Welcoming a new generation of vibrant and captivating parrots into the world is an exciting experience for every parrot lover. Whether you’re a seasoned breeder or a dedicated pet owner, the journey of incubating parrot eggs holds a special place in your heart. The delicate process of nurturing these precious eggs demands a deep understanding of their fertility, the right conditions for hatching, and the intricacies of incubation.
Wild parrots incubate 10 million eggs annually. Captive parrots breeds millions of eggs in whole year. Conservation programs and their report shows that about 250 parrots incubate their eggs annually.
In this article, I will discuss fascinating exploration of parrot egg incubation, mysteries behind fertile eggs, optimal temperature and humidity levels, and a step-by-step guide to successful incubation.
In this article, I will discuss:
- Fascinating exploration of parrots’ egg incubationÂ
- Mysteries behind fertile eggs
- Optimal temperature and humidity levelsÂ
- A step-by-step guide for successful incubation
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Parrot Egg Is Fertile Or Not?
It is important to know whether a parrot’s egg is fertile or not. If your parrot lays an egg without a mate, then it will be sure that the egg is unfertilised.
Sometimes female parrots lay unfertilized eggs after mating. This is because they were mating for the first time and the male parrot did it wrong, and the egg was unfertilised.
Time Duration For Hatching
Almost every parrot needs 18 to 28 days to hatch eggs. Some breeds require 24 days and some require 32 days to hatch eggs.
Related Article | Cuddly Parrot Breeds
Optimal Temperature For Hatching
The optimal temperature for hatching parrot eggs is 37.2 C to 37.5 C or 99 F and humidity of 56%. Mainly it depends on the breed of parrot from which the egg came.
Humidity is a very important factor. This temperature is not suitable for breeding but it is important only for incubation of eggs or for the female to do her job.
Lack of humidity causes many problems such as weakening of the respiratory system, irritation, and dehydrated skin and sometimes leads to the death of baby parrots.
The perfect humidity level for incubation of parrot eggs is 45% to 65%. So, it is necessary to research humidity levels for specific breeds for which you are incubating parrot eggs.
The perfect humidity level for Quaker Parrot is 64%. Different parrot species such as Macaw, African Gray Parrot, Cockatoos, Cockatiels etc all require different humidity levels.
Steps For Incubation
Here is the complete process to incubate parrot eggs.
Step 1
Take the eggs from the nesting box and place them in an incubator. The hatching rate will be higher when it is incubated during the first two weeks. Since 14 to 16 days are required to take proper care of the breeding pair.
Step 2
After placing the eggs in the incubator, the air cell was slightly released. To maintain this raise and help to prevent the damage of eggs from incubator rotation, place gauze on the larger end of the egg.
Step 3
To incubate eggs in the incubator, you should have control over the temperature and a perfect system of humidity control. Maintain temperature at 32.2 C to 32.7 C or 99 F and humidity at 56%. You must incubate larger eggs at the lower temperature of this scale and smaller eggs at the higher temperature of this scale.
Step 4
Set the incubator to rotate the eggs for three hours. You should rotate the eggs about 180 degrees once a day.
Step 5
Check the eggs daily to know about cracks or dead-shelled eggs. Crack shells should be repaired and deal shells should be thrown away. Badly positioned eggs require a lot of consultancy when hatched.
Step 6
Move the eggs into the hatcher when draw down starts. Drawdown is the signal that hatching is started when an air cell changes its shape. Air cell changes its shape from round to elliptical. It can be easily seen when you are checking the embryo inside the egg.
Step 7
Allow parrot eggs for two to three days to hatch once and move to the hatcher. During this, maintain humidity as high as possible.
How To Incubate Parrot Eggs At Home?
To incubate parrot eggs, you have to choose whether you have to use an incubation tool for the first time or you give time to the mother to do her job naturally. The decision depends on you.
If you choose an incubation tool then the question arises which incubation tool is best? The answer to this question is that it depends on the ability of the female parrot to lay eggs. Some female parrots lay only 2 eggs and some lay 10 eggs after mating.
