Incubation calculator.
Pick your species, enter the date you set the eggs, and get your hatch day, lockdown date, and candling checks. Free, no signup — from the makers of Homestead Paradise.
Pick a species and a set date to see your hatch calendar.
Quick reference: incubation periods
| Species | Days | Lockdown |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | Day 18 |
| Coturnix quail | 17 | Day 14 |
| Bobwhite quail | 23 | Day 20 |
| Duck | 28 | Day 25 |
| Muscovy duck | 35 | Day 31 |
| Goose | 28–32 | Day 27 |
| Turkey | 28 | Day 25 |
| Guinea fowl | 26–28 | Day 24 |
| Pheasant | 24–25 | Day 21 |
Periods vary slightly with breed, egg storage, and incubator temperature — treat these as solid starting points.
Incubation questions, answered
How long do chicken eggs take to hatch?
Chicken eggs incubate for 21 days. Lockdown — when you stop turning and raise humidity — starts on day 18. Hatching commonly runs a day early or late depending on incubator temperature.
How long do quail eggs take to hatch?
Coturnix quail hatch in about 17 days with lockdown on day 14. Bobwhite quail take longer — about 23 days with lockdown on day 20.
What is lockdown in incubation?
Lockdown is the final stretch before hatch: you stop turning the eggs, raise humidity (typically to 65% or higher), and keep the incubator closed so chicks can position for hatching without disturbance.
What temperature and humidity should an incubator be?
For most poultry in a forced-air incubator: 99.5°F, with roughly 45–55% humidity during incubation, raised to 65%+ at lockdown. Still-air incubators run slightly higher, around 101–102°F measured at egg height.
When should I candle eggs?
A common schedule is around day 7 — when veining is visible in fertile eggs — and again around day 14 to remove clears and quitters. Candle quickly and gently; the calculator above gives exact dates for your set.
Tracking hatches by hand?
Homestead Paradise tracks your breeding pairs and clutches and calculates due and hatch dates automatically — and Harold, your Smart Advisor, keeps an eye on the calendar for you.
Start your 14-day free trialMore free tools: Egg cost calculator · Gestation calculator · Frost dates by ZIP
From the 2B Creations workshop
Feeders & waterers that stop the waste.
Homestead Paradise is built by 2B Creations — makers of precision 3D-printed feeders, waterers, and the original feed saver ports for quail and poultry. Made in the USA with 1,150+ five-star reviews and next-day shipping.
Shop 2B Creations →