If the parrots form a pair, the male gives attention to the female, and she accepts them favorably, the breeder can hope for replenishment in the family of pets.
All preparations are finished, days go by days, and impatience grows. What signs indicate that a female parrot is pregnant? How to understand that fertilization was successful?
Nesting preparation
Parrots will safely bring and grow offspring, if carefully prepared steamed, that is, creating a harmonious pair, birds. Work begins almost a month before the proposed masonry:
- For breeding, the season of the year is important. It is better to organize nesting in the spring. Daylight hours are long enough, air temperature and humidity are optimal. The spring-summer variety of fresh feed will benefit both older birds and young growth. Younger babies will have better conditions than winter chicks.
- Parrots are released to fly every day for a month. Active walks will strengthen your muscles and speed up your metabolism.
- At the same time, they begin an enhanced course of vitamin and mineral nutrition. Special poultry preparations are used, preferably recommended by a veterinarian or an experienced breeder.
- In the last week before mating, the diet is enriched with additional protein and sprouted grain.
- Departures from the cage are completely canceled. They try not to disturb the birds.
- A nest box is hung. The house for parrots should be spacious enough to accommodate a bird with grown chicks. At the bottom is a small depression for the eggs. The top cover is hinged. The best material is wood. The box is hung outside the cage. The summer house is combined with the side door so that birds can freely climb inside.
- If the birds became interested in the house, then the mating took place, and the female parrot is pregnant. How to understand that masonry will begin soon? Up to an hour "X" left a little more than a week. This will be indicated by behavioral and physiological signs that even a novice breeder will notice.
- As soon as the first egg has appeared, the amount of protein in the diet decreases. Gradually decreases and the amount of succulent feed. While the female lays and incubates eggs, she is fed with one grain mixture or steamed porridges, so as not to provoke diarrhea. Food gradually lead to normal mode only before the departure of the first chick from the nest.
Behavior of a female parrot during pregnancy
Physiological signs of an interesting position will appear when the first egg begins to form. One week after fertilization, it is already apparent that the female parrot is pregnant. How to understand that this happened in the very first days? A sign that the female is preparing for the laying will be her changed habits:
- The bird begins to actively eat sepia, a mineral stone and try everything on its beak that it reaches.
- The female actively plucks feathers near the cloaca and on her stomach.
- Possible refusal of feed. At the same time, the male feeds the female from the beak, she will accept such courtship favorably.
- Some clumsiness in the movements becomes noticeable.
- Most of the time the bird slumbers.
- During wakefulness, she is engaged in arranging the nest. The female will either fill the nest box with sawdust, or discard those laid in advance. In any case, she will prove herself a full-fledged mistress.
- The female can become aggressive and irritable. Grunting intonations will appear in her twittering, she will avoid the owner's hands and hide in the house. The female may also show a negative attitude towards the male.
Parrot egg ripening
A female parrot has only one ovary. Egg cells mature in it in turn. In a vial containing one of the cells, nutrients accumulate. This forms the yolk of the future egg.
When the enlarged egg breaks away from the ovary, it enters the oviduct, where fertilization occurs. An embryo forms, which begins to develop rapidly. At this time, the yolk continues to move along the oviduct, as if on a conveyor. In one section, special glands will cover it with a thick mucous membrane - protein. In the other, it will be overgrown with a thin subshell film similar to a soft peel. At the last stage, the egg acquires a hard shell saturated with calcium.
Full maturation occurs in a day or a little longer. All this time, muscle contraction creates a rotational movement of the egg, propelling it forward and shaping it. This process causes the bird severe discomfort.
The condition of the female during oviposition
By external signs, you can notice that an egg will appear soon:
- The female abdomen is greatly enlarged. Bloating is observed in the hypochondrium until the egg is fully formed.
- Ready to go, it becomes clearly visible. The cloaca area swells and turns red.
- Having increased in size, the egg interferes with digestion and the transit of feces. Therefore, bowel movements become rare, but feces come out in large portions. The stool has an unusual smell. Possible relaxation of the stool.
- Before the female lays an egg, she begins to rhythmically, in time with her breath, twitch her tail. This is similar to biting fishing rods on winter fishing.
- A completely bald “hatching spot” appears on the stomach.
Egg laying
During this period, birds especially need rest, and the breeder’s close attention does not please them. It is known that a female parrot is pregnant. How to understand that the egg laying process is also going well? It is enough to look into the nest box only once a day.
The female lays an egg every day. Usually there are five to six pieces. Young couples bring up to twelve eggs, mature - only three or four. It is not necessary that they all be fertilized. The female sits on the nest when the first two or three eggs appear. She carefully warms them, regularly turns over and sorted out the litter. The bird leaves the clutch only to empty the intestines. The male does not participate in hatched eggs, although he feeds the female and happens for a long time in the house.
The incubation period of eggs in parrots is about eighteen days. By the time the first chick appears, the clutch will be completed. The female will gradually begin to regain strength for a new, no less difficult period of feeding the chicks.