Glossary
Plain-language incubation terms for beginners and hatch-log notes.
Show charts and quick lookup material.
Show charts and quick lookup material.
The translation layer, where technical words become usable decisions during a real hatch.
Quick Answer
The glossary explains common incubation terms in plain language so beginners can understand guides, tool results, candling notes, and hatch troubleshooting without guessing.
This page is practical hatch guidance, not a veterinary diagnosis. It is checked against the sources listed below and should be adjusted to your incubator manual, species, and local conditions.
Reference path
Make key numbers and terms easier to find during a real hatch.
- 1 Find
- 2 Compare
- 3 Apply
- 4 Save
What matters most
- Use terms consistently across tools and guides.
- Connect glossary words to hatch-stage decisions.
- Keep definitions practical rather than academic.
- Use the hatch log to record observations in plain language.
Core hatch terms
Some terms describe timing, some describe what the user sees, and some describe hatch outcomes. Knowing the difference keeps troubleshooting clearer.
- Set day: the day eggs go into the incubator.
- Candling: shining light through an egg to check development.
- Lockdown: the final stage when turning stops and hatch conditions are prepared.
- Pip: the first break or hole a chick makes in the shell.
Result terms matter
Fertility rate, hatchability, and overall hatch rate are not the same. Separating them helps identify whether the issue started before incubation or during incubation.
Use glossary terms in notes
Clear notes make patterns easier to review later. A note like "day 14 air cell small on most eggs" is more useful than "humidity seemed weird."