When Will My Eggs Hatch?

How to use the hatch date calculator

Incubation length is one of the most reliable numbers in aviculture: within a species it barely moves, so once you know the lay date you can plan the whole clutch. Pick your species to load its typical incubation period, set the date the egg was laid, and the tool projects the expected hatch date plus the milestones that matter — first candle, second candle, lockdown, and likely pip.

Two things shift real-world timing. First, most hens delay full incubation until the second or third egg, so a staggered clutch hatches over several days — run the calculator per egg for a precise schedule. Second, temperature matters: a cool nest or a slightly low incubator (below 99.5°F / 37.5°C forced-air) can push hatch a day or two late, while a hot incubator brings it early and risks the chick. Use the override field if your line consistently runs short or long.

The candling dates are guidance, not gospel. Candle quickly in a dark room, return eggs to warmth immediately, and stop candling once lockdown begins. If an egg is clear at the second candle it is almost certainly infertile or an early death and can be removed; if you are unsure, the safest move is to leave it until a day or two past the expected hatch.