For those without a Java enabled browser ........

The artificial incubation period of the Moluccan Cockatoo egg is about 29 days. The incubator is kept at a constant temperature of 99.5 degrees, with a humidity of 50%. When the chick pips the egg, it may take from 24 to 48 hours before he makes the final push to exit the egg. This final push usually takes only a few minutes.

After hatching, the chick is fed approximately every two hours (around the clock) for the first few days. After a few weeks the chick is usually on a 4 hour feeding schedule. By 11 to 12 weeks the baby should be almost weaned, but may still be hand-fed once or twice a day. This will vary with each baby. The baby should never be forced to wean too soon.

You are probably wondering why we incubate instead of letting the parents do the incubation. Well, in most cases we do allow the parents to incubate their eggs and take care of the babies for 10 to 14 days. There are always some pairs who do not incubate or care for their young properly. In these cases, we take the eggs in order to assure a live chick.