# Hatching



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

Hi,

I've had my cockatiels for around two years and just over three weeks ago my female laid her first egg! She's got seven at the moment, but I'm getting stressed about the hatching process! I can hear chirping coming from inside the nest box and a couple of the eggs have little cracks on them. How long should it take between chirping and hatching? One looked like it was pipping on Friday, but nothing's changed since. I don't know that I'd be able to help it hatch, and I definitely don't even want to try unless I *really* had to! I took some photos, so any advice would be great. I tried candling them, and I could see a couple looked infertile, but I can't tell about the others.

I've attached a photo of one egg that has some cracks and is darker around the top, but it didn't show up great! The male wasn't impressed with me taking pictures so I tried to be quick!

Thanks heaps!


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If there has been no change in the pipped egg, the baby probably died in the shell. It can take up to 48 hours for a normal hatch, but if it takes longer than that it's a sign of trouble. 

How is the humidity level in your house? About 50% humidity is considered to be ideal for egg hatching, and if the humidity is very low or very high it can cause problems. If the humidity is very low, you can add humidity by hanging wet towels in the room (or by getting a humidifier of course). If the humidity is very high, a dehumidifier is the only way I know to solve the problem.

Here is an excellent article an assisting a hatch: http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/assist-hatches.html


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

Thank you! I have read that article before, but wasn't sure if the egg had actually pipped or if it was just from the parents. Do you know how long it takes to hatch if you're hearing noises from an egg? I read somewhere around 24 hours, but I'm not sure and I don't want to stress the parents by handling all the eggs.

Thanks!


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

24-48hrs is the norm. Anything longer than that and the baby needs help. You should work on getting the parents used to you messing around in the box so that you can jump in and help out when something like this happens.


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

Awesome, thank you! I'm not worried about myself or the parents when I go in, but the female gets quite feisty and I'm worried she'll knock the eggs around. The males a lot more timid which is nice so I usually look in when he's in there. I heard the cheeping noises last night, so I'll go in again before they swap over and see if it looks okay!


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

You could always push her out with a spatula so she doesn't jumble any eggs.


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

I managed to get the egg out fine and did an assisted hatch! Very nerve wracking but definitely needed to be done; there were feces in the egg so I'm glad I did it when I did! The chick seemed fine, it's with the parents now so I'm hoping they'll be able to take care of it properly! Thanks heaps for your advice.


----------



## angelmommy24 (Nov 20, 2011)

Aww pics we love pics


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Can you get some coconut water? Since the baby pooped in the egg, its gonna be very dehydrated. Giving it a drop or two of coconut water would help it immensely.


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

I gave him a drop of water last night, and he's still here this morning. Should I still be getting some coconut water for him? They sell some at my university so I can get some today!


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

If he made it through the night and his skin isn't red anymore then you don't need to give it to him. Glad he's doing well!


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

I'll try and snap some photos when both parents aren't in the cage. I have no idea what "normal" behaviour is like for a chick this little! Or what the parents should be doing. I haven't seen them feed him yet, but I read that they won't start feeding actual food just yet because he's still getting nutrients from the yolk sac? His chirping seems strong and he's moving a little, but can't really lift his head up yet.


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Parents may wait up to 12 hours before they feed the baby because he's still absorbing nutrients from the yolk sac.

If his skin starts looking very red he is dehydrated, and you can carefully feed him a drop of water or pedialyte in that case. 

It takes a while for newborns to get control of their own heads. They can lift it up just enough for the parent to grasp the beak.


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

I have a photo! He's still chirping and seems fine, but I have no idea what his crop is supposed to look like right now. Apparently it will get massive once they start feeding him. I hatched him last night around 10pm, so should they start feeding him tonight? There were feces in the shell though, so does that mean that they should be feeding him earlier than that since he's already started metabolizing?


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Your baby looks good  This illustration shows (lower corner) where the crop is. And since your remaining chicks might have difficulties hatching, when hatched just look at their abdomen to determine if they are dehydrated, etc.










Below are some helpful pixs to show how to monitor the air cell of the rest of the eggs.


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

Thank you! He still hadn't been fed so I gave him a small amount of formula (and I saw it going into his crop which was good!) He felt a little cold, and both parents were out (for about five minutes) so I put him back next to some warm eggs. I saw the mum trying to feed him; she was nipping him lightly, but she got a little vigorous because his toes bleeding a teensy bit! Should I leave him until morning (mums back in the box now) or should I be checking again in two hours? It worried me that both parents were out of the box and I don't want to interfere too much (especially since it's their first clutch and I haven't dealt with one before!). Both parents have definitely upped their eating though since he's hatched. He is also getting fluffier on his back! 

Thanks heaps :]


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

Also, how full should his crop get in the next couple of days? I want to know if the parents aren't feeding him properly at a quick glance!


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

The nipping at the toes is not good, keep an eye on that because the toes are fragile and can be nipped off at this age. Parents will nip out of frustration if the baby does not give a vigorous feeding response. They nip to get the baby to cry and open it's mouth. 

If you have a scales that weighs in grams, I would suggest you weigh the baby to get a baseline #. A baby will gain it's hatch weight per day. if it doesn't it is an alert to a possible problem going on.

As to the size of the crop when fed that will vary according to age. the crop is small for the first few days, and will slowly stretch after a couple days to accommodate more food.

This link shows the daily growth of a baby. Note: babies vary in size/weight....the only # you need to know is hatch weight, and that the baby is gaining this # daily. http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/watch-me-grow.html


----------



## xxxemmzxxx (Jul 27, 2012)

Ok, so should I be checking every two hours tonight, or should I leave the parents alone and check in the morning? 

Thanks heaps


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

I would check on the baby in the morning. BUT, during the night just listen only for any unusal noise or activity from the box.....because you don't want them to abandon the nest during the night and the baby get chilled and die.


----------

