Time off the eggs?

[Raven2322]

How long can a cockatiel egg not have a parent sitting on it before it becomes a development problem?

I need to know because I have eggs and my tiels are new to breeding.

Should I put a heating pad under the nest box to help keep the eggs warm?

[Lori~D]

Did they just start laying? If so they may lay an entire clutch before sitting and starting the incubation. How many eggs? Are they still laying one every other day? Heating the eggs without the parents beginning the incubation is a no no. If the parents are expirienced and not finished laying and you do this you will kill the eggs. Do you know if the eggs are fertile?? Do you know how to candle the eggs? How long have the eggs been in the box?
Please answer each question so I can better help you...
There are allot of other things you need to be prepared for as well...

[Raven2322]

They have laid 4, 1 is at 5-6 days of incubation and is fertile. But they are new parents and some times come out of the nest box for a while. I want to know how long is ok, 20 mins, an hour, or what. So that I can make sure the egg is taken care off. Everything else I've been researching for a few weeks but this one question I can find no answer to.

[Lori~D]

Ok that makes much more sense now. I have seen my parrotlets off the nest for as long as an hour in the summer. It just really depends on how warm it is outside the nest box and the humidity. I still would not however put any kind of heat to the box. If I didnt trust the parents to sit proper I would move the eggs to another pair but in this case you say they are new parents? I would leave them be no matter what the outcome. The only way they learn to be good parents is with practice. It is common place for new parents to not get it right the first few clutches.

[NoLimitssjca]

Lori's advice is "spot-on". They will be off the eggs for what appears to be a long time (20 minutes, 1 hour). This is perfectly normal behavior. Even if they are off too long, as new parents they have a lot to learn. Make sure you do your part and provide a diet with soft foods, starting now, and a water dish big enough for your female to get in if she wants. Do youself a favor and write down the dates the eggs were laid and the date they started brooding. You may want to mark the eggs with a non-toxic marker so you know which came first (then you'll know how long is too long if need be).