Eggs

[B49]

Is it possible for people interested in getting started with breeding to purchase eggs and incubate them as opposed to buying a breeder pair?

[xafsmom]

Oh boy. Ok let me start by saying - egg sellers of parrot eggs is a scam.

Rick Jordan - one of the big artifical incubation pioneers has a book on the incubation procedures of parrots which covers the potentiality of shipping exotic eggs. He's tried it several times for specific reasons - not to sell eggs though, but he handles some truly rare birds and deals with zoos. He has had no successful hatches from it. So, I wouldn't suggest it.

Parrots eggs aren't like chicken eggs. You might have a window of 3-5 days from laying of a fertile egg to 'store' the egg for future incubation. Any longer, and there are is no hatching - as per UC Davis, a major Avian research university. It's actually going to be more successful to ship week old babies than it would be eggs - and I don't suggest that either!

So, as far as a breeding pair, that is your best way to go. If you want to get into breeding psittacines, you're going to want to have future clutches to make it worthwhile. But, oh boy, know what you're getting into!

If you just want a single baby - buy from a breeder. You won't have the heartbreak of incubating eggs only to have them dead in shell because your temp was too high, too low, too humid, not humid enough, too much vibration, malpositioned chicks - which are VERY common in artificial incubation (do you know how to hatch assist a malposition?), power outages, ect. You won't have the heartbreak of having chicks that die because of various issues involving incubation. ...Did I mention twice a year bacterial cultures of your incubator and brooder just to be on the safe side? Or, how about repairing eggs?

You won't have the pain on your soul of accidentally puncturing the esophagus or aspirating your chick from mishanding during hand-feeding. You won't have endlessly sleepless nights because you're feeding day 1 chicks every hour. You won't have to keep your incubator, brooder, feeding utensils and anything you touch absolutely clean and disinfected. Need I go on?

Breeding is a joy, but if you're just out for a pet... let someone who breeds them go through all that hassle and trouble and buy a pet from them. You'll be so much happier! Or, consider rescuing a bird! Older birds make awesome pets!

[Ashling]

Sure is possible. It's very tricky to hatch eggs with little experience. They need to be turned a few times a day, the right temperature and humidity. You'll need an incubator, and if you don't have the time to do everything manually you can get an incubator than does everything for you, which can be pricey.
Then you'll need to hand raise the chicks whichcould be called a fine art! Are you experienced in raising chicks? What is your purpous for hatching the eggs? Are they to breed, for pets, to sell?

[B49]

Originally Posted by Ashling

What is your purpous for hatching the eggs? Are they to breed, for pets, to sell?

Purpose is to raise healthy babies to sell to good homes. Now, for the rarer species of certain Macaws, rare cockatoos, breeding pairs command a heavy price. So, if it was possible in principle to secure the egg and spend the money on incubation, the cost of the supplies amortizes. Which is why I asked if it was possible to buy an egg in the first place and where a person could even look for rare hyacinth/black cockatoo eggs and avoid scams.

[Ashling]

It's possible, as I said. There was an advertisement for hy eggs a while ago, but I don't know if it was a scam. There aren't many people who will sell rare, expensive eggs to someone who is not experienced in raising them. If you plan to sell them for profit, it may well cost more in care than what you'll get for the bub, if you do it right. Is it for profit or for the experience of raising some large parrots, if you don't mind me asking? If you don't even know if it's possible, I'd do alot more research on the matter and gain as much information as possible. Have you ever kept parrots before?

[polishkid99]

Tina ....good reply. I have 5 tiels and I have to admit....breeding isn't for everyone. One pair I had laid a clutch and I thought all would be easy....let the parents do it and interact with chicks. Well 6 eggs were laid and all was going well. Egg 1 hatched and I thought 6 was too many for their first clutch so I fostered the second to another pair I have. Well that one hatched. Number 3,4 and 5 hatched. Well all babies were doing fine; parents and fosterparents were doing great. I get up one morning and I see the parents out of the box just sitting there and no noise from the box. I opened it up and all the chicks are dead and the last remaining egg had started to pip but now was dead. Im thinking OMG...the eggs were infected somehow. I checked on the other cage and both fosterparents were in the box tending the one surviving chick. Im thinking maybe this one will die soon. Well 2 yrs later Lucky is still doing well. I learned the hard way my one pair was horrible parents; great pets but not good at raising a clutch. I took the dead chicks to my avian vet and after telling the story the surviving one was the one I fostered it was more than likely it was the parents. Unfortunately the fosterparents always lay infertile eggs. Im sharing this to reiterate what Tina said about the heartache. Here 5 little lives came in and then left. Breeding isn't for everyone. If I get any more birds I now realize there are many birds out there for adoption.

[B49]

Originally Posted by polishkid99

Tina ....good reply. I have 5 tiels and I have to admit....breeding isn't for everyone. One pair I had laid a clutch and I thought all would be easy....let the parents do it and interact with chicks. Well 6 eggs were laid and all was going well. Egg 1 hatched and I thought 6 was too many for their first clutch so I fostered the second to another pair I have. Well that one hatched. Number 3,4 and 5 hatched. Well all babies were doing fine; parents and fosterparents were doing great. I get up one morning and I see the parents out of the box just sitting there and no noise from the box. I opened it up and all the chicks are dead and the last remaining egg had started to pip but now was dead. Im thinking OMG...the eggs were infected somehow. I checked on the other cage and both fosterparents were in the box tending the one surviving chick. Im thinking maybe this one will die soon. Well 2 yrs later Lucky is still doing well. I learned the hard way my one pair was horrible parents; great pets but not good at raising a clutch. I took the dead chicks to my avian vet and after telling the story the surviving one was the one I fostered it was more than likely it was the parents. Unfortunately the fosterparents always lay infertile eggs. Im sharing this to reiterate what Tina said about the heartache. Here 5 little lives came in and then left. Breeding isn't for everyone. If I get any more birds I now realize there are many birds out there for adoption.

It's a lot of work, but then again what isn't?

Why do the fosterparents always lay infertile eggs?