Take the eggs carefully from the nesting box and place them in the incubator. The air cell slightly faces the upper face. Putting eggs in this way saves them from damage when the incubator turns them. Set up the rotation every three hours.
For the first time, rotate the incubator up to 180 degrees. Checking the embryo in the egg is important to know if the baby parrots are about to hatch.
At the hatching time, the air cell will become bigger. When you see that the egg cell is enlarged, remove the eggs from the incubator. Now the shape of the egg cell will be elliptical.
One side of the elliptical air cell moves towards the opposite side of the egg and the other will remain in the same position. This process is called drawdown which shows that hatching is ready to start. It will happen in at most 3 days.
After seeing signals from the air cell enlargement, drawdown is easy. So, I would suggest that you should check at least one egg at a time.
You should use the glowing light as its use will give you more information about hatching eggs. If you see the first pip in the eggshell then, place all the eggs in the hatching box.
Related article: Breeding Quaker Parrots
How To Incubate Parrot Eggs Without an Incubator?
It is risky to incubate eggs without an incubator. A suitable rotation, humidity and temperature are required to hatch eggs without an incubator.
It is hard to maintain a suitable temperature and humidity without an incubator or mother parrot.
Any rise or fall in temperature, humidity and rotation will lead to egg death. Rotation is a must for eggs for two hours. To incubate eggs, without an incubator or mother parrot, the life of hatching is at danger.
Incubator Problems
Here is the list of several incubator problems.
Incorrect Incubator Setting
Too low a temperature will lead to fluid loss. If the temperature is very high throughout the incubation, it will lead to weak babies and sometimes lead to the sudden death of baby parrots.
Incubator Breakdown
Before incubation, the incubator must be cleaned and set up correctly to work for many days.
Incubator Location
The room location is very important. It should be maintained at a temperature of 25 degrees centigrade. It should be placed at a location where the light directly reaches.
Bird Problems
Here is the list of bird problems which will affect the incubation of eggs.
Parent Health
Breeds whose eggs are incubated should have regular checkups. Only healthy eggs from healthy parents should be set. Disease in the incubator will lead to the death of eggs.
Age
Age is an important factor. Older parrots will likely produce poor-quality eggs. This shows mutations in youngsters from old parents.
Diet
A deficiency of nutrition in female parrots will result in the eggs having lower chances to hatch. Lack of folic acid will lead to improper formation of the spine. Lack of vitamin D leads to a thin shell.
Genetic Problems
Genetic problems mainly arise in poultry species. Lethal genes can be carried and lead to the death of youngsters.
Egg Problems
Here are the several egg problems which are faced during the incubation period.
- Weight Loss
- Egg vibration
- Egg cleaning
- Egg fumigation
- Egg Shell Contamination
- Egg Chiling
- Egg Storage
- Egg Setting
- Egg Turning
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Many Eggs Can Be Incubated At a Time In An Incubator?
The number of eggs can be incubated at a time in an incubator depends on the type and size of the incubator. Some incubators have the capacity to incubate 50 eggs at a time; usually, this type of incubator is small.
How Many Eggs Can Be Incubated Without An Incubator?
Without an incubator, you can manually incubate 10 eggs with an optimal temperature of around 39 degree centigrade and proper humidity. Manual incubation of eggs is a tough procedure.
Final Words
A piece of complete knowledge and information is required to incubate parrot eggs. If you are not an expert then don’t incubate parrot eggs at home. It is better to incubate eggs through natural process for better results.
I’m Amna, and I absolutely adore birds, especially parrots. I’ve been immersed in the world of these colorful feathered friends for over 10 years. While I’m not a bird doctor, I’ve gathered a wealth of knowledge on how to care for and understand them.
My experiences extend to various bird species like parrots, macaws, cockatoos, canaries, and finches. In addition to my personal adventures with birds, I’ve dedicated time to volunteering at a local bird rehabilitation center.
My true passion lies in sharing what I know about parrots and birds with you. Through my articles, I aim to share the information you need to provide the very best care for your avian companions. So, let’s embark on this journey together and make your feathered friends’ lives as joyful and healthy as possible!