Abstract
In the past few years, the practice of artificial incubation has increased dramatically. This increase can be directly related to more advanced equipment available, as well as new techniques that are being learned and implemented daily. Combine these factors with increased clutching and more successful hatchings associated with artificial incubation and one's production (success rate) can increase substantially.The basic tool necessary for artificial incubation is an incubator with automatic turner. There are several incubators suitable for psittacines; however, I have found the simpler the better. I have had the most success with a basic Marsh Farms Turn-X with ten-turn thermostat and automatic turner. It is easy to set and maintains temperature well. When used with a high accuracy thermometer, it is the most reliable parent you could ask for.
My incubators are set at a temperature of 99.4°F dry bulb, with a wet bulb temperature of 84 to 86°F. Other important items to have on hand when artificially incubating are a good quality egg candler, distilled water, corn starch; tweezers, a small hemostat and scissors (all stainless steel for proper sterilization); cotton swabs and sterile Telfa pads.
Once the eggs are placed in the incubator, candling is possible from the outside of the clear dome. Fertility is clearly visible by the sixth day of incubation. The blood vessels and an embryo with a beating heart can be easily detected. In large psittacines, monitoring of the egg can be limited for the next 20 days or so; however, on the 25th or 26th day the eggs need to be checked for the slanting of the air cell. On the 27th day the air cell should be completely slanted, at which time the egg is placed in a nonturning incubator. Often an internal pip can be detected at this time. Within 24 to 36 hours from this point, an external pip should occur. It is at this point, or transition, that chicks seem to develop problems. Therefore, if external piping does not occur within this time frame, actions need to be taken.
The egg can be opened through the air cell, using tweezers to gently remove pieces of shell, gradually until the top of the egg is removed. The first membrane should be white and paper-like in appearance. By taking a cotton swab dipped in warm distilled water and gently rolling it across the top of the membrane, the membrane will become transparent. At this point, blood vessels can be detected if present. These blood vessels are an excellent indicator of the closeness to hatching. If they are present, the process of assisting should be postponed until the vessels are pale and have lost their blood supply (anywhere from 20 minutes to 24 hours, depending upon the number of vessels and the activity). If blood vessels are present, you should only get the chick's nose uncovered.
Once the vessels are pale and have lost their blood supply (noticeable by remoistening the membrane with a fresh swab) the membrane can be gently folded or rolled back over the side of the egg. There should be minimal or no bleeding during this process. If bleeding occurs, use corn starch to stop the bleeding, wait, and continue the process later. When the membrane has been folded back, without bleeding, the chick's head can be lifted out for a closer look.
If the egg yolk is completely absorbed the chick is ready to come out; if any yolk at all remains the chick must not be assisted out yet! The egg yolk is a yellow substance found at the center of the belly in...