Duck Egg Incubation Calculator
Duck eggs hatch after about 28 days (Mississippi State University Extension), normally between 26 and 30 days from the start of incubation. A typical clutch is 8-12 eggs.
Duck egg incubation calculator
Expected hatch date
Saturday 5 December 2026
Earliest
3 Dec 2026
Latest
7 Dec 2026
0 of 28 days elapsed
A duck 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.
Key duck incubation facts
- Duck eggs hatch after about 28 days of incubation, with a normal range of 26 to 30 days.
- A typical clutch is 8-12 eggs.
- 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.
How to count the days
Day one is the day the eggs go into the incubator or the day a parent starts sitting continuously, not the day the first egg was laid. Eggs can be held for up to a week before setting without much loss of hatch rate, and holding them keeps the clutch hatching together. Stop turning around day 25 and raise humidity for the final days. If nothing has happened by day 32, candle the eggs before discarding them: a cool incubator can delay a hatch well past the average.
Do all duck eggs take 28 days to hatch?
Most domestic ducks descend from the mallard and hatch in about 28 days. That includes Pekin, Rouen, Khaki Campbell, Indian Runner and Call ducks. The big exception is the Muscovy, a separate species whose eggs take about 35 days. If you are hatching mixed eggs, set Muscovy eggs a week earlier so the clutch hatches together.
What temperature and humidity do duck eggs need?
In a forced-air incubator, run duck eggs at 37.5°C (99.5°F), the same as chicken eggs. Duck eggs need more humidity than chicken eggs: about 55% for most of incubation, rising to 65–75% or more for the last three days. Many hatchers also cool and lightly mist duck eggs once a day from about the second week, copying a duck returning to the nest with wet feathers.
When do you stop turning duck eggs?
Turn duck eggs at least three to five times a day, an odd number of times. Stop turning about day 25 for mallard-type ducks, or about day 31–32 for Muscovies, and raise humidity for the hatch. Lay the eggs flat; duck eggs hatch best on their side.
How long does it take a duckling to hatch once it pips?
- The duckling first breaks into the air cell (internal pip), then makes a hole in the shell (external pip).
- It often rests for 12–24 hours after pipping; this is normal and is not the time to help.
- Zipping around the shell and hatching usually follows quickly once it starts.
- Leave ducklings in the incubator until they are dry and fluffy, then move them to a warm brooder.