Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 10/12/2006

Question
I would like to ask if how many days does the eggs of a love bird begins to hatch? it's a pair of creamino I'm a new owner that's why i don't know anything abt it. when it first laid its egg I put some hay in their nest but after that the bird did not go back to its nest so I got the hay back on instead put some kusot (saw dust)instead. then after one wk it again laid 3 eggs. that was last Sept 18. but until now it had not hatch not even a single one. please give informations about this...

Answer
Hi, Rowena.  Thanks for posting!

Lovebird eggs take about 18 days (give or take a day or two) to hatch AFTER incubation starts.  Incubation starts when the female starts sitting on her eggs constantly, usually when the second egg is laid (although some birds start incubating with the first egg).  You'll need to determine when these eggs should hatch based on your knowledge of when incubation started.  The eggs, if fertile, will hatch in the same order laid and will hatch every other day.  

Lovebirds are 1 of only a few species of parrots who build nests in their nesting boxes.  They make their nests out of paper or other material that they shred, tuck between their wing feathers, and carry back to their nest.  Your lovebirds may not have gone back to their nest because you put hay in it for them.  They prefer making their nests themselves just they way they want out of the material they want.  Same goes for the saw dust.  Your lovebirds started laying a new clutch of eggs because there was an interruption of the previous clutch/nest.  

The eggs might not be hatching if they are not fertile.  Also, so much interruption in the nesting/brooding process could have caused eggs to cool down too much and they won't hatch.  I can't tell you exactly what is going on without additional detailed information about the situation.

I have a website that has lots of general information about parrots if you want to visit:

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

I can't stress to you enough the importance of learning all you can about raising/breeding/caring for parrots BEFORE you get into all this.  You're already into this without knowing what you need to know.  Therefore, I recommend you take time to educate yourself further before allowing your lovebirds to breed again.

Come back with any questions you might have.

Chrys