Poultry Hatch Date Calculator
Work forward from an egg set date or backward from a desired hatch date for chickens, ducks, turkeys, quail, geese, and more.
Free · no account · works on mobile · embeddable
Best for hatcheries, breeders, and backyard poultry keepers. Updated .
Plan your hatch
Incubation schedule
Incubation periods are approximate. Breed, egg storage, temperature, humidity, and incubator conditions can shift hatch timing; plan for a window rather than a guaranteed moment.
About the poultry hatch date calculator
Pick a species and a date and the calculator returns the set date, the lockdown (stop-turning) date, and the expected hatch date. It works in both directions: forward from the day you set eggs, or backward from the day you want chicks, so hatcheries and breeders can schedule sets around pickup days, shipping days, and shows.
How the poultry hatch date calculator works
Select a bird and enter the day you set the eggs. The calculator adds the typical incubation period to estimate hatch day and marks the usual no-turn or lockdown date. You can also work backward from a desired hatch day to plan when eggs should be set.
Typical incubation periods
Chicken eggs take about 21 days; most duck and turkey eggs about 28; Coturnix quail about 17; Bobwhite quail about 23; and goose eggs roughly 28–34 days. These are planning ranges, not guarantees.
Why a hatch can run early or late
Egg storage, breed, incubator temperature, humidity, ventilation, and calibration affect development. Keep your incubator manufacturer's instructions and your own hatch records alongside the calculated dates.
Worked example
Chicken eggs set on a Monday reach lockdown on day 18, a Friday two and a half weeks later, and are expected to hatch on day 21, the Monday three weeks after setting. To have chicks ready for a Saturday pickup, set the eggs on the Saturday three weeks earlier.
Sources
- Mississippi State University Extension, Incubation requirements table. Accessed Aug 24, 2026.
- Mississippi State University Extension, Incubation duration guidance. Accessed Aug 24, 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 lockdown and when does it happen?
Lockdown is the point where you stop turning eggs, raise humidity, and leave the incubator closed until the hatch is finished. For chickens it is day 18 of 21; for most 28-day species it is around day 25. The calculator shows the date for the species you pick.
Does the calculator count the set day as day zero or day one?
The set day is day zero. Eggs set on the 1st of the month at 21 days hatch on the 22nd. If you set eggs late in the evening, expect the hatch to run toward the later end of the window.
Can I use this for a chicken hatch date only?
Yes. Chicken is the default profile, so the same page works as a chicken hatch date calculator. Duck, Muscovy, turkey, quail, goose, guinea, and pheasant profiles are one click away.
How do I plan a set date for a specific hatch day?
Switch to the "I want a hatch date" mode, enter the day you want chicks, and the calculator subtracts the incubation period to give the set date and lockdown date.
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