Hatch Rate Calculator

Calculate fertility rate, hatch of fertile, hatch of set, and embryo losses from eggs set, clear eggs, and chicks hatched.

Free · no account · works on mobile · embeddable

Best for breeders, small hatcheries, and anyone incubating eggs. Updated September 2026.

Your hatch

Eggs setEvery egg that went into the incubator.Infertile (clear) eggsClears removed at candling. Very early deaths may be counted here too.Chicks hatchedLive, healthy chicks. Count late deaths and culls as embryo loss.

Hatch results

Fertile eggs

108

of 120 set

Fertility rate

90.0%

Fertile ÷ set. Points at the breeder flock.

Hatch of fertile

85.2%

Chicks ÷ fertile. Points at incubation.

Embryo losses

14.8% of fertile eggs

Hatch of set (use this for planning)

76.7%

92 chicks from 120 eggs set.

Fertility = fertile ÷ set. Hatch of fertile = chicks ÷ fertile. Hatch of set = chicks ÷ set, and it can never exceed fertility. Record all three after every hatch and average them for forecasting.

About the hatch rate calculator

A hatch rate is only useful if you know which hatch rate you mean. This calculator takes three counts from a finished hatch, eggs set, infertile (clear) eggs found at candling, and chicks hatched, and returns fertility rate, hatch of fertile eggs, hatch of all eggs set, and the number and percentage of fertile eggs lost during incubation. Recording these after every hatch is what turns guesses into the averages the chick availability calculator needs.

Three rates, three different problems

Fertility rate is fertile eggs divided by eggs set. A low number points at the breeding flock: male ratio, age, nutrition, or egg storage before setting.

Hatch of fertile is chicks divided by fertile eggs. A low number points at incubation: temperature, humidity, turning, ventilation, or egg handling.

Hatch of set is chicks divided by all eggs set. It is the number that matters for planning because it describes the whole system, and it can never be higher than fertility.

How to count

Infertile eggs are the clears you pull at candling, usually around day 7 to 10 for chickens; early deaths that look clear will slightly understate fertility, which is acceptable for planning. Chicks hatched should be live, healthy chicks; count late deaths and culls as embryo loss. Eggs set minus clears is the fertile count the calculator uses.

Worked example

120 eggs set, 12 clear at candling, 92 chicks hatched. Fertile eggs are 108, so fertility is 90%. Hatch of fertile is 92 ÷ 108 = 85.2%. Hatch of set is 92 ÷ 120 = 76.7%. Sixteen fertile eggs, 14.8%, were lost during incubation.

Sources

Mississippi State University Extension, The only good broiler breeder egg is a fertilized egg. Explains why hatchability cannot exceed fertility and how embryo mortality separates the two. Accessed Sep 4, 2026.
Mississippi State University Extension, Important incubation factors. Accessed Sep 4, 2026.

This calculator gives planning estimates from the numbers you enter. It is not accounting, tax, veterinary, or legal advice. Replace the defaults with your own farm records whenever you have them.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good hatch rate for chicken eggs?

For a small incubator, 75 to 85% hatch of set from fresh eggs is a solid result; 85 to 90% hatch of fertile indicates incubation is working well. Shipped eggs and stored eggs hatch lower.

What is the difference between hatch of fertile and hatch of set?

Hatch of fertile measures incubation only, by dividing chicks by fertile eggs. Hatch of set divides by every egg you put in, so it includes fertility problems too. Use hatch of set for planning and hatch of fertile for diagnosing the incubator.

My fertility is high but hatch of fertile is low. What should I check?

Incubation conditions: verify thermometer and hygrometer calibration, temperature stability, humidity through lockdown, turning frequency, and ventilation. Also review egg storage time and temperature before setting.

How do I use these numbers to plan chick sales?

Average fertility and hatch of fertile over several hatches, then enter them in the day-old chick availability calculator to set a conservative preorder quantity for the next set.

Day-Old Chick Availability CalculatorEstimate expected saleable chicks and set a conservative preorder limit from eggs set, fertility, hatchability, and a safety buffer.Poultry Hatch Date CalculatorWork forward from an egg set date or backward from a desired hatch date for chickens, ducks, turkeys, quail, geese, and more.Day-Old Chick Price CalculatorFind your cost per sellable chick from breeder flock, incubation, labor, packaging, and losses, then a target price for your margin.

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Copy the snippet into an HTML block. The calculator stays free and up to date; please keep the small Farmstand credit link.

<iframe src="https://thenewfarmstand.com/embed/tools/hatch-rate-calculator" title="Hatch Rate Calculator" width="100%" height="820" style="border:1px solid #dfe7dc;border-radius:16px;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Powered by <a href="https://thenewfarmstand.com/tools/hatch-rate-calculator">Hatch Rate Calculator from The New Farmstand</a></p>

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