30/10/2023
https://www.facebook.com/share/K3oBczRASpYBEqrw/?mibextid=LGvKFC
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT GOVERN THE INCUBATION PERIOD. 🤔 (post dated 17/09/2017)
What is the principle factor that governs the length of incubation of eggs in birds?
Does the incubation period depend on the size of the bird or the size of the egg?
If the above is true it is understood that Finches egg hatch in 12 – 14 days. Macaw in 26 – 28 days. Ostrich in 42 – 44 days.
If the above statement is true then for example why do Vasa parrots eggs hatch in 14 – 16 days. When compared to the small parakeet like Budgerigar, which takes 18 – 21 days.
The second example would be that both Vasa Parrot and African Grey Parrot weigh weight almost the same between 450 – 500 grams. Vasa parrot eggs hatch in 14 – 16 days and African grey parrot’s egg hatch in 28 – 30 days.
Aviva Vishnia, Mam can you please throw some light on the size and weight of Vasa parrot egg. Incubation temperature and required weight loss for the egg. Thank you.
Reply :
Sadiq Bhaimia, pleased to hear from you, hoping all is well at your end...
The question you are raising is quiet puzzling - the Vasa is indeed the size of African Grey and yet its incubation period is less than 20 days, 17-18 in avarage...Since we never had the chance to incubate this species and I myself never seen one in Israel, it is hard to give a simple reply. We need to take in consideration all environmental conditions in Madagascar, where the Vasa originally comes from, how many years the Vasa lives and so on. This is something I don't mind to check in the professional literature.
As for the temperature in the Incubator and the Lose of Weight Procedure, we have been incubating Finches eggs in the past. We used the same temperature - 37.3-37.5 Degrees Celsius, which is the average natural incubating temperature and we didn't change this temperature along the whole period. We also used the same percentage of Weight Lose of 15%+-2 so it is possible...since the Vasa egg is bigger, it is definitely much easier. The RH ( relative humidity) is the only factor that must be adjusted according to the Weight Lose. The egg turning, the 3ed crucial factor of incubation, is also done automatically.