When do I stop turning peafowl eggs?

After day 25, according to Mississippi State's incubation table. From then on leave the eggs still, raise the humidity, and keep the incubator closed so the peachicks can get into position.

What temperature and humidity do peafowl eggs need?

Mississippi State lists 99°F in a forced-air incubator (2 to 3 degrees more in a still-air one). Humidity is a wet-bulb reading of 84 to 86°F until day 25, which works out to about 54 to 59 percent relative humidity, then 90°F wet bulb (about 71 percent) for the hatch.

When should I candle peafowl eggs?

Around day 9 and day 18. Those are the chicken candling days scaled to a 28-day hatch (about one-third and two-thirds of the way through), because the extension tables only list candling days for chickens.

Free tool

Peafowl egg incubation calculator

Peafowl eggs hatch in 28 to 30 days; plan on day 28. Enter the day you set them and get the whole hatch on a timeline, with the incubator settings and the source behind every number.

Date eggs were set

Peachicks are due on day 28, with Mississippi State allowing up to day 30.

0
Set eggsTue, October 6, 2026
Eggs go in the incubator. Begin turning (or confirm the auto-turner is on).
9
First candlingThu, October 15, 2026
Look for spider-web veining. Remove clears and early quitters.
18
Second candlingSat, October 24, 2026
Embryos should fill most of the egg with a clear air cell. Remove any quitters.
25
LockdownSat, October 31, 2026
Stop turning, raise humidity, and keep the incubator closed until hatch.
28
Hatch dayTue, November 3, 2026
Pips and zips! Sources put this hatch anywhere from day 28 to day 30. Leave the peachicks in until fluffy and dry.
Hatch window: Tue, Nov 3 to Thu, Nov 5

Downloads a .ics file that works with Apple, Google, and Outlook calendars.

How long do peafowl eggs take to hatch?

It depends on who you ask, which is why the calculator shows a window (day 28 to day 30) around its planning day of 28. Here is what each reference prints.

Source	Days to hatch	Applies to
Mississippi State University Extension	28–30	Peafowl
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension	28	Peafowl
Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota	28	Peafowl

Incubator settings for peafowl eggs

Temperature: 99°F forced-air (add 2–3°F in a still-air incubator)
Humidity to day 25: about 54–59% (wet bulb 84–86°F)
Humidity for the hatch: about 71% (wet bulb 90°F)
Stop turning: after day 25
Open the vents further: day 25

These come from Mississippi State's incubation table, which gives humidity as a wet-bulb temperature. We converted it to relative humidity with the same extension chart, so treat the percentages as close, not exact. Follow your incubator's manual where it differs.

Hatching something else?

Common questions

How long do peafowl eggs take to hatch?: Plan on 28 days, and be ready from day 28 to day 30. Mississippi State says 28 to 30, Univ. of Kentucky says 28 and Univ. of Minnesota says 28.
When do I stop turning peafowl eggs?: After day 25, according to Mississippi State's incubation table. From then on leave the eggs still, raise the humidity, and keep the incubator closed so the peachicks can get into position.
What temperature and humidity do peafowl eggs need?: Mississippi State lists 99°F in a forced-air incubator (2 to 3 degrees more in a still-air one). Humidity is a wet-bulb reading of 84 to 86°F until day 25, which works out to about 54 to 59 percent relative humidity, then 90°F wet bulb (about 71 percent) for the hatch.
When should I candle peafowl eggs?: Around day 9 and day 18. Those are the chicken candling days scaled to a 28-day hatch (about one-third and two-thirds of the way through), because the extension tables only list candling days for chickens.

Where these numbers come from

Important Incubation Factors. Mississippi State University Extension.
Development of the Chick (ASC-195). Tony Pescatore and Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. December 2012.
Hatching and Brooding Small Numbers of Chicks (AG-FO-0631). Melvin L. Hamre, Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota. Reviewed 1990.
Care and Incubation of Hatching Eggs. Dr. Tom W. Smith, Mississippi State University, Poultry Science.

We read each document ourselves and last checked this page against them on October 5, 2026. Where they disagree, we show you the disagreement instead of picking a winner quietly.

Get a nudge on lockdown day

Log the hatch in PoultryPal and it counts down with you, then records how many peachicks hatched and your hatch rate. Premium adds lockdown and hatch-day reminders. Free to download on iOS and Android.