The main advantage of artificial incubation is to increase the number of youngsters bred per year. By taking the first clutch between 14 and 21 days it is possible to encourage the parent birds to further lay. This procedure is not cruel, as in the wild often nests of eggs are eaten or destroyed by inclement weather conditions. It is the normal instinct for the parents to continue in their endeavours to raise young.

The second clutch of eggs should be left with the parents and the ensuing youngsters also be reared by them. By adopting this method it will ensure that only the strongest and fittest birds are produced and in greater quantities. By allowing parent birds to raise their second clutch there will be a provision for breeding stock into the future. It is our belief that parent reared birds go on to make the more productive pairings in the future.

Another important reason for artificial incubation is to save the clutch of eggs that has been deserted by the parent bird. Occasionally a single egg is laid and the hen fails to incubate. There is still a reasonable chance that the egg may be fertile and by artificially incubated a chick is often reared that would otherwise not have been.

Avian viruses and disease are less easier transmitted in the hand rearing room and through artificial incubation than is possible when parrots raise their own chicks. It is essential to acquire fertile eggs in the first place to have a male and female in the same aviary. It is surprising how many aviaculturists maintain two birds in an aviary simply on the assumption that they are a true pair.

It is obviously essential to have birds surgically sexed or chromazone feather sexed to achieve breeding success. Two females will set up home and behave as a true pair even going through the ritual of copulation. Once eggs are laid they will even take turns at incubation. With parrots what you see is not always what you get.

THE TEXT ABOVE IS FROM "PARROT INCUBATION PROCEDURE AND HAND FEEDING" A PARROTCARE PUBLICATION FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE