Artificial Incubation and Hand,yearing of Red Wattled Lapwings

Abstract

In 1987 , the staff at Miami Metrozoo
artificially incubated six Redwattled
Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
eggs representing two clutches from
the same pair. Five of the six eggs
were hatched and successfully reared,
which was a captive first breeding for
this species in the United States. Since
then, a total of 23 lapwings have been
raised.
Red-wattled Lapwing eggs average
42.7 x 30.85 mm in size (26 eggs) and
are light brown colored, splotched
with a darker brown. The eggs are
typically oval shaped, round on one
end and pointed on the other. We do
not have any fresh weights on these
eggs as the adults were a llowed to
complete a clutch before the eggs
were pulled for incubation. The
clutch varied between three and four
eggs.

All eggs were incubated in a
Humidaire model #20 self-turning 

table top incubator. The eggs were
incubated at 99.5 °F and started in a
medium humidity at 82 °F wet bulb.
Experience has shown that a higher
humidity is required, therefore eggs
are incubated in a wetter incubator
(90 °F wet bulb). All eggs are weighed
three times per week and graphed to
lose 15% of initial weight. It should
be noted that because of the shape of
the lapwing eggs, the fresh weight
formula (W = Kw x LB) w ith the
standard weight coefficient does not
work. * Fresh weights of the lapwing
eggs will be needed in order to calculate
the proper kw factor. Twentythree
of 26 lapwing eggs have
hatched and two eggs were inadve rte
ntly broken d uring incubation. The
incubation p eriod is 29 days and the
average hatching weight is 14.7
grams.