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Question:

January 31, 2022

Bird layed 5 eggs will it hatch im very excited.


My grey parrot gives 5 eggs will they hatch . I was reading your articles you said normally they give 3 eggs only but mine gave 5


Answer:

Hi Shikha,

I’m assuming you have a male? Unless she has a mate and they have mated, the eggs won’t be fertile. If this is the first time, it is very unlikely you will end up with surviving chicks. I just don’t want you to get your hopes too high. First clutches almost always fail. The parents don’t incubate them properly, or the eggs aren’t fertile, the parents don’t care for the chicks properly or any of a number of things that cause the clutch to fail. First time parents have to learn, and while doing so, they rarely manage to raise chicks the first time. Make sure they are eating a nutritionally balanced food like pellets – seeds will not provide the nutrition they need. They also need dark leafy greens, veggies, fruit and right now you need to be feeding an egg food. You are actually supposed to start feeding the egg food as soon as you give them the nest box because the female needs the extra protein and calcium while laying eggs. You can feed a commercial egg food, or cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. A cuttlebone is also a god idea. It’s important to give her these things right away, so she doesn’t get sick or die from a calcium deficiency. Greys already have a tendency to get low calcium so after laying 5 eggs, she is at a high risk of complications right now. Whether these eggs hatch or not, you need to take down the nest box after they are done with these, and rest the pair for 6 months before giving them the nest box. You must limit them to 1 or 2 clutches per year – they only breed once a year in the wild. They should not have a nest box year round – only when it is time for them to breed. For now, give them plenty of privacy, lots of good food and hope they get things right.

Good luck and let us know how things go,

Brenda

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