Table of Contents
Introduction:
Which came first
That is the age-old question no one seems to answer very well. In modern times it does not matter as once you have the parrot you will have parrot eggs. If you buy parrot eggs online or at a traditional store, make sure you are not cheated and given non-fertile parrot eggs.
Parrots make great pets and they do not need more than their cage, toys and food & water. That makes them easy to care for and great companions as you do not have to go out n the chilly weather for them to take care of business.
To learn more about parrot eggs and where to buy them just continue to read our article. It has the information you will want to know about. You never know, you may add a parrot to your cast of pets.
All About Parrot Eggs
If you want a lifelong friend and companion, you may want to start off with a parrot egg and when you are a young adult or teenager. These birds are known to live for about 60 years. Here are some facts about parrot eggs to help you decide if you want to go that route
Fertile parrot eggs take a while to hatch
Not as long as some birds or mammals but you will have to wait between 2 1/2 to 4 weeks before you see your new pet. The size of the bird is the determining factor in how long those eggs take and the larger the bird, the longer they take.
If you are starting from scratch, the eggs need a warm environment with a temperature of around 37 degrees C, or 108 degrees F. @ to 6 eggs are laid by the female and she usually lays only 1 egg per day.
Fertile Parrot Eggs
It is important to make sure you are buying or your female parrot lays fertile eggs. There is a simple way to to make sure your parrot’s eggs are going to lay little parrots. First, you have to wait about 7 to 10 days to make sure there is something to look at.
Then you hold the eggs up to a candle or a flashlight in a darkened room. The first stage is a dark spot on the yolk. Next time you check, you should see little veins running down the side of the egg. Then close to hatching you should see nothing but black color.
If an egg is not fertile then you may only see a yellowish color inside the egg. There should also be no veins in the egg either.
Hatching Parrot Eggs
One risk in having your parrot lay eggs is that some of these birds will eat those eggs and you will have to remove them before that takes place. If the parent parrots do not do that, then you should wait and let the eggs incubate naturally for 14 days.
Next, when you pull the eggs and put them in an incubator, make sure the larger end is elevated. That is the air chamber end and you do not want the vibration of the incubator ruining the eggs.
Third, you should use an incubator designed for parrot eggs and keep the temperature at a constant 99.3 degrees F with 40 to 50% humidity. After that is done, rotate the eggs 180 degrees once a day.
Once you are at this stage, you need to candle the eggs on a daily basis, repairing cracks or throwing out those eggs that didn’t make it. When the draw down occurs, move the eggs into a hatchery which should also be set at 99.3 degrees F. Your eggs should hatch within 2 to 3 days after this move.
The Reasons Why Eggs Fail to Hatch
It happens and you should get used to seeing this if you are going to be a breeder. Life is not perfect and even parrots do not get 100% births every time they lay eggs. Here are the reasons why eggs do not hatch:
- The egg is laid without a male to fertilize them
- Female parrots lay eggs even when the male has failed to do his part
- Chicks fail to develop in small eggs
- The female may ignore her eggs due to stress or inexperience
- The egg may have fallen and broken on the floor because the nest is the wrong size an din the wrong place
- The male bird may be infertile
- Too many other birds too close to the mother and she is too stressed to sit on them
- Lack of calcium and other nutrients
Single parrots lay eggs
This happens a lot,both in the wild and in captivity. There are certain stimuli that prompt the female to start producing an egg. Egg production is not dependent on fertilization from a male. Unless you want a fertile parrot egg.
These little influences can be a change in the seasons, longer daylight hours, and availability of certain foods that convince the female it is time to lay an egg. In captivity simple things like holding the parrot or giving it a bath will trigger the idea that she needs to lay an egg or two.
Unfortunately, when this happens these will not be fertile parrot eggs since no male has touched the egg laying female. When this happens you can let the female keep it for a couple of days or until she loses interest in it. If she doesn’t lose interest in it, wait till she is not around and just remove it.
If you remove the infertile egg right away, the female may lay more just to replace the ones she lost. You can replace the real egg with a fake one as the female doesn’t seem to notice the difference between the two.
