Ask Lafeber

Lovebirds incubation period

I have an incubator and i was wondering when to stop the automatic turner so that they can hatch and when would you recommend me to stop the auto turner . Thanks

Hi,

There isn’t much information on this because breeders usually do not artificially incubate lovebirds. Lovebirds can hatch early or late, so there is no way to know when they might hatch unless you notice them pipping in the egg. If you manage to hatch them, it’s highly unlikely that you can keep them alive by hand feeding from day 1. Even the most experienced breeders have trouble keeping small birds like lovebirds alive from day1. It’s always best to leave the eggs and chicks with the parents. If they won’t incubate eggs, then they probably aren’t suitable for breeding. And if they won’t feed their chicks they also shouldn’t be bred anymore. Unfortunately not all pairs make good breeders. But since most lovebird species are very common, breeders don’t go to the trouble of trying to incubate them because they rarely survive. I have no experience with incubating them, so I’m sorry I can’t help. You might try asking the incubator company or try to find a breeder who uses one.

Thank you for Asking Lafeber,

Brenda