Cracking Open the Miracle: Egg Hatching and Grey Parrots Chicks Growth
African Grey Parrots, which are known world wide by their intelligence and captivating personalities, are the one of the most famous birds in the world. For their breeders and enthusiasts alike, the breeding process is a very hard and crucial aspect of this highly known bird’s life cycle. The main component of this period is the eggs of these birds. These marvel eggs convert into a new life of Grey Parrots Chicks.
Characteristics of Eggs of Grey Parrots
African Grey Parrot eggs are a testament to the wonders of avian biology. Here are some key characteristics:
- Size:
The length of the egg of these parrots is almost 35 to 45 mm and its width is almost 25 to 30 mm.
- Weight:
The weight of the eggs of African grey parrots is almost 20 to 30 grams which is equal to 0.7 to 1 oz.
- Shape:
The eggs of the Congo African grey parrots are elliptical.
Color:
The color of the grey parrot’s eggs is white and also shows a bluish shade.
- Shell Thickness:
The thickness of the eggs of these birds is 0.3 to 0.5 mm which is equal to 0.012 to 0.02 inches.
- Incubation
The most critical process in the development of the eggs of the grey parrots is the incubation. In this process the temperature given by the female is 37 to 38°C for a period of almost 28 to 30 days.
Hatching Process
- The hatching process includes:
Pipping
The process by which a chick emerges from its shell is called pipping. The pipping starts 24 to 26 hours before the hatching.
Zipping
The final stage of the pipping is known as the zipping. This is known as zipping because in this stage the chick makes a zip-like place in the shell through which it can come out of the shell. It starts usually 6 to 12 hours before hatching.
Emergence
The stage in which the chick completely exits from the egg shell is known as the emergence. It is the final stage of the hatching. It usually occurs 1 to 3 hours after completion of zipping.
Caring for Newly Hatched Grey Parrots Chicks
The newly hatched chicks need the following requirements:
Brooding
The first requirement that the newly born chick requires is to maintain the temperature (37 to 38°C) and the humidity (50 to 60%)
Hand feeding
If the mother parrot is not feeding its chicks properly then offer the chicks a nutrient rich feed every 2 to 3 hours a day.
Hydration
Provide fresh water to the chicks all time. Change the water regularly.
Health Consideration
After the hatching of the eggs, some chicks may get some diseases. We need to consider the chicks with following:
Dehydration
Provide Fresh water to the baby chicks of these parrots and observe the hydration of the chicks regularly. This dehydration can be due to the use of inadequate hand-feeding formula mixing. It can also be due to the insufficient feeding frequency or high environmental temperature and humidity.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a state in which the chicks have low blood sugar levels. It is a very critical condition in grey parrot’s chicks. This can be due to inadequate hand-feeding formula, Insufficient feeding frequency and delayed or missed feedings. Symptoms are weakness, pale or blue tinged skin and high-pitched chirping. It can be cured and treated by immediate feeding with handfeed formula, or by using glucose supplements such as honey.
Disorders
The common disorders in grey parrots chicks are:
- Feather plucking syndrome
It is a behavioral disorder that causes the excessive feather plucking in the chicks. The chick plucks its feathers at a very high rate. It is a genetic disorder.
- Chondrodystrophy.
Some chicks also get this disease as a genetic disorder. In this disorder the chicks have a genetic defect in their bones. In this defect, the bones and the cartilage of the chicks do not grow properly and remain weak.
- Congenital heart defects.
This is also a genetic disorder in which there are some abnormalities in the heart structure and function. Almost 1 to 5 % chicks face this problem. In this disorder their valves can become narrow or may the ventricles become defected.
- Retinal dysplasia.
In this genetic disorder a congenital or inherited eye disorder is shown by the chicks. Almost 2 to 5% of Congo grey parrots chicks face this problem. Its symptoms are vision loss or blindness, abnormal pupil response, eye trimmers, crossed eyes and redness or discharge in the affected eye. It can be due to genetic mutations, inbreeding or line breeding, environmental factors such as temperature and humidity and nutritional deficiencies during incubation.
Dietary Requirements
The dietary requirements of these chicks age by age are given below:
- 0 – 6 weeks:
This age is a hand rearing age for the grey parrots chicks. At this age we can take the grey parrots chicks on hand feed and we can use commercial hand rearing formulas like (Zupreem and Kaytee). The water ratio that we need to use in this commercial hand rearing formula is one part formula to 2 to 3 parts waters. It is necessary to feed the chicks every 3 to 4 hours.
- 6 – 12 weeks.
The age of 6 to 12 weeks is known as the weaning stage for the chicks. At this age you can introduce soft fruits and vegetables to the chicks. The fruits and vegetables must be soft. You can also use a commercial weaning formula for the chicks. The water ratio for the commercial weaning formula is 1 part formula to 4 to 5 parts water. Feed chicks every 3 to 4 hours.
- 3 – 6 months.
This age is known as the fledgling stage for the chicks. At this age they should be treated with Pellets, Fresh fruits and vegetables, Nuts and seeds. At this age they need to diet as much as adults.
Conclusion
Hatching of eggs and growth of Grey Parrots Chicks are not only two stages but base of all next events of keeping these birds healthy, active, live and capable of promoting these features to the next generation.
