Abstract
Having artificially incubated many eggs and over a hundred parrot eggs, it is time for the Parrot Breeding Centre (P.B.C.) to share with our fellow aviculturists some information regarding this delicate subject.The first and so very important point is the following question: why do baby parrots generally hatch more easily in the nest boxes with their mother than in an incubator, assuming the eggs were artifically incubated all the way? This question is very tricky since no one has yet answered it. In the "Proceedings" of the Association of Avian Veterinarians 1991, one can read these meaningful sentences: " Arttflcially incubated eggs frequently show lower hatchability than naturally incubated eggs. In addition, eggs that have been naturally incubated for the first five to seven days may have higher hatchability than eggs that are artificially incubated for the entire developmental period. That these differences exist highlights the need for a wider dissemination of information on proper incubation methods. Identifying causative incubation factors demands a thorough understanding of artificial incubation management for both domestic and exotic avian species."
In the second sentence it is said that the eggs naturally incubated the first five to seven days may have a higher hatchability than the ones entirely incubated artificially, which is true: the longer a natural incubation, the higher the hatchability. This verb ' 'may" means nothing is scientifically proven yet and a deep understanding of the process is still under research.
Inside an incubator the settings are perfect. We know now exactly at what temperature the eggs should incubate, what the percentage of humidity should be as well as the angle for egg turning and the number of times per day the eggs should turn. The Grumbach incubator, as I already wrote, is a very accurate unit and we achieve with pride at the P.B.C. with three of them and soon a fourth one, a very high percentage of hatchability, close to 95%. Thanks to these incubators, I have raised, up to present, about 150 chicks from the eggs.
But as precise as artificial incubation has become, nothing replaces the contact of the mother sitting closely on her eggs. At this point, we have come up with an explanation, but that does not mean it has to be the only one or that it answers every facet of this delicate question.
A living body generates energy. No one can deny that. This energy is transmitted to the embryo through the shell as it develops while the mother broods. Actually, this energy transmission starts when the egg is being formed as the spark of life enters it with the fertilization. An egg infected with bacteria during its formation and while it traverses the entire length of the oviduct will survive for many days and even until hatching, living thanks to the reserve of energy transmitted by the mother and stored inside the egg nutrients. So the chick will hatch with a lot more energy if it can take advantage of the mother's brooding time. This is probably the only thing an incubator cannot provide.
Artificial incubation will always remain a delicate operation and only dedicated aviculturists will achieve good results.