Pigeon Egg Incubation Calculator
Pigeon eggs hatch after about 18 days, normally between 17 and 19 days from the start of incubation. A typical clutch is 2 eggs.
Pigeon egg incubation calculator
Expected hatch date
Saturday, 14 November 2026
Earliest
13 Nov 2026
Latest
15 Nov 2026
0 of 18 days elapsed
A pigeon 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 pigeon incubation facts
- Pigeon eggs hatch after about 18 days of incubation, with a normal range of 17 to 19 days.
- A typical clutch is 2 eggs.
- 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.
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 15 and raise humidity for the final days. If nothing has happened by day 21, candle the eggs before discarding them: a cool incubator can delay a hatch well past the average.
How do pigeons incubate their eggs?
A pigeon hen lays two eggs, usually about two days apart, and serious sitting often starts after the second egg, so both squabs hatch close together. Both parents incubate: the cock typically sits through the middle of the day and the hen for the rest of the day and overnight. Leave them undisturbed, and make sure the nest bowl is dry and lined with straw or pine needles.
Can you hatch pigeon eggs in an incubator?
You can, at around 37.5°C with moderate humidity, turning the eggs several times a day and stopping two to three days before the hatch date. The hard part comes after hatching. Squabs hatch blind and almost naked, and for the first days both parents feed them crop milk, which is very difficult to replace. Most breeders move eggs to foster pigeons that are sitting on eggs of a similar age rather than hand-rearing.
When should you candle pigeon eggs?
Candle after four or five days. A fertile egg shows red blood vessels and a dark spot; a clear egg is infertile. Many fanciers replace clear eggs with dummy eggs so the pair keeps sitting and their breeding rhythm is not upset. By about day 10 the egg looks dark and full.
What is normal when pigeon eggs hatch?
- Squabs hatch blind, with only sparse yellow down, and are fed by both parents from the first day.
- The parents remove or push aside the empty shells; there is no need to take them out.
- The squabs' eyes open within the first week and feathers come through quickly after that.
Common pigeon hatching problems
- Clear eggs: an infertile or young pair, or a cock that is not mating; check the pair is settled.
- Soft or thin shells: often linked to low calcium; provide grit and a mineral supplement.
- Eggs left cold: a disturbed pair or one partner missing; a single parent cannot sit around the clock.
- Dead in shell: often a sign of cold spells during incubation or illness in the parents.