Menu Birdland Park & Gardens > Attractions > Hatchery & Nursery hatchery & nursery Share: Indoor Attractions are currently closed. More information can be found here. Follow through the Encounters Area and you’ll discover the Hatchery and Nursery. Watch baby chicks cracking out of their eggs and new birds taking their first steps in the world. There are quail, chicken and duck eggs all ready to hatch, as well as some rare and endangered eggs brought in from the park. The nursery is the perfect place to see the new-born chicks. Easter is a good time to visit to see all of these chicks hatching out. The Hatchery continues the egg story of the Discovery Zone allowing families to see the baby chicks and hatching eggs up close. The Discovery Zone is full of lots of information. It also gives you the chance to watch the eggs hatching live and the baby chicks as they grow up. There will also be interactive sessions with Birdland’s keepers offering families the chance to ask questions and find out more. So be sure to check out that area as well as the Hatchery and Nursery. Birdland has an active breeding programme and works extensively with zoos and bird collections around the world. These programs help scientists and conservationists throughout the world by ensuring the recovery of endangered species. It also preserves the existing gene pool and prevents inbreeding. See below for more information on the eggs and artificial incubation. Eggs Size – normally relative to the size of the bird Shape – there is quite a variation from round to conical. The reason for this is usually down to habitat – for example the Guillemot, a cliff nesting seabird, lays a conical egg. If an egg then becomes dislodged it rolls in a circle to give more chance for the egg to stay on the narrow ledge Colour – Usually a form of camouflage when the adult bird leaves the nest. Some birds lay white eggs and these are normally hole nesting species or they cover their eggs so camouflage is not required. Number – Generally the smaller the bird – the more eggs are laid! The Rhea or Ostrich where the male sits on the eggs could be sat on a clutch of over 20-30 eggs as 3-4 females may lay in the same nest. A blue tit will lay 12-15 eggs, whereas a King Penguin will lay only one egg. Incubation –is the time it takes from sitting the egg till it hatches. This time span can vary from 12 – 84 days depending on the species. Artficial Incubation in the Hatchery Why Birdland sometimes artificially incubate eggs. The bird-keepers will make decisions on taking eggs for artificial incubation based on: Inexperienced / unreliable parents (where possible half the clutch will be taken leaving the other half for the parent to gain experience) When the parent may be ill When it may be important to encourage a second clutch of eggs, the first clutch is taken away. Rare birds Sometimes we hatch the eggs and rear the chicks and at other times for example the King Penguins – we keep the eggs in the incubator till the day before they due to hatch and then the egg will be returned to the parent. The parents will have been sitting on a dummy egg so are none the wiser and are best to rear the chick. find us GL54 2BN read more opening times find out when we're open what's on check out what's going on Sign Up for our newsletter contact, tweet, comment, review visit admission prices & opening times find us at birdland bourton-on-the-water special offers friends of birdland contact us attractions park & gardens meet the birds parliament of owls penguins pandemonium of parrots jurassic journey indoor discovery zone encounters area hatchery & nursery desert house nature reserve facilities flamingo point cafe picnic spots gift shop disabled accessible what’s on feeding times & talks latest news kids activities special events join e-news birdland competition groups & education adult & coach parties toddler talks hospitality & hire youth groups school & educational visits key stages curriculum topics pre-school visits work experience experiences feed the penguins keeper for a day adopt a bird annual membership volunteer Birdland Park and Gardens. Rissington Rd, Bourton-on-the-Water, Glos, GL54 2BN For Google Maps use GL542AY Tel: 01451 820480 | Birdland is a member of EAZA Copyright © 2021 Birdland Park & Gardens Park and Gardens. All rights reserved.Sitemap Terms Privacy Cookie Policy Web Development by Majik Wesbites We use cookies on our website to improve your experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. Cookie settings ACCEPT