A Cockatiels egg is
approximately 25mm in size or 1 inch in the old scale and if studied
carefully during incubation can reveal many rewarding moments. Firstly we
need to know a little about the egg and how it evolves into a healthy
chick.
Cockatiel hens usually lay
between 3-7 eggs with 5 being normal however some eager hens can lay
continually until chicks have been born, these hens need to watched
closely for egg binding or lack of fitness due to the strain of calcium
absorption required to produce the eggs! A good breeding age is at least
12mths with 18-24 being ideal with fewer complications to deal with; also
mature birds seem to do everything right with brooding. Hens will incubate
from late afternoons till early mornings when the cock will take over and
relieve the hen. Some devoted pairs especially those housed on their own
will share incubation duties during the day.
The first eggs usually appear
10-14 days after pairing and are laid every other day. Brooding doesn’t
commence until the 3rd egg is laid giving parents the
opportunity to have at least the first 3 chicks hatch together. After
approximately 5-7 days of incubation a cockatiel egg can be checked for
fertility using an egg candler or a strong flash light. As “Foreshaw says”
a fertile egg is Broad-Elliptical with a slight gloss or opaque look quite
distinguishable against an infertile egg which is clear and dull! Once
candled a fertile egg will show red blood veins thru the entire egg
similar to a spider web leading to embryo viewed as a little blood dot
which will increase in size as it develops.
By the 8-10th day
of fertility a candled egg will show signs of heartbeat coming from the
embryo which can be very thrilling and rewarding for 1st
timers. Also appearing will be an Air-Sac at the large end of the egg, the
size of the sac is determined by relative humidity. Too much humidity will
create a smaller air sac which will cause the chick too swell in the egg
resulting in the chick being smothered and usually fatal if not assisted
at hatch! Too little humidity creates a larger air sac will little
moisture for the chick to move and revolve whilst hatching also causing
the chick to adhere to the membrane which is identified by a large hole
whilst trying to hatch, this also can be fatal if not assisted in
hatching!
After approximately 17days
incubation candling the egg will reveal the air-sac has tilted by 45
degrees, this period of brooding is called the “Internal Pip” which also
can be detected without candling by a dent which will appear at the large
or air sac end of the egg. This process of hatching with the chick now
breaking through the membrane into the air cell where it will begin to
take its first breath with a supply of fresh air created by the pip and if
you listen closely you will hear their first chirps whilst chipping away
in a circular motion around the shell. Usually without complications a
chick will appear within 24-48 hrs of the pip any longer than this is a
general warning for signs of difficulty and an assisted hatch might be
required!
So as you can see a cockatiel
has its work cut out making sure all conditions are met and do rely
greatly on breeders to accommodate their requirements. A shallow water
dish is appreciated greatly by brooding hens who love nothing more than to
take a dip in the water to help maintain humidity levels in the nest box
especially in warmer climates! Also a good supply of calcium and sunlight
are the main ingredients for healthy eggs and chicks.
If at any stage of incubation
a criteria is not met by one or both parents for one reason or another
cockatiel eggs can be fostered to another pair usually without fuss but
make sure the fostering pairs biological clock is in time with those being
fostered although I personally feel it’s better to try and educate birds
to become good breeders rather than egg producing machines!
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