Hatch day
November 19, 2026Thursday
- 21days to hatch
- Nov 16stop turning
- 21days to go
- Your chicks should hatch on Thursday, November 19, 2026. That is 21 days after the eggs go in.
- Candle the eggs between Nov 2 and Nov 5. Check again between Nov 12 and Nov 14.
- Stop turning the eggs on Nov 16 (day 18). Raise the humidity that day. Open the vents more too.
- Illinois Extension stops one day sooner, after day 17.
- Keep a forced-air incubator at 100 °F. Do not let it move more than 1 °F in all.
- Humidity: 85 to 87 °F on a wet-bulb thermometer (about 54% to 59% at 100 °F). For the last days, 90 °F (about 68%).
- Today is day 0. 21 days to go.
Your hatch calendar
Day 1 is the day after the eggs go in.
Incubation chart by bird
For a fan (forced-air) incubator. Hatch dates are for eggs set on October 29, 2026. Humidity is on a wet-bulb thermometer.
| Bird | Days | Kentucky says | Heat | Humidity | Last days | Stop turning after | Hatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 days | 21 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 85 to 87 °F29.4 to 30.6 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 18 | Nov 19 |
| Turkey | 28 days | 28 days | 99 °F37.2 °C | 84 to 86 °F28.9 to 30.0 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 25 | Nov 26 |
| Duck | 28 days | 28 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 85 to 86 °F29.4 to 30.0 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 25 | Nov 26 |
| Muscovy duck | 35 to 37 days | 35 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 85 to 86 °F29.4 to 30.0 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 31 | Dec 3 to Dec 5 |
| Goose | 28 to 34 days | 28 to 32 days | 99 °F37.2 °C | 86 to 88 °F30.0 to 31.1 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 25 | Nov 26 to Dec 2 |
| Guinea fowl | 28 days | 28 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 85 to 87 °F29.4 to 30.6 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 25 | Nov 26 |
| Pheasant | 23 to 28 days | 24 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 86 to 88 °F30.0 to 31.1 °C | 92 °F33.3 °C | day 21 | Nov 21 to Nov 26 |
| Peafowl | 28 to 30 days | 28 days | 99 °F37.2 °C | 84 to 86 °F28.9 to 30.0 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 25 | Nov 26 to Nov 28 |
| Bobwhite quail | 23 to 24 days | 24 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 84 to 87 °F28.9 to 30.6 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 20 | Nov 21 to Nov 22 |
| Coturnix quail | 17 days | 16 to 18 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 85 to 86 °F29.4 to 30.0 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 15 | Nov 15 |
| Chukar | 23 to 24 days | 24 days | 100 °F37.8 °C | 81 to 83 °F27.2 to 28.3 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 20 | Nov 21 to Nov 22 |
| Pigeon | 17 days | – | 100 °F37.8 °C | 85 to 87 °F29.4 to 30.6 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | day 15 | Nov 15 |
Days, heat and humidity: Mississippi State Extension. "Kentucky says": University of Kentucky Extension. When they differ, we show both.
Wet-bulb to humidity
Most charts give humidity as a wet-bulb reading. Your incubator may show a percent. Find your heat on the left. Read across to your wet-bulb number. The top row is the humidity.
| Heat | 45% | 50% | 55% | 60% | 65% | 70% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.5 °F37.5 °C | 80.8 °F27.1 °C | 82.8 °F28.2 °C | 85.1 °F29.5 °C | 86.9 °F30.5 °C | 88.7 °F31.5 °C | 90.1 °F32.3 °C |
| 100 °F37.8 °C | 81.3 °F27.4 °C | 83.3 °F28.5 °C | 85.3 °F29.6 °C | 87.3 °F30.7 °C | 89 °F31.7 °C | 90.7 °F32.6 °C |
| 101 °F38.3 °C | 82.2 °F27.9 °C | 84.2 °F29.0 °C | 86.2 °F30.1 °C | 88.2 °F31.2 °C | 90 °F32.2 °C | 91.7 °F33.2 °C |
| 102 °F38.9 °C | 83 °F28.3 °C | 85 °F29.4 °C | 87 °F30.6 °C | 89 °F31.7 °C | 91 °F32.8 °C | 92.7 °F33.7 °C |
From University of Kentucky Extension, ASC-195, Table 4. At 100 °F37.8 °C, a wet-bulb reading of 85 °F29.4 °C is about 54%.
About the numbers
Chicken eggs take 21 days. Day 1 is the day after you set them. So eggs set on a Sunday hatch on a Sunday, 3 weeks later.
Turn the eggs at least 3 times a day. Illinois says to turn them an odd number of times.
Set eggs within 1 week of when they were laid. They can wait about 3 weeks at most.
Questions
How long do chicken eggs take to hatch?
21 days. Mississippi State and Kentucky both say 21.
When is lockdown for chicken eggs?
Stop turning after day 18, say Mississippi State and Kentucky. Illinois says after day 17. Raise the humidity then, and keep the lid shut.
When do I candle chicken eggs?
Mississippi State says after 4 to 7 days, and again after 14 to 16 days. Illinois says once, between days 6 and 10. White eggs are easier to see into than brown ones.
What heat do chicken eggs need?
100 °F37.8 °C in an incubator with a fan. With no fan, Mississippi State says 102 °F38.9 °C. Kentucky says 100 to 101 °F37.8 to 38.3 °C.
What humidity do chicken eggs need?
Illinois says 60% for days 1 to 17. Then 70% from day 18 to the hatch. Mississippi State gives 85 to 87 °F29.4 to 30.6 °C on a wet-bulb thermometer, then 90 °F32.2 °C.
When do I take the chicks out?
When they are dry and fluffy, about 22 days from the start, says Illinois. Throw out eggs that have not hatched 60 hours after the first chick.
Sources
- Mississippi State University Extension, Important incubation factorsundatedDays, heat, humidity, the day to stop turning and the day to open the vents, for 12 birds
- Mississippi State University Extension, Testing incubated eggs for embryo developmentundatedCandle chicken eggs after 4 to 7 days, and again after 14 to 16
- University of Illinois Extension, Incubation and Embryology2020Chicken eggs: candle once on days 6 to 10, stop turning after day 17, 60% then 70% humidity
- University of Kentucky Extension ASC-195, Incubating EggsDec 2012A second set of days, heat and humidity; the wet-bulb table