Babies not hatching?

[legioss]

The same weird Pacifics again... They used to start hatching babies exactly 21 days after laying egg #1. The last few clutches (always 4-5 eggs), nobody hatches. After 5 weeks I pull the eggs, candle, and check them. They are always warm, but have dead babies inside, the largest of which looks like it died a few days before it should have hatched.The mother is a perfect sitter. The male is almost always in the nest too. When I take out the unhatched eggs, they spend days digging in the box looking for them. The environment is unchanged since all the good clutches of babies last year.

Any ideas?

I doubt it has anything to do with the eggs, but the female is MEAN to the male. If they are not on eggs, she plucks him bald. If I remove the male, she plucks herself instead. If they are on eggs, she kicks/chases him out of the nest anytime she hears my voice. However, the male spent the same amount of time in the nest with the bad clutches as he did with the good clutches. I only mention it since the plucking started at the same time as the first problem clutch.

[RockyandhisFriends]

There are two things that I can think of that may be causing the problem with the chick being found dead in their shell.

The first cause could be their diet. The parents should be on a good balanced diet. There are several posts on what a good balanced diet for a parrotlet should be.

The second thing that I can think of is humidity. It is very important to have the right humidity. The eggs will not hatch and die in the shell if it is too dry. I always keep an extra dish of water right outside the nest box this way the female can wet her breast feathers when she goes in and out of the nest box.

Hope this helps,

Phil

[Cheryl's Fids R Gr8]

I was thinking humidity also. Especially in this cold weather, if you have the heater on, it dries out the air.

They need the humidity, or they will just dry out with no moisture. You need to supply humidity in the brooder box also.

I did this by keeping wet paper towels in an open Beak Appetit food container, or a small open margarine container, and keeping it in the brooder box.

[Sondra]

how big are your brooder boxes (nest boxes and how do you attach water bowl right outside. Mine would not be big enough to put anything inside the nest box.

[alexander]

i sit my nest boxes on a opt of water i make sure that the birds cant get in the water i use nest boxes designed for budgies i also have lots of plants in the room to help keep moisture in the air i keep the heating warm not hot and spray the plants and birds most days