My Bourke's parakeets Eagle and Inga have got a new clutch of chicks, and this time around there are two.
They started with four eggs, and the first two hatched on the same day. Unfortunately, one of them only got half way out of its shell, and for some reason died. It looked as though the mother, in her excitement to assist with the hatching, may have injured it.
The third egg never hatched, but the fourth one hatched right on schedule. That makes for a four day gap in age between the two chicks, and there is a very noticeable size difference.
The third egg never hatched, but the fourth one hatched right on schedule. That makes for a four day gap in age between the two chicks, and there is a very noticeable size difference.
So far every Bourke's parakeet that has hatched here has been a girl, and I am really hoping that at least one of these chicks will be a boy.
Because the mother only has two chicks to raise, I will not hand feed either of them. So they are destined to become breeding stock, not pets. Fortunately, they carry genetic mutations that are desirable for breeding, so it is just as well.
Because the mother only has two chicks to raise, I will not hand feed either of them. So they are destined to become breeding stock, not pets. Fortunately, they carry genetic mutations that are desirable for breeding, so it is just as well.