to check the machine.

What temperature and humidity should an incubator run at?

For chicken eggs in a forced-air incubator Mississippi State lists a dry-bulb temperature of 100 °F and a wet-bulb reading of 85 to 87 °F, which is 58 to 60 percent relative humidity, for the first 18 days. For the last 3 days the publication asks for at least 65 percent, a wet-bulb reading of 89 to 90 °F. A still-air incubator needs temperatures 2 to 3 °F higher. Turkey and goose eggs are run at 99 °F.

When do I stop turning the eggs?

Stop turning on the day shown in the Mississippi State table (about three days before hatch for chickens, turkeys and ducks; the table gives earlier or later days for Muscovy, goose and Coturnix). The table gives the day for each bird: day 18 for chicken, 25 for turkey, duck and goose, 31 for Muscovy duck and 15 for Coturnix quail. Until then turn the eggs at least 2 to 3 times a day. If you turn by hand, Mississippi State suggests an odd number of turns (3, 5 or 7) so that the egg does not lie on the same side every night.

When should I candle the eggs?

Mississippi State says chicken eggs are normally tested after 4 to 7 days of incubation, white shells earlier than dark ones, and a second test can follow after 14 to 16 days. The first test removes infertile eggs and dead germs, which show as a clear egg or a blood ring. The publications give no separate candling days for other species, so the calendar prints candling dates for chicken only.

Why does the calendar show a range for Muscovy ducks and geese?

The sources disagree. The hatchery guide prints 35 to 37 days for Muscovy and 28 to 34 for geese, while The Avian Embryo prints 33 to 35 and 29 to 31. The calendar counts 35 days for a Muscovy and 30 for a goose, both inside every printed range, and shows the full spread, 33–37 and 28–34 days, so you can start watching early. Set the machine by the species table and check your own hatch records for the next batch.

What if the power goes out?

Mississippi State's advice differs by machine. Open a forced-air incubator right away so fresh air can get in, because a closed one runs out of oxygen, and keep the room at 75 °F or warmer. Eggs in a still-air incubator do best if the incubator stays closed to hold the heat and humidity. The publication also says that incubating eggs at 90 °F for 3 to 4 hours only slows development.

Do duck and goose eggs need anything special?

Two footnotes in the Mississippi State table: duck eggs reportedly hatch better in still-air incubators than in forced-air ones, and goose eggs may hatch better if they are sprinkled with clean lukewarm water (about 100 °F), or dipped for half a minute, each day in the second half of incubation. Use warm water, because cool water can pull bacteria into the egg.

Sources: Mississippi State University Extension Service, Publication 1182 “Hatching Quality Chicks” (POD-10-21, written by T. Smith Jr., reviewed by T. Tabler; Table 3 and the sections on humidity, turning and testing for fertility); Publication 1150 “The Avian Embryo” (POD-07-22; Table 2, approximate incubation periods); “Hatchery Management Guide for Game Bird and Small Poultry Flock Owners” (extension.msstate.edu; Tables 1 and 2). All read October 28, 2026. Oklahoma State University fact sheet AFS-8100 “Artificial Incubation” could not be opened. Dates are arithmetic on those tables. Related: chicken coop size calculator for the hens you will hatch, pet calorie calculator, hay needed calculator and date calculator. How we check our calculators.