methods you use for successful incubation

[Vedica]

I would like to open a new thread for this area of the forum. Please share your methods for successfully incubating eggs with the visitors. Include temps, incubators, or not, medium used, ratios of medium to water, etc. This would probably be a good place for more seasoned breeders to share info. with those who are newer at this. :D

[Neil]

I use a Hova-Bator incubator (which was hard to come by) and set the temperature to around 29 degrees celcius or 84 fahrenheit.
I use sphagnum moss. I soak it it water and ring it out completely so it is very damp but not dripping. I then put quite a thick layer on the bottom of the incubator and lay the eggs on top. Then I put another layer about an inch thick over the eggs.
Moss is really good at holding moisture but occasionally needs a fine misting to keep high levels of humidity.

CAROLINA
SNOW
BUTTER

[Iris]

We used a mix of spaghnum moss and perlite and incubated teh eggs at 80ºF. We were kind of scared to make it any higher b/c we were afraid of the babies getting kinks and other defects from too-high incubation temps.
Yep we used an incubator but I don't know what kind it was...just one of the ones in the science lab.

[DirtySanchez]

I just used a simple 10 gallon tank, aquaruim heater set around 83 degrees F, six bricks(3 stacked up side by side), a glad container with holes in it, peat moss, and filld the tank up with water to the bricks and but a glass lid on it and all 4 of my babies hatched just fine yesterday so that my advice to you good luck

[Darin Chappell]

I use a hovabator with both water areas filled and the temp set at 83 F. I place the eggs in perlite which has been completely saturated then squeezed of all excess water. The eggs are covered as completely as possible, and a wet paper towel is palced over the top of them.

The towel helps keep the moisture level high for the eggs, and it serves as a good guage for me too. When it dries out, its time to wet it down and replace it. This keeps the eggs nice and hydrated for the full incubation.

[Nate]

Nice one Vedica... great idea.
I like peat moss. Comes in big bundles... dry. Mix with water 50 50. Get it thoroughly saturated. THEN squeeze the water out, put it in a plastic container and maintain at the favored eccritic temperature (favored targeted) for the species you are working with.
We get like 85 degree days, thats close to many species optimum temps and my success with the peat moss is groovy... high 90's
percent wise. I have tried the vermiculite, tried the sphagnum
I just like burying the eggs in peat. Moisture problems are eliminated, its a low ph acidic stuff so fungus and bacteria are minimized... I just like Peat. Maybe I should have changed my name and signed in Peat! (waiting on some neat little Pueblans right now but I got two pair of corns I am hoping to breed this year... they are just going to it now. Same with more milk snakes.

[LadyChaos]

I'm trying bed-a-beast with a couple of clutches this year...filled a nesting box 1/3 full with the stuff after squeezing out the excess water and let the girls do their thing. Both seemed to take to it just fine (I normally use sphagnum moss for nesting) and when they were done I pulled the box and unclumped the eggs. My snake room temp averages 83 during the day, 75 at night so I just put the boxes on a shelf in my room. Normally I use vermiculite for incubation medium, but so far the bed-a-beast is working well...guess I'll find out if I screwed up my 99% hatch rate later this month and into Sept.

[Tim Madsen]

Like Nicole, I don't use an incubator. I've heard to many stories of the things malfunctioning and cooking all the eggs. If you use one I'd make sure it has a back up shut down thermostat. I use moist Vermiculite and just put the boxes on a shelf in the reptile room. If you don't want to heat a whole room, on top of the refrigerator is a good spot or in a closet that is on a outside wall. IMHO

[CowBoyWay]

Coconut fiber is a 100% renewable resource alternative to other growth mediums and provides a sterile, moisture and air retaining environment.

usually sold as an all natural, 100% organic planting medium compressed into a brick, when you add water the small brick expands to yeild 8 - 9 quarts of medium.

A few of its benefits are:
It holds water up to 9 times its weight, the natural wicking action helps to evenly distribute water throughout the medium, pH is (5.7-6.3), it resists compacting to remain light, fluffy and airy, it also naturally wets out easily.

The top layer tends to dry quickly so using Darins Wet Paper towel on top, replace when it drys out approach would seem a likely technique with this stuff.

Any coconut coir/ Bed-A Beast incubation veterans here?
LadyChaos, how'd that work out for you?

Old thread, I know, but there's some useful information tucked in here. imho :)

[Alicia]

I'm using the room temp method this year and I like it already:)

I used a Hovabator last year and was always worried about cooking the eggs. I used a back-up thermostate and was still worried.

I use moist vermiculite with a damp papertowel over the top to help me check the humidity. Temps are 82 - 84.