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Bird incubation periods

How long eggs take to hatch, and what a chick should weigh by weaning, for 94 species across 17 families, the same figures AviLedger uses to schedule candling and hatch reminders.

Incubation does not start when the egg is laid. It starts when the hen sits tight, which for most parrots is somewhere between the first and third egg. Because eggs are laid on alternate days, a clutch hatches in the order it was laid, often over the better part of a week. And the youngest chick is the one to watch on the scale.

Count from the day the hen settles, candle around day 7, and expect a day either side of the figure below. The calculator will do the dates for you.

About these figures. Incubation periods and weaning weights are the representative values AviLedger uses to schedule reminders and to plot chick growth, drawn from its species catalogue. The weight column is what a chick should be approaching at weaning, in grams. It is not an age. Real clutches vary with temperature, humidity, clutch size and whether the hen sits from the first egg or the second. Treat them as planning figures, not guarantees, and always candle rather than assume.

Common questions

How long do budgie eggs take to hatch?

Budgerigar eggs hatch after about 18 days of incubation. The hen usually begins sitting from the first or second egg, and because eggs are laid on alternate days the chicks hatch in the same staggered order, so a clutch of five can take a week to hatch out.

How long do cockatiel eggs take to hatch?

Cockatiel eggs hatch after roughly 19 days. Both parents share incubation, the cock typically sitting through the day and the hen overnight.

When should I candle eggs?

Candling around day 7 is the usual compromise: development is visible as a spider of blood vessels, but it is early enough that pulling clears frees the hen. Very small species can be candled a little earlier, large macaws a little later.

Why have my eggs not hatched on time?

A day or two either side of the expected date is normal. Incubation effectively starts when the hen sits tight rather than when the egg is laid, so a hen that started on the third egg will hatch later than the lay date suggests. Cool weather also lengthens it.

Related

• Incubation calculator: candling and hatch dates from your lay date
• What records a bird breeder should keep
• CITES and permit records for breeders