Hatch day
November 26, 2026Thursday
- 28days to hatch
- Nov 23stop turning
- 28days to go
- Your ducklings should hatch on Thursday, November 26, 2026. That is 28 days after the eggs go in.
- Stop turning the eggs on Nov 23 (day 25). Raise the humidity that day. Open the vents more too.
- Keep a forced-air incubator at 100 °F. Do not let it move more than 1 °F in all.
- Humidity: 85 to 86 °F on a wet-bulb thermometer (about 54% to 57% at 100 °F). For the last days, 90 °F (about 68%).
- Today is day 0. 28 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
Most duck eggs take 28 days, like turkey eggs.
Muscovy duck eggs take about a week longer. So pick Muscovy duck above if that is what you have.
The days, heat and humidity come from Mississippi State's chart. Kentucky's chart gives the same 28 days.
Questions
How long do duck eggs take to hatch?
Most duck eggs take 28 days. Muscovy duck eggs take longer: 35 to 37 days, says Mississippi State. Kentucky says 35.
When do I stop turning duck eggs?
After day 25 for most ducks. After day 31 for Muscovy ducks.
What heat do duck eggs need?
100 °F37.8 °C in an incubator with a fan. With no fan, add 2 to 3 degrees F (1.1 to 1.7 °C), says Mississippi State.
What humidity do duck eggs need?
85 to 86 °F29.4 to 30.0 °C on a wet-bulb thermometer. That is about 54 to 57% at 100 °F37.8 °C. For the last days, 90 °F32.2 °C, about 68%.
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
- University of Kentucky Extension ASC-195, Incubating EggsDec 2012A second set of days, heat and humidity; the wet-bulb table