Hatching by the Lunar Calendar & Full Moon

[BarnyardChaos]

Did you know ... Many folks believe that hatching eggs just before Full Moon, or when the moon is in the zodiac signs of Capricorn, Cancer or Pisces, have a better hatch rate, are stronger, and have a better chance of survival? And that the birds grow healthier and mature faster? I don't know if there's ever been a scientific study done on it, but The Farmer's Almanac and Almanac.com believe it to be so, and so do millions of chicken farmers throughout the ages:
https://www.almanac.com/setting-chi...,hatched during a waning moon would be weaker.
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/best-days-to

And here's an old BYC thread from 2011 on the topic:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-eggs-by-the-moon-thread.536525/

I have NO CLUE about the zodiac signs (and I don't believe in it anyway), so I'll focus on the FULL MOON dates only for hatching in North America. I don't know how much this differs for different continents, so I'll leave it to you to look up your Full Moon dates. These are NOT the 'published' dates on the sites mentioned above. I just marked the dates for the full moon on my calendar, then counted backwards 21 days for the best dates to set chicken eggs. If you're setting ducks, geese, turkeys, quail or other birds, just find your Full Moon date on a calendar, then count the number of incubation days backwards:

2023
January ----- Set eggs Jan. 13-15 ----- for hatch < Feb. 5th "Snow Moon"
February ----- Set eggs Feb. 12-14 ----- for hatch < Mar. 7th "Worm Moon"
March ----- Set eggs Mar. 13-15 ----- for hatch < Apr. 5th "Pink Moon"
April ----- Set eggs Apr. 12-14 ----- for hatch < May 5th "Flower Moon"
May ----- Set eggs May 11-13 ----- for hatch < June 3rd "Strawberry Moon"
June ----- Set eggs June 10-12 ----- for hatch < July 3rd "Buck Moon"
July ----- Set eggs July 9-11 ----- for hatch <Aug. 1st "Sturgeon Moon"
August ----- Set eggs Aug. 7-9 ----- for hatch < Aug. 30th "Blue Moon"
September ----- Set eggs Sept. 6-8 ----- for hatch < Sept. 29th "Corn Moon"
October ----- Set eggs Oct. 5-7 ----- for hatch < Oct. 28th "Hunter's Moon"
November ----- Set eggs Nov. 4-6 ----- for hatch < Nov. 27th "Beaver Moon"
December ----- Set eggs Dec. 3-5 ----- for hatch < Dec. 26th "Cold Moon"

 

[SmiYa0126]

Interesting!!!!

 

[gfunk1127]

Can't wait to see your report on this!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Can't wait to see your report on this!

I set eggs a day or so early, on Feb. 11th, but hatch date (today!) is still very close to the Full Moon (March 7th, Tuesday). So far so good.... Of 39 eggs set, I had one not fertilized, and three very early quitters. Hatch is in progress: 20 healthy chicks, 9 pipped in progress, and 6 not yet pipped. I'll update when it's all done!

 

[Barnyardgroupie]

Did you know ... Many folks believe that hatching eggs just before Full Moon, or when the moon is in the zodiac signs of Capricorn, Cancer or Pisces, have a better hatch rate, are stronger, and have a better chance of survival? And that the birds grow healthier and mature faster? I don't know if there's ever been a scientific study done on it, but The Farmer's Almanac and Almanac.com believe it to be so, and so do millions of chicken farmers throughout the ages:
https://www.almanac.com/setting-chicken-eggs-moons-sign#:~:text=According to tradition, farmers swear that there are,hatched during a waning moon would be weaker.
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/best-days-to

And here's an old BYC thread from 2011 on the topic:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-eggs-by-the-moon-thread.536525/

I have NO CLUE about the zodiac signs (and I don't believe in it anyway), so I'll focus on the FULL MOON dates only for hatching in North America. I don't know how much this differs for different continents, so I'll leave it to you to look up your Full Moon dates. These are NOT the 'published' dates on the sites mentioned above. I just marked the dates for the full moon on my calendar, then counted backwards 21 days for the best dates to set chicken eggs. If you're setting ducks, geese, turkeys, quail or other birds, just find your Full Moon date on a calendar, then count the number of incubation days backwards:

2023
January ----- Set eggs Jan. 13-15 ----- for hatch < Feb. 5th "Snow Moon"
February ----- Set eggs Feb. 12-14 ----- for hatch < Mar. 7th "Worm Moon"
March ----- Set eggs Mar. 13-15 ----- for hatch < Apr. 5th "Pink Moon"
April ----- Set eggs Apr. 12-14 ----- for hatch < May 5th "Flower Moon"
May ----- Set eggs May 11-13 ----- for hatch < June 3rd "Strawberry Moon"
June ----- Set eggs June 10-12 ----- for hatch < July 3rd "Buck Moon"
July ----- Set eggs July 9-11 ----- for hatch <Aug. 1st "Sturgeon Moon"
August ----- Set eggs Aug. 7-9 ----- for hatch < Aug. 30th "Blue Moon"
September ----- Set eggs Sept. 6-8 ----- for hatch < Sept. 29th "Corn Moon"
October ----- Set eggs Oct. 5-7 ----- for hatch < Oct. 28th "Hunter's Moon"
November ----- Set eggs Nov. 4-6 ----- for hatch < Nov. 27th "Beaver Moon"
December ----- Set eggs Dec. 3-5 ----- for hatch < Dec. 26th "Cold Moon"

I have some hatching on march 7th!!

 

[BB Hood]

What are you thinking the benefit of lunar hatching is? Better hatch success?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

What are you thinking the benefit of lunar hatching is? Better hatch success?

Yes - I'm hoping for better hatch success, and all the rest I mentioned: Stronger chicks with a better chance of survival, and to grow healthier and mature faster. I have no idea whether there's truth in the practice, but I thought it would be a fun experience. However, since I'm not hatching other eggs during the waning moons, I have nothing to compare my results with - at least not this year.

My first hatch was 100%, and all of them are still doing well, vigorous and growing fast.
My second hatch (3 days ago) not so much. Hatch rate 79%, and a few weak chicks I'm tending.