Hatchingq

Question
My quaker parrots Missy and Pecker have five eggs. She has been sitting for just about twenty one days. We are hoping for the best. I added a cuttlebone bone to there home and all seemed to be going well. This afternoon I passed by and Missy's face and breast was wet, one of the eggs had a large piece of the shell missing. My question is do the parents help the chicks emerge from their shell?

Answer
Hello PJ and thank you for your post.
The parents do not help their young out of the shells.  The babies have what is called an egg tooth, which falls off right after they they hatch.
It sounds like Missy may have eaten the egg.  Instead of cuttlebone, get a calcuim block and put that into the cage.  Cuttlebones do have calcium, however, birds can not digest the cuttlebone, and sometimes the cuttlebone will even break off and get lodged into a bird's throat.  
You can get calcuim blocks at your local WalMart and they are inexpensive (around $2-$3).  This is what I use for my own birds as I have a cockatiel that is an incessive egg layer and if given the chance, will deplete her body of calcuim so bad that she will eat her eggs.
Also, be sure to give your birds some Avian Vitamins.  They will need them, especially if the eggs do hatch.

Good luck and God Bless.
Dianna