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%.
Before you set the eggs
Set eggs within 1 week of when they were laid. Chicken eggs can wait about 3 weeks at most. Quail eggs should not wait more than 2 weeks.
Keep them cool until then: 50 to 65 °F10.0 to 18.3 °C, says Mississippi State. Illinois says 55 to 60 °F12.8 to 15.6 °C.
Let cool eggs warm up to room heat first, for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Set them with the big end up, or lying flat. Never set them small end up.
Turning the eggs
Turn the eggs at least 3 times a day. Mark an X on one side of each egg and an O on the other, in pencil. Then you can see which ones you turned.
Be gentle in the first week. Stop turning on the day the calculator shows. The young ones are getting ready to hatch.
Where the sources differ
- Stop turning: Mississippi State and Kentucky stop chicken eggs after day 18. Illinois stops after day 17.
- Humidity: Mississippi State says 58 to 60%. Kentucky says 70%.
- Days: Mississippi State gives a range for some birds, like 35 to 37 days for Muscovy ducks. Kentucky gives 35. For geese, it is 28 to 34 days, or 28 to 32.
We use Mississippi State's chart for the dates, because it has every number for every bird. The table shows Kentucky's days too.
Questions
How long do eggs take to hatch?
Chicken eggs take 21 days. Duck and turkey eggs take 28 days. Muscovy duck eggs take 35 to 37 days. Coturnix quail eggs take 17 days.
What is lockdown?
It is the last few days before the hatch. Stop turning the eggs. Raise the humidity. Keep the incubator shut. For chicken eggs, that starts after day 18.
What heat should my incubator be?
With a fan, keep it at 99 to 100 °F37.2 to 37.8 °C, as the chart shows for your bird. With no fan, Mississippi State says 2 to 3 degrees F more (1.1 to 1.7 °C). Kentucky says 100 to 101 °F37.8 to 38.3 °C.
What humidity do eggs need?
Mississippi State says 58 to 60% until the last 3 days. Then 65% or more. Kentucky says 70%. Illinois says 60% for chicken eggs, then 70% from day 18.
How often should I turn the eggs?
Mississippi State says 4 to 6 times a day. Kentucky and Illinois say at least 3 times a day. Illinois says to turn them an odd number of times.
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.
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