breeding problems

Question
QUESTION: I have been breeding my Red Belly Parrots for 5 years. They used to be great parents. Just recently I have not been able to successfully hatch these eggs.  The parents are sitting on the eggs, however they are not hatching.  They are fertile eggs and when the incubation period is over, I do end up cracking the eggs to see if the baby is developed properly (which it is).  Another problem I am having is if one of the eggs hatch (usually the 1st egg) the parents throw it out of the nesting box and I have found it still alive on the bottom of the cage. Please help.
ANSWER: Hi, Amy.  Thanks for posting!

How do you know the babies have developed properly inside their eggs?  There can be many things wrong with baby parrots to keep them from hatching and unless a certified avian veterinarian examines these embryos, you would never know if something is wrong with them or not (unless you are an avian vet).  I've seen hatchlings with water on the brain, lack of limbs, heart problems, etc.  They are dying for some reason!  Perhaps you need to take these dead embryos to an avian vet for evaluation...this is what I do if/when I have similar problems.  Is there a foul smell when you open these eggs?  Are you sure you allowed them sufficient time to hatch before opening them (did you record the egg-laid and incubation dates correct)?  How many clutches/eggs have you had these problems with?  

When parent birds throw offspring out of the nesting box, it's usually because something is wrong with the baby.  The parent birds know better than we do when something is wrong with any of their babies.  In addition, depending on the type of nesting box you have set up, parent birds can accidently "kick" a baby out when they go in/out of the box.  Sometimes when pairs are overbred, they will discard babies so they don't have to care for them.  Could this be the case with your birds...how often to you allow them to breed?  Also, sometimes parents who fear for the safety of their babies will do strange things with their babies before allowing them to succumb to a threat...are there other birds or animals around your breeding pair?

I really need to have more detailed information about what is going on in your situation in order to help further.  You may want to consult with an avian veterinarian to ensure there aren't medical reasons for what is going on.

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Chrys,
My parrots have been doing this for a year now.  They have had 4 clutches this has happened to all of them.  I appreciate your advice about taking the embryo's for a vet check.  I think that'll be my best answer.  They have been breeding about 4 times in a year.  I have taken out the nesting box, but they still breed.  Is 4x in a year too much?

Answer
Hi again, Amy.

Yes, I think 4 clutches in a year is too too much for any pair.  Breeding and raising offspring takes a lot out of a pair of birds, even parrots that are in the best of health.  A pair of birds that produces a full clutch each time should be limited to 2 maybe 3 clutches per year max.

You may need to separate your birds for a while and/or have the bird vet give your female a hormone shot to stop her from laying for a period of time.  You can discourage breeding by limiting the available light source to 8-10 hours per day and definitely keep the nesting box down (and remove anything in the cage that might resemble a nesting spot).  Sometimes it helps to move the cage to a different location in your home.

I think your best bet is to consult with the vet who can examine the babies and adults and see what might be going on.

Chrys