Chicken eggs must incubate for about 21 days (three weeks) before hatching. This timeline will let you know what to do and when to have the best chance of hatching healthy chicks.

How Long Does it Take Chicks to Hatch? Typically, chicken eggs incubate for 21 days. Young chicks start to poke through their shells around day 20 and fully emerge the next day. This timeline varies, of course, due to variations in temperature, humidity, etc. Once started, hatching can last 24 hours.

How Long Does it Take for Chicken Eggs to Hatch? The chicken egg hatching time is 21 days. It’s rare that they will hatch faster or slower than that, but it’s possible if their environment isn’t ideal. Each day has significant development for the unborn chick. If you notice the chicken eggs not hatching after 21 days, you don’t need to panic.

As a general rule, it takes 5 to 7 hours for a chick to entirely hatch after the first crack or pip appears on the egg. In some cases, it can take up to 24 hours, and it’s concerning when eggs remain unhatched for 40-60 hours after cracking, as chick health will greatly suffer.

In fact, it’s completely normal for a chick to hatch after 6 – 8 hours from the first crack, or “pip”. Some chicks may hatch in less time, but it’s also not out of the question for it to take up to 24 hours either – it all depends on the strength of the chick and the composition of the eggshell.