Is it possible to purchase parrot hatching eggs?

[Cleoandclover]

Here's the deal. I'd love to hatch and hand-raise a cockatoo. I have experience hand feeding. But I'm leery of getting my female cockatoo, Sara, a mate, for many reasons. Is it possible to purchase hatching eggs? Or are all those ads scams? I'd love to know.

 

[PurplePartridge]

there is no way a parrot egg would survive being posted because they need to be incubated at all times even as soon as they are laid so yes they are scams, unless of coarse you can get someone local to sell you some eggs which is still risky but could just work.

 

[Rosa moschata]

Parrots tend to do better when not hand-raised from the egg. At the very least, they get the beneficial bacteria from their parents if left with them for a few weeks before being removed for hand-feeding. Emotionally, it's better for them to recognize that they are birds first, and relate to their humans from that perspective.

Cockatoos, especially, are prone to behavioral and emotional issues stemming from bonding too tightly to humans. In the wild, they stick to their mates like glue, and if they don't get enough of the attention they crave, they can vent their frustration with various mutilation behaviors.

Far better would be if they were raised in a co-parenting situation, whereby the babies are left with the parents but removed regularly for handling and supplemental feeding. Considering their lifespans, is it ethical to raise such an intelligent and emotional creature so that it is intensely bonded to you?

Also, look into rescues -- there are so many cockatoos which are given up because their owners couldn't meet their needs, or couldn't tolerate their piercing vocalizations. Especially considering you already have one, you could provide a forever-home to one whose emotional and social needs can't be met by just human contact.

I live with a DYH amazon parrot, who will turn 24 in Spring. He was 7 when I got him, and he is about as bonded to me as an amazon can be -- so don't fall for the myth that you must raise them yourself to have a bonded relationship. Why seek to start a new cockatoo from scratch when there are already so many waiting?

ETA -- I just noticed the OP wrote this a year ago......