I never witness the birth of a little Amazon, Cockatoo or Macaw chick without it being just like the first time. It is wonderful to watch and even more wonderful to understand. Each time we have a hatching, I stop whatever I am doing to watch as this tiny little being (about half the size of my thumb) wiggles and squirms until it is free from its little temporary home.
This is out newest Umbrella Cockatoo baby, Sparky (born on July 5). Observe that Sparky had what we refer to as a "perfect hatch".... the egg cracks in a circle around the top and the end then just pops out. Sometimes things don't go quite so perfect and a little assistance is needed to make things go smoothly.
The mechanics of an egg hatching are equally as amazing. Even if you have seen a chick hatch, you might not know just how God and Mother Nature orchestrate this phenomenon.
When a fertile chick is developing, it occupies approximately two-thirds of the egg. As the preparation for hatching begins, the chick draws down to about half of the egg and forms an air pocket in the top end of the egg. During growing, the chick has developed a large (relative of course) muscle on the back of its neck, this is called a "pipping" muscle. As the baby begins to breath air from the air pocket, the carbon dioxide exhaled causes an involuntary spansm in the neck muscle which, in turn, throws his "pipping tooth" (a small extension on his beak shaped like an arrowhead) against the inside of the egg shell. This regular tapping on the inside of the egg shell can be heard by holding the egg up to your ear. Next comes the "pip" the first little break in the egg, then the tapping is combined with chirping as it works its way around the egg. Within 24 to 48 hours the chick will have completed the process and a new life is born.
In the exoctic bird world, the newborn chicks are 100% helpless. They have no way of maintaining their body heat and must be kept at 95 to 100 degrees, just what it would be under the body of its Mother. We keep the chick in a little butter cup filled with tissues so his legs will grown correctly. We feed the newborns every three hours and get up in the middle of the night to fix formula and change diapers just like we did when our children were born.
Many of our friends think we are crazy but just look what we get for our efforts:
The reward always exceeds the effort.
In additional to all our exotic babies, the wild birds are also a passion. As I sit here the Hooded Orioles and two of their babies are making short work of the grape jelly provided just for them.
Much to be loved in the world of birds....
Pat from The Beak
