palm cockatoo

Some answers first...About 2 months ago I was away for three days and when I checked on the palms I found 2 eggs in the nest box. I don't know how along apart they were laid.

Both chicks doing well. This tip is from a birdkeeper in Bali Bird Farm who has hand raised numerous Palm chicks :

Ground nuts - in a blender (almond, cashew, peanut, kacang kuda etc) and nestum or gerber baby food - NOTHING CONTAINING FRUITS- only grains.

Observing the pair, I'm sure they won't raise 2 chicks at a time cause the work seems to be too taxing.

Hand fed chick doing as well as the other one. I'm told they need up to 100 days to complete weaning.

That is what I was wondering. You would most certainly qualify for a World's First then in Palm Cockatoo breeding.

Nobody (breeders in Europe, UK, USA and elsewhere) has ever had 2 eggs laid as part of a single clutch. Especially if there is only one hen with a single male. From your description, chicks hatched from both eggs which must obviously mean that both were fertile and the egg interval is not too long in between as you are able to compare both chicks.

Does your male incubate as well or just the female?

I beg to differ ecchua, according to Indonesian research papers Palms tend to lay 2 eggs during rainy seasons and only 1 during dry season. This is a back up in case the usually open topped nest gets flooded. I mean, the hen lays one and another one later in case this happens.

Incubating done mostly by the hen with the male acting as feeder (much like hornbills) and is very protective. The breeding pen is off limit even to me but I did not notice any aggression when removing one chick.

Which research paper and under which authority? LIPI?

It is getting stretched.

Congratulations and join the club! We have breed several chicks ourselves! There is a great new book that I picked up in Australia - A Guide to Black Cockatoos by Neville and Enid Connors published by Australian Birdkeeper magazine. Actually I was invited by Neville to speak at Aves Parrots Convention 2005. You should feed it on Kaytee Macaw Handfeeding but don't overstretch the crop. Be aware that their digestive system is much slower than most parrot chicks and they do not eat much!

Rupert