Egg Incubation & Hatch Date Calculator
Pick your species, enter the date you set the eggs, and get the expected hatch date, candling schedule, and lockdown day - with a live progress bar showing where you are today. Track up to 5 clutches at once. Nothing uploaded.
Learn more: incubation milestones and lockdown timing
How the dates are worked out
Every date comes from your set date and the species' numbers. The hatch date is the set date plus the incubation days. The two candling dates are fixed offsets from the set date, and the lockdown date is counted back from the hatch date.
For chicken eggs set on March 1, the hatch date is March 22 (21 days). Candling falls on March 8 and March 15 (days 7 and 14), and lockdown starts March 19, which is 18 days after the set date. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension's guidelines for incubating chickens give the same 21 days and say to stop turning the eggs on the 18th day.
Species change the numbers
The calculator's incubation lengths run from 17 days for Coturnix quail to 35 for Muscovy duck. Pheasant is 24, duck, turkey and guinea fowl are 28, and goose is 30. Most species lock down 3 days before hatch, but Muscovy duck uses 4, so its lockdown falls on day 31.
Candling days differ too. Muscovy eggs are candled on days 10 and 21, and geese on days 7 and 21. A countdown built for chickens would be wrong for any of these.
What lockdown means
The calculator describes lockdown as the point to stop turning the eggs and raise humidity for the final days before hatch. The Nebraska guidelines add that once you stop turning, you should close the incubator and not open it until the chicks have hatched.
Humidity advice varies. The Nebraska guidelines recommend about 43-44% for the whole cycle and warn that more than 45% may cause developmental problems. The calculator's own chicken figures are 50%, rising to 65% at lockdown. Follow the instructions for your incubator and treat these figures as starting points.
FAQ
Why is lockdown counted back from the hatch date?
Because the lockdown window is defined by how many days before hatching it begins, and that differs by species. Most use 3 days and Muscovy uses 4, so counting back from the hatch date keeps each species consistent.
Can I use the same countdown for different species?
No. Incubation length ranges from 17 to 35 days across the species in the calculator, and candling and lockdown days differ as well. Pick the species so the dates match.
Should I open the incubator during lockdown?
The Nebraska guidelines say to close the incubator after you stop turning and not open it until the chicks hatch. Check your incubator's manual for anything specific to your model.