# Damaged Air Cell



## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Everything I have heard about these suggests that damaged air cell eggs do not survive. There is one recently that I tried artificially incubating in an incubator that has racks designed for quail eggs. Placing the air pocket up as a sort of experiment following guidelines normally used for chicken eggs with this same problem. It has actually started to develop!










Sorry about the poor image quality I'm too afraid of tilting the egg.


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## Tequilagirl (Mar 4, 2013)

Fingers crossed for the wee baby, he's certainly a fighter.


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

that's awesome, I hope it continues to develop, Good luck and keep us updated on how the little one does


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Checked in on it again today. The tiny bubbles appear to be recombining and aren't moving anymore when tilting the egg (I didn't tilt it much). That's consistent chicken eggs using this technique.

The problem being that the air cell (or whats left of it) has to be facing up. My worry is that parrot eggs aren't supposed to incubate this way, they roll on their side. The racks are for poultry which are less touchy.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Unfortunately the little guy didn't make it. I will experiment with this some more though. Next time, I'll avoid handling and candling the egg to see if it does better.


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## Tequilagirl (Mar 4, 2013)

Oh no, poor wee baby. Good for you for trying to save him anyway.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Part of the issue may end up being with the way that parrot eggs need to be incubated versus chicken eggs.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

roxy culver said:


> Part of the issue may end up being with the way that parrot eggs need to be incubated versus chicken eggs.


In the wild I don't believe there really are differences in the actual act of incubation. Both species roll the eggs on their side for turning and require 99.5F and 50% humidity for ideal conditions.

The technology developed for poultry works fine for that, but in reading I learned that poultry racks are not effective for parrot eggs. And not just in textbook, I tested it to some degree (not just here). I believe this may be tied to some sort of difference in structure of eggs between altricial and precocial species. If I'm right, it will be interesting to find out what that difference might be. Knowing that difference might even shed some light on how to treat damaged air cells differently from those of the precocial variety. I'll keep working on it.


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Sorry the little one didn't make it


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Here is another one, this one further along than the previous. Its developing veins but I cannot see the embryo. Learned from the last one that the embryo will always float towards the aircell making it hard to see. It was at about the same stage as the last one I showed you when disturbed in the nest the aircell was damaged. I immediately caught it shortly after since and seeing the disturbance gave me some thought to check the eggs.










Unfortunately the albumen appear to be separating into layers. If it isn't dead already I'm afraid it might be soon.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Candled it again today, there are veins running to the egg's top and I can see movement in the bottom. I tested the aircell and it does appear to have stabilized a little, but after a minute the airpocket seemed to slip again so I turned it back upright.









I hate to get my hopes up, but this is the most success I have had so far.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Another update, candled it again and I can still see movement and veins. It should be getting close to hatching time though since I was planning on leaving this one with the parents I don't know the exact day it was laid. I'll post again if it hatches.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Today when candling it looked like the veins disappeared, seems it didn't make it.

This is what I have learned so far:

An egg can survive a damaged air cell further in incubation with the large side of the egg kept up like poultry if it has already developed veins prior to the aircell becoming damaged.

It should not be turned the first few days, after which turning can resume with the aircell side still facing up, in a poultry-style turning rack. The chances of an egg like this hatching are slim but I believe this may give them a chance.


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