The success of parrot captive breeding is determined by both external and internal factors. External factors includes; climate, food, housing, nest-boxes and probably ambiance to mention a few. Internal factors on the other hand are the following : sexual maturity of the hen and the cock, medical history, genetics, husbandry and compatibility of the pair.

At BII, successful parrot breeding starts with a thorough evaluation to look for unrelated, healthy, sexually matured and compatible species to be set-up as candidates for breeding pairs. Once these qualifications are satisfied, a new breeding pair will be set-up. Right food, housing, ambiance, and nest-boxes will be offered to the new pair so that they will be stimulated to produce even in a captive breeding set-up, or in a controlled environment.

The present parrot breeding process at BII can be best described with the following stages:

Stage 1 - Preening - Mating - In & Out - Egg- Laying and Stay-In
Preening activity shows that the newly paired species are indeed compatible. Likewise, since they are sexually mature, a mating or copulation will eventually follow. At

this time an appropriate nest box will be provided with the proper nesting materials. In and Out is a stage where the female is usually busy preparing for the nesting materials and is getting ready for egg laying- stage. During the egg- laying stage, a special diet will be introduced to provide additional vitamins and minerals necessary for good quality eggs . After egg-laying the hen now will eventually sits on the eggs for natural incubation. However, BII also pulls out eggs for artificial incubation.

Stage 2 - Egg Pull-Out
Eggs, when pulled out,are only for artificial incubation. During the process of egg pull out BII makes it sure the eggs are matured.Proper labeling is practiced to ensure that the identification of the eggs and the parents are done correctly. Especially designed wooden boxes with disinfected cotton balls serve as a cushion to the eggs during transport from the nest to the hatchery.

Stage 3 - Egg Admission at the Hatchery
All admitted eggs are labeled, disinfected and placed in a Grumbach Egg Incubator.Then, the weight, shape, thickness of the shell, cracks (if any) will also be documented. Initial candling is performed also. All infertile eggs are not admitted.

Stage 4 - Egg Daily Candling at the Hatchery
To determine the embryonic development of all admitted eggs, daily candling is a must. During candling the water loss of the eggs is monitored. Eggs with questionable development are segregated for further observations. Similarly, the humidity and the temperature of the incubator is also checked to ensure that optimum development of the growing embryo is achieved.

Stage 5 - Egg Hatching
Successful hatching greatly depends on the quality of incubation care that is provided for the growing embryo. A good sign of egg hatching is a clear nice pip hole made by the chick on the egg shell.Addtionally, a vocal and alert chick is also a sign of good hatch. After hatching, a swab sample is collected from the shell to determine the presence of any pathogenic microorganism. All newly-hatched chicks are evaluated to discover any defects and also to determine if they are in good condition.

Stage 6 - Hand Rearing
All artificially hatched chicks are hand-reared. Using equipment at the Animal Intensive Care Unit the newly-hatched chicks are provided with the right temperature for optimal growth.BII own baby hand-feeding formula is also used to rear the chicks until they are weaned. A dedicated nursery hand-feeder provides care and husbandry so that growing chicks attain the desired weight gain, tameness and overall good quality .