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Eggs & Hatching |
 Once
the pair has selected a nesting site, the hen will lay the
eggs. The eggs, which are about the size of a quarter, are
laid every other day until the clutch is complete. The
clutch can range from 3 – 6 eggs and each egg is white. You
might be wondering why the eggs are white in color? It’s
believed that parrots nest in dark cavities, such as trees,
and the color helps the hen locate each egg inside the nest.
The hen can produce up to three clutches a year, mainly in
mature pairs that are in prime breeding condition. This can
be accomplished by removing the eggs once the female has
completed her clutch. If this method is used, add extra
supplements of calcium – mainly through mineral blocks.
Another method, which is used for the pet trade is removing
the chicks at about 10 – 15 days. They are then placed
inside a brooder, socialized, and handfed until sold. This
method will produce about 2 clutches a year. The final
method, which seems to be more popular, is letting the
parents raise
their own chicks. If this method is practiced, chances are
one clutch will be produced a year. The choice is yours.
Incubation is what starts the development of the chick. This
process lasts 23 days. During this period, the hen will sit
on her eggs with minimal breaks. The female will leave the
nest occasionally to stretch and eat. While incubating, the
hen turns the eggs to ensure proper development and to
prevent the embryo from growing incorrectly.
At about 1 – 2 days before hatching, the chick will make a
small hole inside the egg. This allows the chick to take
larger amounts of oxygen and begins the hatching process.
During this process, extra moisture is required; especially
if you live in dry areas such as deserts or in Southern
California. To avoid problems during hatching, take a spray
bottle and spray the outside of the nesting box. This helps
to increase moisture and allows hatching to presume
smoothly. Avoid spraying inside the box. The chick will
begin the hatching process when it starts to make a hatch
ring around the egg. This process takes about 15 minutes.
During this time, the chick will maneuver itself around the
egg until it has completed the ring. |
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Once the ring is complete, the
chick will use its legs to push the egg into two sections.
After completely pushing itself outside of the egg, the hen
will dispose of the shells. If she does not, it’s a good
idea to remove them; this prevents the excess shells from
covering another egg and complications of other hatching
chicks. |
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