How many days does a chicken egg take to hatch?

Chicken eggs hatch in 21 days at the correct temperature of about 37.5 C (99.5 F) in a forced-air incubator. Other species differ: quail 17 to 18 days, duck 28, turkey 28, goose 28 to 30. The tool uses each species' standard period.

Lockdown is the final three days before hatch when you stop turning the eggs, raise humidity to around 65 to 70 percent, and avoid opening the incubator. This calculator marks lockdown at the incubation period minus three days from your set date.

When should I stop turning the eggs?

Stop turning at lockdown, three days before the hatch date. Until then, turn eggs an odd number of times per day (at least three, ideally five) so the embryo does not stick to the shell membrane. Auto-turners can run continuously until lockdown.

Are the hatch dates exact?

They are expected dates based on standard incubation periods and correct temperature. Eggs may hatch a day early or late depending on temperature stability, egg size, and storage before setting. Do not give up on viable-looking eggs for two or three extra days.

Does egg storage before setting affect the timeline?

Yes. Eggs stored more than a week before setting can hatch slightly late and at lower rates. Store hatching eggs pointy-end down at 12 to 15 C and set them within seven days for the best results; the incubation clock only starts when they go into the warm incubator.

Chicken Egg Incubation Due Date Calculator

Knowing your hatch and lockdown dates keeps an incubation on track. Enter the day you set the eggs and the species, and this calculator returns the lockdown date, the expected hatch date, and the window during which you should keep turning the eggs.

How it works

Each species has a standard incubation period from the day of setting (day zero):

chicken  21 days      duck      28 days
quail    17 days      goose     30 days
turkey   28 days      pheasant  24 days
guinea   28 days      peafowl   28 days

hatch date    = set date + incubation period
lockdown date = set date + (incubation period − 3)

Turn the eggs from day one until lockdown, then stop. The three-day lockdown window before hatch is when you raise humidity and leave the incubator closed.

Tips and notes

Keep a forced-air incubator at about 37.5 C (99.5 F) and turn eggs an odd number of times daily so they rest on alternating sides overnight. Candle eggs around day 7 to 10 to remove clears and early quitters. Expect hatching to begin on the calculated date but allow two to three extra days before discarding eggs, since temperature swings and egg size shift the timing. The schedule here assumes the clock starts the moment eggs enter the warm incubator, not when they were laid.