How long are birds pregnant?

Birds are never pregnant. The embryo develops inside an egg outside the mother's body, so the correct measure is incubation length, which runs from about 13 days in a house finch to 42 days in an ostrich.

When does incubation actually start?

On the day the eggs are set in an incubator, or the day a parent begins sitting continuously. A hen lays one egg a day and often waits until the clutch is complete, so counting from the first egg gives a hatch date that is several days too early.

Does temperature change the hatch date?

Yes, more than anything else. A forced-air incubator running slightly cool delays hatching by a day or more, and running warm brings it forward and raises the risk of weak chicks.

Why have my eggs not hatched on the expected day?

Give them 48 hours beyond the expected date before assuming failure. Cool spots, a late start to incubation and larger eggs within a clutch all push individual eggs past the average.

Bird Incubation Calculator: Egg Hatch Dates

Do birds have a gestation period?

A bird does not have a gestation period. Birds do not carry developing young inside the body: the female lays an egg and the embryo develops inside that egg, outside her, warmed either by a sitting parent or by an incubator. The correct term is incubation, and it is measured from the day the eggs are set or the parent begins sitting, not from mating and not from the day the first egg appears.

With that said, here is the answer people are looking for: chicken eggs hatch after about 21 days, duck and turkey eggs after 28, quail after 17, budgerigars after 18, cockatiels after 19, macaws after 26 and ostrich eggs after 42. Enter the date the eggs were set below to get an expected hatch date.

How to use the egg hatch date calculator

Enter the date the eggs were set, or the day a parent began sitting continuously, and the calculator adds that species' incubation length to give the expected hatch date.

Chicken egg incubation calculator

What do you know?

Date eggs were laid

Expected hatch date

Wednesday, 19 August 2026

Earliest

18 Aug 2026

Latest

20 Aug 2026

21 days remaining0% complete

0 of 21 days elapsed

Bird incubation periods by species

Incubation length and clutch size by bird species
Species	Average days	Range	Clutch	Group
Chicken	21	20–22	8-12 eggs	Poultry
Duck	28	26–30	8-12 eggs	Poultry
Turkey	28	27–29	10-14 eggs	Poultry
Goose	30	28–32	5-8 eggs	Poultry
Quail	17	16–18	10-12 eggs	Poultry
Guinea fowl	28	26–28	12-15 eggs	Poultry
Pigeon	18	17–19	2 eggs	Pigeons and doves
Dove	14	13–15	2 eggs	Pigeons and doves
Budgerigar	18	17–20	4-6 eggs	Parrots
Cockatiel	19	18–21	4-6 eggs	Parrots
African grey parrot	28	26–30	3-4 eggs	Parrots
Macaw	26	24–28	2-4 eggs	Parrots
Zebra finch	14	13–15	4-6 eggs	Finches and canaries
Canary	14	13–14	3-5 eggs	Finches and canaries
House finch	13	12–14	4-5 eggs	Finches and canaries
Ostrich	42	40–45	loose clutch	Ratites

Poultry incubation: chicken, duck, turkey and goose

Duck egg incubation

Duck eggs hatch after about 28 days, normally between 26 and 30. A typical clutch is 8-12 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Poultry eggs are usually set in an incubator at 37.5°C and 55% humidity, with turning stopped a few days before hatch.

Turkey egg incubation

Turkey eggs hatch after about 28 days, normally between 27 and 29. A typical clutch is 10-14 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Poultry eggs are usually set in an incubator at 37.5°C and 55% humidity, with turning stopped a few days before hatch.

Goose egg incubation

Goose eggs hatch after about 30 days, normally between 28 and 32. A typical clutch is 5-8 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Poultry eggs are usually set in an incubator at 37.5°C and 55% humidity, with turning stopped a few days before hatch.

Quail egg incubation

Quail eggs hatch after about 17 days, normally between 16 and 18. A typical clutch is 10-12 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Poultry eggs are usually set in an incubator at 37.5°C and 55% humidity, with turning stopped a few days before hatch.

Guinea fowl egg incubation

Guinea fowl eggs hatch after about 28 days, normally between 26 and 28. A typical clutch is 12-15 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Poultry eggs are usually set in an incubator at 37.5°C and 55% humidity, with turning stopped a few days before hatch.

Pigeon, parrot and finch incubation times

Dove egg incubation

Dove eggs hatch after about 14 days, normally between 13 and 15. A typical clutch is 2 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Both parents share incubation, so eggs are rarely left uncovered for long.

Budgerigar egg incubation

Budgerigar eggs hatch after about 18 days, normally between 17 and 20. A typical clutch is 4-6 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
The hen does most of the sitting while the male feeds her at the nest.

Cockatiel egg incubation

Cockatiel eggs hatch after about 19 days, normally between 18 and 21. A typical clutch is 4-6 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
The hen does most of the sitting while the male feeds her at the nest.

African grey parrot egg incubation

African grey parrot eggs hatch after about 28 days, normally between 26 and 30. A typical clutch is 3-4 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
The hen does most of the sitting while the male feeds her at the nest.

Macaw egg incubation

Macaw eggs hatch after about 26 days, normally between 24 and 28. A typical clutch is 2-4 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
The hen does most of the sitting while the male feeds her at the nest.

Canary egg incubation

Canary eggs hatch after about 14 days, normally between 13 and 14. A typical clutch is 3-5 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Finch eggs are tiny and lose heat quickly, so a settled, undisturbed hen matters more than anything else.

House finch egg incubation

House finch eggs hatch after about 13 days, normally between 12 and 14. A typical clutch is 4-5 eggs. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Finch eggs are tiny and lose heat quickly, so a settled, undisturbed hen matters more than anything else.

Ostrich egg incubation

Ostrich eggs hatch after about 42 days, normally between 40 and 45. A typical clutch is loose clutch. There is no gestation period to calculate: the embryo develops inside the egg once incubation begins.

Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
Ratite eggs are huge, incubate for weeks and need purpose-built equipment.

Detailed incubation pages