Turaco food must be cut small enough to be swallowed whole, as they cannot chew. Turacos can be bred in captivity. They nest in trees, building a flimsy stick nest much like a dove. We give our birds a nestbox filled with alfalfa and sticks, in which two eggs are laid. Both parents take part in incubating for the 22 days and also in caring for the young.
Chicks are wide-eyed with fluffy, black feathering.
They fledge quickly and wean at about five weeks old. Babies can also be successfully hand-raised, although we prefer to have the parents raise their own young. New research is being done on this family of birds, and more and more literature is being published about them. There are several articles on the web that can be read on computer. Also computer mailing lists have been started for beginner and experienced softbillers.