How do I make a incubator/brooder for Cockateil?

Question

My cockateil started laying eggs. Her and Dad were sitting. Mom laid egg #5 and then died. (Egg Binding problems?) Have Exact to feed and syringe etc. How can I make an Incubator and Brooder or is there another way I can help out Dad? Grandma gave me the birds and she thought they were not a mated pair. Surprise!

Answer 1

You're lucky that both cockatiel parents sit on their eggs :-) . Dad will do the job himself, but there's any problems, you can make a quick incubator/brooder by using an old aquarium or plastic critter keeper.

What you need is listed below:

**Tuna can or small animal food bowl. Keep filled with water. Used if the eggs need incubating.

**Reptile substrate warmer. Keep this under 1/2 the critter keeper so if babies get hot they can move about.

** Milk carton with one of the long sides cut out. Lined with paper towel and used when the babies hatch. I find this helps the babies stay warmer if they're very young.

**Towel to put over the kritter keeper.

**A reptile themometer and a Hygrometer **VERY IMPORTANT!!** . This helps you keep the babies at the right temp and humidity. Since I've added these I've been able to keep the babies at the right temp more often.

**Sock filled 1/2 way with uncooked rice. Heat this 2-3 minutes if it's cold outside and you'll be travelling distances. Wrap it in a face towel and stick it beside the babies agaist the milk carton. I've used this in the middle of winter, on a bus with 2 chicks. The babies did wonderfully with this thing!

**Toy and small piece of felt to cover the baby chicks with. I find babies don't cry as often between feedings when they're covered with a black piece of felt. The toy gives them something to snuggle against, as if mommy was there with them :-). They feel more secure when this is done and it mimics what mom and dad does with them.

What you do with this set up is that you put the substrate heater under the keeper/aquarium. Place it under 1/2 of it, so the babies can move about if they're too hot. Over this, line the bottom with 1 or 2 layers of paper towel. Put the babies inside the milk carton lined with one layer of paper towel. Place the milk carton evenly over the heated and unheated side of the aquarium to allow the babies to escape the temperature according to how they feel. Put the hygrometer and thermometer near the wall closest to the floor of the aquarium / critter keeper. This keeps a more accurate temperature (one that the babies are experiencing) than if it's placed near the middle of the aquarium. Make sure the hygrometer and thermometer are kept inside the brooder! Then I cover the babies with the felt. if they're too hot I find they sit on top of the thing.

As the babies grow older you can drop the milk carton. This usually happens when they're 10-14 days old. Then they treat it like a toy and they fall out of the thing. However, I use the rice flled sock as a wall so they are kept in half of the brooder. That way the rice keeps them warm, they have something to lean on and they can still escape the heat without wandering too far from each other.

You can do this exact set up with eggs, but you have to turn them a minimum of once a day. Keep the paper towel lightly dampened with clean water or place the tuna can/food bowl in the middle of the brooder. For eggs the temperature should stay around 82-98˚F . The Hygrometer should stay 50% and not get above 65% or the embryos will drown. The humidity should never dip lower than 50% or the embryo will dry out.

I'll post a site that should help you out with hand feeding and incubator temps. Good luck! Baby cockatiels are super cute!

Answer 2

If the male bird is willing to sit on the eggs, let him. If not, it is best to buy an incubator as temperature and humidity contol are crucial and difficult to regulate without the proper equipment. But after the babies hatch, feed the Dad fresh foods daily like greens, sprouts, boiled egg, wheat bread and cooked rice and bean mixes. He will be able to keep up with feeding the babies when the chicks are small but as they grow being a single parent will be too much of a strain. Pull the chicks at about 2-3 weeks of age and put them in a brooder for handfeeding. I put an inexpensive reptile heat pad (looks like a piece of black plastic) on top of a cookie cooling rack and place a Medium size Critter Keeper on top filled with soft pine shavings. Purchase an inexpensive small wall thermometer with suction cups and stick it on the inside of the keeper next to the chicks. Keep the temp around 85-90. If the babies pant it is too hot. Regulate the temperature by adding more litter (if it is too hot) to raise the chicks away from the heat and partially or completely covering the top of the container with a towel if it is too cold. Experiment with regulating the temperature before the chicks go inside.

Answer 3

Use a box or a small aquarium and a 70-75 watt incandescent black light bulb. Aquarium thermometer and a humidity gauge.

Temps. should be MAINTAINED at a constant 97degrees with a humidity factor at around 50% use a small dish with luke warm water to obtain this 50% humidity. If humidity gets too high add cold water to bowl too low use warmer water.

Use material to insulate the environment to keep these factors constant.

Turn the eggs at least 4 times daily. You don't have a lot of time so get to work. Go, go, go!

Answer 4

sounds like your female just "laid" herself to death or was egg bound...the male might be able to hatch the eggs...get plenty of food that he likes, especially wheat bread and veggies, etc so he can easily feed the babies, it is very difficult to hand feed new babies...i would not mess with a brooder...just get a new female when the time comes, cockatiels are notorious for several false starts when they first start breeding, they just need to practice
tried to email you but it says your email address isn't confirmed
let me know about your babies, good luck

Answer 5

Bird guy hit it on the head do exactly what he said...good job