Hatching Parakeet Eggs

[cheeptrick]

My DD wants to purchase and hatch fertilized parakeet eggs?

Is this legal?

Where can you purchase the eggs?

I want to tell her SORRY...no go...but the begging girl got me to post here first to see what the chicken people knew!!

 

[arlee453]

I can't imagine that it's illegal, unless you are collecting eggs from the wild - not really an issue if you are in the US. But there are bigger issues than just getting the eggs when it comes to artifically incubating and hand rearing any parakeet species. As far as incubating, they are a bit more quirky than you typical poultry egg from what I understand as far as tolerating fluctations in temps/humidity.

The babies when they hatch are not like chickens or ducks - they are naked and totally unable to care for themselves. You have to feed them a carefully prepared special formula made for parakeets and then keep them in a very narrow range of temps and humidity. Oh, and be prepared to feed them every few hours around the clock for about 2-3 weeks minimally - not a task for the faint of heart or easily bored. (ie, most kids)

I've got parakeets a-courting now, and am contemplating if i want to try to hand raise the babies once they hatch - but I won't be pulling the babies for at least a few days as they need constant round the clock care if you are hand feeding. It's best to let the mom and dad care for them as many days as you can get away with it and still get a good human/bird bond before you pull them to hand feed.

 

[cheeptrick]

Thanks Arlee...We are STICKING with CHICKENS!! Although school is ending soon...and my girl is the BEST at being a chicken Mommy and would certainly be for the parakeet babies too. I do not have the time personally with summer camps starting up soon!!

Thank you for helping us and giving us a little insight before we jumped into something unawares!!

I LOVE you Chicken people!!

 

[tmk]

Parakeet chicks are completely naked when they are hatched. Their eyes are not even open.
When I was a little girl, I used to take the chicks out of the nest right before they started to feather out and hand fed them. Chicks need to be fed around the clock as they can't fed themselves like chickens can.
It was a great experience and I have many sweet memories hand raising parakeets but couldn't have done it successfully without adult's (in my case, my mom) help.

Hand fed parakeets are so much fun!
They stay on your shoulder and cuddle with you, and follow you around in the house.
It can be a demanding work and children shouldn't handle it alone IMO.
I hope you and your daughter will find a way to do it

 

[tmk]

Oops, arlee453 beat me to it!!

 

[arlee453]

http://www.cagenbird.com/articles.htm

If you are really interested in knowing more (or convincing her it will be WAAAYYYYYY too much work at this point in life)

The link above has great info on hand rearing cage birds of all sorts...