Incubation Center and Nursery
For many years we have alternated periods in which we promote natural incubation with periods in which we collect the eggs and proceed to their artificial incubation in our DISRUPTIVE incubators. Artificial incubation allows us to increase the productivity of the breeding center both by stimulating a replacement clutch and by increasing final viability of the fertile eggs. On the other hand, it is also advisable to limit the number of clutches per year and boost the breeding behaviours of the progenitors, allowing them to raise the chicks themselves. To date, more than two thousand chicks have been born in our incubators.
This intense activity in terms of artificial incubation and hand-rearing from day one, has allowed us to develop and standardize protocols, techniques, instruments and specific foods that allow us to obtain very high hatching and chick viability ratios. Our usual hatching rates for fertile eggs are always above 95 %; the viability of hatched chicks is practically 100%.
To incubate artificially means having to raise newborn chicks, with specific food and environmental needs and with little margin for error. The first days are of vital importance for the babies: their strength, viability and later development depend on the correct growth start.
The PCR determinations and the corresponding veterinary review allow us to guarantee that the young African grey parrot is completely healthy when it leaves our facilities.
During their stay in the first-age nursery it is essential the correct temperature management. We use brooders and thermoregulated shelves designed by us that allow us to provide maximum comfort to the chicks.
Logically we use the foods we have developed and perfected over the years. Initially and until 7 days old we feed them our Psittacine Crop Milk, then, until the 20-25 days old we continue with the Neonatal Hand Feeding and then, until weaning, we feed them the High Energy Hand Feeding. When the progenitors carry out the entire incubation process themselves, we extract the babies from the nest when they are around 10-12 days old.
Babies remain in the neonatal area until approximately 30 days old, at which time they are transferred to the shelves room, where little by little they are being integrated into our environmental enrichment and socialization program. It is also in this phase when we introduce them to solid food: Omega complete food, fruit and vegetables.
Once they start taking their first flights, the young African greys are moved to the flying pens room, where they can exercise their motor skills.
Although the birds at our centre are disease-free, a blood sample is taken from each of the babies to test it and certify that they are free of psittacosis and PBFD (psittacine beak and feather disease). This same blood sample is also used for DNA sexing.
