Hatch date calculator
Pick your species and the date you set the eggs. You'll get the exact days to candle, lock down, and expect hatch — plus a calendar download and a printable card.
Pick a species and the date you set the eggs to see your candling, lockdown, and hatch dates.
Want reminder emails on candling and lockdown days instead of a calendar file? Track this hatch free →
How to use it
- Pick your species. Choose the bird you're incubating — each species has its own incubation length and lockdown day.
- Enter the set date. Enter the date you put the eggs in the incubator (day 0).
- Read your schedule. The calculator shows the exact dates to candle, lock down, and expect hatch.
- Save the dates. Download an .ics calendar file, print the card, or sign up for free reminder emails.
The dates come straight from our species incubation guides, which draw their figures from university extension publications. The calculator counts the set date as day 0, so a chicken egg set today locks down on day 18 and hatches about 21 days later. Because incubator temperature drifts, treat the hatch date as the start of a short window rather than a guarantee — give eggs a couple of extra days before assuming they won't hatch.
Prefer a nudge over a calendar entry? The free hatch tracker emails you on candling and lockdown days for one active hatch — the day-18 reminder that saves chicks — at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the hatch date calculator work?
- Enter the species and the date you set the eggs. It counts the set date as day 0 and adds each species' candling, lockdown, and total incubation days — so chicken eggs set today show a lockdown on day 18 and hatch about 21 days out.
- What day is lockdown for my eggs?
- It depends on species: day 18 for chickens, day 25 for most ducks and turkeys, day 15 for coturnix quail, and so on. Pick your species above and the calculator marks the exact lockdown date for your set date.
- Can I add the hatch schedule to my calendar?
- Yes — click Add to calendar (.ics) to download a calendar file with all-day events for each candling day, lockdown, and hatch. It imports into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook.
- Why is the hatch shown as a window?
- Hatching isn't a single deadline. Cool incubators run a day or two late and warm ones a touch early, so species with a range (like ducks and geese) show a hatch window rather than one date.