I bought a Rcom poro 50 Do incubator for my Quaker eggs. All conure eggs hatch in this incubator, but Quaker eggs die after a few days. Out of 47 Quaker eggs, I was able to get 3 chicks. They hatch and grow. They die after a week. Do you know a better one for me to buy?
Hi,
This is why I do not recommend artificial incubation for common species. An incubator should be a last resort solution for rare species. Why are you not allowing the parents to sit on the eggs? How many pairs do you have? You have tried to incubate a LOT of eggs. You still must limit how many times you let your birds breed and lay eggs each year. You cannot use them as egg machines. A pair should be rested for at least 6 months between each clutch, even if you take the eggs away. Forming and laying eggs takes a toll on the hen, and she needs time to rest and recover before she nests again. In the wild, they only breed once a year during breeding season. In captivity, it is your responsibility to limit how much your birds breed and lay eggs – twice a year at the most. Otherwise, they will die from exhaustion and other factors from laying too often. You need to let the parents sit on the eggs and care for the chicks. The same with the conures, unless they are extremely rare. I’m sorry if I am making the wrong assumption, but it sounds like you are going for volume, and that is not how you breed birds responsibly. If a pair won’t sit on eggs, maybe the environment is wrong or maybe the pair aren’t good breeders. Unfortunately, by taking their eggs away, you haven’t given the pairs a chance to learn how to care for eggs and chicks. I would recommend finding some responsible breeders and asking them for advice on how to set your pairs up for success, rather than continuing to take their eggs away. As I do not recommend artificial incubation, I can’t help you on what to buy. I can only recommend that you stop trying to incubate the eggs and let the pairs learn.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
