Cockatiel Hatching

Pauline Nolet
tielbreeders@yahoo.com

	Cockatiel eggs average about 3/4" x 1" in size, and around 5 to 6 grams in weight. From the time of the first external pip (first crack in the outer shell) to hatching is usually 24 to 48 hours.
	Once the chick starts to crack around the shell, the hatching process usually goes fairly quickly. In my experience, chicks are usually fully hatched within 10 to 30 minutes of this stage.
	The chick turns inside the egg to continue cracking the shell. It is at this point that a dry membrane can cause problems. If a chick sticks to a drying membrane it will be unable to turn to crack the eggshell, and will be unable to hatch without assistance.
	Once the shell is cracked almost all the way around, the chick starts to push it's way out of the shell. The chick may stop occasionally to rest.
	At this point the chick should be ready to hatch, but it is not a good idea to help or pull the chick out of the shell because a chick pulled from the shell too early is at risk of bleeding to death.
	A newly hatched chick will usually rest after freeing itself from the shell.

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