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Egg incubator temperature and humidity chart, by species.
The numbers for the set stage and for the last three days, for chicken, duck, quail, turkey, goose and more. In °F and °C, each one cited to the extension publication it comes from.
Short answer
For chicken eggs in a forced-air incubator, run 99.5 to 100 °F (37.5 to 37.8 °C) and 55 to 60 % relative humidity from day 1 to day 18. For the last three days, stop turning, lower the temperature by about 1 °F and raise humidity to 65 to 75 % (Texas A&M AgriLife). Most poultry run at the same 99.5 °F; what changes is the number of days and, for ducks and geese, the humidity.
The chart
Poultry and game birds
| Species | Days to hatch | Temperature, set stage | Humidity, set stage | Stop turning | Temperature, last days | Humidity, last days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58 % | Day 18 | 98.5 °F (36.9 °C) | 66–75 % |
| Duck (most breeds) | 28 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 25 | 98.5 °F (36.9 °C) | 66–75 % |
| Muscovy duck | 35–37 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 31–33 | 98.5 °F (36.9 °C) | 66–75 % |
| Domestic goose | 30 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 62 % | Day 27 | 98.5 °F (36.9 °C) | 66–75 % |
| Turkey | 28 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 54–58 % | Day 25 | 98.5 °F (36.9 °C) | 66–75 % |
| Guinea fowl | 28 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 54–58 % | Day 22* | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Japanese (coturnix) quail | 17–18 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 15 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Bobwhite quail | 23 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 54–58 % | Day 21 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Ring-necked pheasant | 24 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 21 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Chukar partridge | 23–24 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 62 % | Day 20 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Peafowl | 28–29 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 25–26 | 98.5 °F (36.9 °C) | 66–75 % |
| Pigeon | 17–19 | 100.5 °F (38.1 °C) | 58 % | Day 14 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022), Table 1. “Stop turning” is the day Texas A&M moves eggs to the hatcher, which is when turning stops and humidity goes up. The same publication’s text gives 99.5 to 100 °F and 55 to 60 % for chickens during incubation, then 65 to 70 % at hatch. *Guinea fowl: Mississippi State and the 2000 edition of the Texas A&M guide stop turning on day 25.
Do not set two species together unless their incubation periods match: the lockdown day and the humidity are different (Texas A&M).
Same table, smaller eggs
Pet and cage birds
| Species | Days to hatch | Temperature, set stage | Humidity, set stage | Stop turning | Temperature, last days | Humidity, last days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canary | 13–14 | 100.5 °F (38.1 °C) | 56–58 % | Day 11 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Finch | 14 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 12 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Budgerigar | 18 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 15 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Cockatiel | 18–20 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 15–18 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| Lovebird | 22–25 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 20–22 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
| African grey parrot | 28 | 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) | 58–62 % | Day 25 | 99 °F (37.2 °C) | 66–74 % |
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022), Table 1. If you breed parrots, your avian vet or breeder may use settings of their own; these are general references.
If your incubator reads wet bulb
Mississippi State’s version, in wet-bulb degrees
Mississippi State gives humidity as a wet-bulb temperature, the reading of a thermometer whose bulb is wrapped in a wet wick. In relative-humidity terms it asks for 58 to 60 % until three days before the hatch, then 65 % or more. Its temperatures are for a forced-air incubator; for still air it adds 2 to 3 °F.
| Species | Days | Temperature, forced air | Wet bulb, set stage | Do not turn after | Wet bulb, last 3 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 100 °F | 85–87 °F | Day 18 | 90 °F |
| Turkey | 28 | 99 °F | 84–86 °F | Day 25 | 90 °F |
| Duck | 28 | 100 °F | 85–86 °F | Day 25 | 90 °F |
| Muscovy duck | 35–37 | 100 °F | 85–86 °F | Day 31 | 90 °F |
| Goose | 28–34 | 99 °F | 86–88 °F | Day 25 | 90 °F |
| Guinea fowl | 28 | 100 °F | 85–87 °F | Day 25 | 90 °F |
| Pheasant | 23–28 | 100 °F | 86–88 °F | Day 21 | 92 °F |
| Peafowl | 28–30 | 99 °F | 84–86 °F | Day 25 | 90 °F |
| Bobwhite quail | 23–24 | 100 °F | 84–87 °F | Day 20 | 90 °F |
| Coturnix quail | 17 | 100 °F | 85–86 °F | Day 15 | 90 °F |
| Chukar | 23–24 | 100 °F | 81–83 °F | Day 20 | 90 °F |
| Grouse | 25 | 100 °F | 83–87 °F | Day 22 | 90 °F |
| Pigeon | 17 | 100 °F | 85–87 °F | Day 15 | 90 °F |
Source: Mississippi State University Extension, Important Incubation Factors. The two sources agree within about half a degree on temperature.
