Egg incubation chart: days, temperature and humidity for chickens, ducks, geese, quail and more
Updated · Fernhart Labs
Short answer
Chicken eggs hatch in about 21 days at 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) in a forced-air (fan) incubator, or 101.5 °F (38.6 °C) measured at the top of the eggs in a still-air incubator. Keep humidity around 55–60 % and turn the eggs until day 18, then stop turning and raise humidity to 65–75 % for the hatch ("lockdown").
Ducks and turkeys take 28 days, geese about 30, Muscovy ducks 35 and Coturnix quail about 17. The full chart is below.
Incubation chart by species
Count the day you set the eggs as day 0. "Lockdown" is the day you stop turning and raise the humidity, three days (four for Muscovies) before the hatch. Humidity is relative humidity in the incubator.
| Bird | Days to hatch | Stop turning (lockdown) | Humidity until lockdown | Humidity from lockdown | Candle on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | day 18 | 55–60 % | 65–75 % | day 7 and day 14 |
| Duck (most breeds) | 28 | day 25 | 55–60 % | 70–80 % | day 9 and day 19 |
| Muscovy duck | 35 | day 31 | 55–60 % | 70–80 % | day 12 and day 23 |
| Goose | 30 | day 27 | 57–62 % | 65–75 % | day 10 and day 20 |
| Turkey | 28 | day 25 | 50–57 % | 65–75 % | day 9 and day 19 |
| Coturnix quail | 17 | day 14 | 55–60 % | 65–75 % | day 6 and day 11 |
| Bobwhite quail | 23 | day 20 | 50–60 % | 65–75 % | day 8 and day 15 |
| Guinea fowl | 28 | day 25 | 55–60 % | 65–75 % | day 9 and day 18 |
| Pheasant | 24 | day 21 | 57–62 % | 70–75 % | day 8 and day 16 |
| Peafowl | 28 | day 25 | 50–57 % | 65–75 % | day 9 and day 19 |
| Chukar partridge | 23 | day 20 | 45–50 % | 65–75 % | day 8 and day 15 |
Figures from Mississippi State University Extension (P1182), Utah State and Texas A&M tables and the University of Illinois incubation guide; waterfowl from Metzer Farms. Candling days for chickens are the extension guides' (days 4–7 and 14–16); for other species they are derived at about one third and two thirds of the incubation. These are the same defaults Hatchwise uses, and every one is a starting point to adjust for your incubator and breed.
Temperature
The same temperatures apply to every species in the chart:
- Forced-air (fan) incubator: 99.5 °F (37.5 °C). Extension guides give 99–100 °F; the fan keeps the whole cabinet at one temperature.
- Still-air incubator: 101.5 °F (38.6 °C), measured at the top of the eggs. Without a fan the air settles in layers, so still-air incubators run 2–3 °F warmer at egg-top height. Measure where the eggs are, not at the lid.
Check the thermometer against a second one before you set eggs: a reading that is off by a degree for three weeks matters more than any other setting.
Turning and lockdown
Turn the eggs at least 3 times a day, an odd number of times, so the egg lies on a different side each night. Stop turning at lockdown, three days before the expected hatch, and raise the humidity so the membranes stay soft while the chicks break out. Automatic turners do the turning for you; switch them off at lockdown.
Checking humidity by egg weight
Humidity readings vary between hygrometers, so many hatchers weigh the eggs instead. An egg loses water through its shell as it incubates, and the right humidity gives the right weight loss by lockdown:
- Chicken: about 11–13 % of the starting weight by day 18 (hatchery guidance from Pas Reform and Aviagen; aim for about 12 %).
- Duck: about 14 % by day 25 (Cornell University).
- Turkey: about 10–12 % by day 25 (Hulet, 1987).
- Other species: no species figure in our sources; around 12–13 % by lockdown is a reasonable estimate.
Losing too little means the humidity is too high; losing too much, too low. Adjust the humidity, not the temperature.
Species notes
| Bird | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Duck (most breeds) | From day 10 to lockdown, cool the eggs once a day and mist them with lukewarm water. Mallards can hatch on day 26–27, Runners nearer 28½. |
| Muscovy duck | Muscovies take 35–37 days, a week longer than other ducks. Cool and mist daily from day 10 to lockdown. |
| Goose | Goose eggs take 28–34 days. Over the second half, sprinkle them or dip them in 100 °F water for 30 seconds once a day. |
| Coturnix quail | Coturnix can start hatching on day 16. Speckled shells are hard to candle. Put pebbles in the waterer: chicks can drown in shallow water. |
| Guinea fowl | Guinea keets often hatch on day 27–28. |
| Peafowl | Peafowl eggs take 28–30 days. |
| Chukar partridge | Chukars need the driest incubation of the game birds. |
Questions
How long does it take chicken eggs to hatch?
About 21 days from setting. Most hatch on or around day 21; a hatch that runs a day or two late is common, and Hatchwise treats up to two days late as on time.
What temperature should an egg incubator be?
99.5 °F (37.5 °C) in a forced-air incubator with a fan. In a still-air incubator, 101.5 °F (38.6 °C) measured at the top of the eggs.
What humidity should an incubator be for chicken eggs?
About 55–60 % until day 18, then 65–75 % from lockdown to the hatch.
When do you stop turning eggs?
Three days before the expected hatch: day 18 for chickens, day 25 for ducks and turkeys, day 14 for Coturnix quail. That is lockdown.
How long do duck eggs take to hatch?
About 28 days for most breeds (Mallards can hatch on day 26–27). Muscovy ducks take 35–37 days.
How long do quail eggs take to hatch?
About 17 days for Coturnix quail (they can start on day 16) and about 23 days for Bobwhite quail.
How many times a day should I turn eggs?
At least 3 times, and an odd number of times, so the egg rests on alternate sides overnight. Stop at lockdown.
When should I candle eggs?
For chickens, around day 7 and again around day 14. For other birds, about one third and two thirds of the way through incubation, always before lockdown.
Hatchwise: Egg Hatch Tracker
Egg incubation tracker with candling, lockdown and hatch reminders.
Hatchwise turns this chart into a schedule for each batch: pick the bird and the day you set the eggs, and it counts down to hatch day with turning, candling and lockdown reminders. Weigh your eggs a few times and it charts the weight loss against the target for your bird and tells you whether to raise or lower the humidity. It records each egg's candling result and your hatch rate, covers the eleven birds above, and works offline.
Sources
- Mississippi State University Extension, Publication 1182: incubation periods, temperatures, humidity and turning PDF
- University of Illinois Extension, Incubation and Embryology extension.illinois.edu
- Metzer Farms: waterfowl incubation (ducks and geese) metzerfarms.com
- Utah State University and Texas A&M incubation tables; Brinsea incubation guidance (candling at about one third of incubation)
- Weight-loss targets: Pas Reform and Aviagen hatchery guidance (chicken), Cornell University (duck), Hulet (1987) (turkey)