Then if you remove the eggs too soon and the female replaces it with another infertile egg, she could develop some health problems. Those [problems can be but not limited to egg binding or improper body function.
How to keep a female from laying eggs
It is possible to do this. When you notice that your female parrot is laying too many eggs, then there are steps to take to cut this production off. First, keep your parrot away from dark places that make her think it is a nesting place.
Second, cut down on mushy foods like mashes and third, only give her about 8 to 10 hours of daylight each day. Fourth, only touch your female parrot around the head and neck only and if she is romantically involved with a toy, remove it.
Finally, change her diet to all seeds so she does not get the calcium required to lay eggs. A healthy parrot laying eggs is no cause for concern. It is when your female is doing abnormal activities that you should be concerned.
Parrot egg laying season
The good news about owning a parrot is that they do not lay an egg every day of the year or every month. There is a breeding season for parrots and that will change depending on the species of bird you own.
For example one parrot breed may only breed during the months of Feb. And Mar. The Ringneck parrot usually has its breeding season during Dec. & Feb. For the African Grey Parrot it is between July and January.
Heck with the breeder or pet store to find the exact breeding season for your particular parrot.
Buy parrot eggs online
This is an easy way to get a parrot egg before or just after it has hatched. Like most anything, a good internet search will turn up more than a dozen outlets where you can buy fertile parrot eggs.
But buying your parrot egg online does not guarantee you will get a fertile egg. There are unethical and dishonest parrot egg sellers out there and they will lie to you. To protect yourself, you should investigate the egg seller a little bit before you make a commitment to buy.
Also, be forewarned. Parrot eggs are not cheap and even online they can run you $60. The species of parrot will dictate the price and you can get cheaper eggs or more expensive ones from the same egg seller.
Parrot breeders & suppliers
Parrots are popular pets and one reason for that is that they are very social. But before you buy you should make sure you are committed to taking care of the bird for decades. Parrot breeders can help you select the right one for your situation.
If you are not sure where a parrot breeder is located or if there is one near you, a simple internet search will take care of that quickly. Just type in the words parrot breeder near me and you should have along list of possibilities to check out.
Keep in mind that not all breeders are honest or ethical so do a little research before you visit their locations. This research will help protect you from those dishonest or unethical breeders.
There are just too many breeders and pet stores to list here and not all of them will be in your area so it is best if you tackle this task yourself.
Parrot Egg : FAQs
#1. What do I feed my parrot?
Parrots eat both meat and vegetables and their diet will consist of nuts, flowers, fruit, buds, seeds and insects. Seeds may be their favorite food.
#2. How long do I need to incubate my parrot eggs before they hatch?
In nature, the parents take turns sitting on the eggs. The reason for this is that the eggs take between 18 and 30 days to hatch. If you are using an incubator wait till about the 7th day before transferring the eggs to that device.
#3. When should I incubate my parrot’s eggs?
There are several reasons why you should move your unhatched parrot eggs to an incubator. The first one is your female’s history with eggs. If she is known to break the shell then you should remove the eggs from the cage.
A second good reason is when your female continually abandons her eggs. This behavior may be seen in her hiding the eggs somewhere in the cage.
#4. Do I really need to candle the eggs every day?
This is a smart move to make and yes you should. This allows you to find unfertile eggs and remove them from the incubator and toss them away. Also, it helps you keep an eye on the chick’s development.
#5. How can I make sure my female parrot lays good eggs?
The first step in this process is to make sure her eggs have been fertilized by a male. If it hasn’t then the egg will not produce a little chick. The second step to take is to make sure she gets enough calcium and other nutrients in her diet.
#6. Once the egg has hatched when will my new parrot mature?
Parrot chicks are blind for the first two weeks of its life and won’t start growing new feathers until about the 3rd week. Then depending on the species, your parrot chick may not mature for 1 to 4 years
Some Final Words
Getting your parrot from the egg is a great way to have a pet for life. Their long lifespan ensures that if you start at the right time, you will have the same parrot from your college years until you are a senior citizen.
Throughout that time you can try to teach it to talk or you may be able to sell the parrot eggs to your friends who are interested in owning a part bird. Parrots are life time friends that fill a void in your home life.