The type of incubator
Forced air or still air
A forced-air incubator has a fan. Texas A&M’s view is that temperature and humidity in a forced-air machine are more consistent and come back faster after the lid has been opened, and that still-air incubators can read inaccurately and vary considerably. Its advice: whenever possible, use a forced-air incubator.
Without a fan, warm air layers, so a still-air incubator is run hotter and measured at a specific height: 102 °F (38.9 °C) with the thermometer bulb level with the top of the eggs, not touching the eggs or the walls (Mississippi State). Kansas State gives a weekly schedule for duck and goose eggs in small still-air machines: 100¼, 101½, 102½ and 103 °F for weeks one to four.
The numbers in the chart above are forced-air numbers. If your incubator has a fan, use them as they are.
Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022); Mississippi State University Extension, Important Incubation Factors; Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A).
Half a degree matters
How exact the temperature has to be
- Texas A&M: if the temperature moves more than ½ degree from 100 °F, a poor hatch is likely. Check it at least twice a day.
- Mississippi State: short swings of less than ½ degree are tolerated, but the total variation should stay within 1 degree. A forced-air incubator that runs too warm tends to hatch early.
- Too cool runs late: Texas A&M lists a low temperature as a cause of chicks hatching late, and a high one as a cause of early, small chicks.
- Right after you set the eggs the reading dips while the eggs warm through. Texas A&M says not to adjust anything for a few hours unless it goes above 102 °F (38.9 °C), then adjust after about 4 hours.
- Heat kills faster than cold: even a brief period at 104 °F (40 °C) kills embryos (Texas A&M).
One thermometer is a guess, two are an argument. For the first day, put an independent thermometer at egg height and compare it with the display. Trust the one you calibrated.
Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022); Mississippi State University Extension, Important Incubation Factors.
The other number
What humidity that is too low or too high does
An egg loses water through its shell for the whole incubation, and the air cell at the blunt end grows as it does. Chicken eggs lose 12 to 14 % of their weight this way (Texas A&M). Humidity sets the pace: too dry and the egg loses too much, too humid and it loses too little. You can watch it happen when you candle: the air cell should be clearly larger on day 18 than on day 7.
| Humidity | What Texas A&M says happens |
|---|---|
| Too low | The air cell is too large at hatch; the egg contents are too thick for the chick to turn; the membranes are too tough to break; the navel does not close properly. |
| Too high | Too little water evaporates; the air cell is too small for the chick to reach; the chick can drown or be too swollen with water to turn; the yolk sac is too large for the navel to close. Chicks also hatch late. |
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022).
Lockdown
The last three days
Three days before the hatch, Texas A&M stops turning, lowers the temperature by 1 °F and raises relative humidity to 65 to 70 %. To add humidity it suggests a wet sponge or wet paper towels; what counts is the surface area of the water, not its depth. Mississippi State asks for a water surface of at least half the floor area, another pan or a wet sponge if you open the vents more, and the incubator kept closed through the hatch.
For duck and goose eggs, Kansas State sprinkles the eggs with lukewarm water twice a week up to day 25, then stops until they start to pip. Too much water makes more eggs rot.
The full routine, step by step, is in Incubator lockdown: what to do on day 18.
Sources: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022); Mississippi State University Extension, Important Incubation Factors; Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A).
If you run an Ovatekly
The same numbers on an Ovatekly
Every Ovatekly leaves the factory set to 100 °F (37.8 °C), inside Texas A&M’s 99.5 to 100 °F range for chickens and on Mississippi State’s 100 °F forced-air figure. The setting is adjustable on the panel, and an alarm sounds if the temperature drifts. Two small fans push the air through dual ducts, so it is a forced-air machine and the chart applies as written.
Humidity comes from external water bottles that feed the reservoir from outside, so you top it up without opening the lid. The Home, Pro and Farm show humidity on the display; the 9-egg Compact shows temperature only, so add a separate hygrometer if you want a humidity reading in it.
For a hatch that is under way, email a photo of the display and the day you are on to contact@ovatekly.com. A person reads it with you.
Questions
Questions people ask
What temperature should an incubator be for chicken eggs?
What humidity should an incubator be for chicken eggs?
What humidity do duck eggs need?
What temperature and humidity do quail eggs need?
Is 100 °F too hot for an egg incubator?
What happens if the incubator humidity is too high?
Sources
Where the numbers come from
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (POSC-PU-018, 2022), Table 1 and text.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Incubating and Hatching Eggs (B-6092, 2000).
- Mississippi State University Extension, Important Incubation Factors.
- Kansas State University, Incubation and Reproduction (poultry Q&A).
Updated October 17, 2026. Written by the Ovatekly team. Temperatures, humidity levels and incubation periods on this page are general references from the extension publications named beside them, not Ovatekly specifications.
More from the hatch guides
A person for the whole hatch.
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