Personal Opinion vs. Book Opinion

This will be my first time breeding my snakes(first snakes I have owned also). They are milksnakes, but I cannot find a site as good as this one for information. SInce milks and corns are both colubrids, I figured that the methods would be fairly similar. I have a few questions that I would like to have personal opinion rather than just book knowledge.
1. Everything I have read says not to turn the eggs. What happens if I dont keep them in the exact same position?
2. I have read that condensation dripping from the top of the egg chamber to the eggs is bad for them. How can I stop this?
3. Holes in the egg chamber or no?
4. Do I need a hygrometer in the egg chamber or do I just make sure to keep it moist?
5. How often to I need to check the moisture in the egg chamber?
6. I am using the hovabator. Can I use a digital thermometer with a probe through one of the holes in the top of the hovabator to measure temp?
Sorry for so many questions. I feel that I can only learn so much from a book and that personal experience is much more useful.
THANKS!!!

1. Everything I have read says not to turn the eggs. What happens if I dont keep them in the exact same position?

At some point fairly early in the incubation, the placenta attaches to the egg and turning the eggs could drown the baby.

2. I have read that condensation dripping from the top of the egg chamber to the eggs is bad for them. How can I stop this?

You don't want the humidity to be too high. If water is dripping from the top then there's too much humidity and the eggs could rot. Change out some of the damp substrate with dry and it will absorb excess moisture.

3. Holes in the egg chamber or no?

Since the eggs "breathe" very slowly, you can have holes or not. Opening the egg box once a week will circulate the air. If there are holes, make sure you watch the humidity so that the eggs don't dry out. If there are no holes, you need to make sure the substrate isn't too wet to begin with, then it should maintain itself fairly well.

4. Do I need a hygrometer in the egg chamber or do I just make sure to keep it moist?

Just keep it moist and routintely check the humidity.

5. How often to I need to check the moisture in the egg chamber?

I check every few days.

6. I am using the hovabator. Can I use a digital thermometer with a probe through one of the holes in the top of the hovabator to measure temp?

I use the plastic thermometer that came with mine for a general reading, but I also have a hand held mini temp gun that I use every few days to get a clearly accurate reading.

I hope that helps. That's from my experience. There are others who use many different methods. They can all offer good advice.

Last year was my first year breeding and I read just about EVERYTHING on the topic! I have a big pro-incubator with a sloped ceiling so theoretically the drips flow down the angle rather than dropping on the eggs, I think if they do get dripped on there is a risk they could become over turgid and rupture but I'm not sure on the specifics. If my eggs are looking a little deflated before week 8, I have no qualms about misting them directly with warm water (fill a spray bottle with hot water and spray your hand. You'll feel it's warm by the time you spray it. If you use warm water in the bottle then it's too cool by the time it gets to the eggs.

I don't turn my eggs but I believe there's someone here that did a little experiment on the topic and the turned eggs hatched just fine and gave healthy babies.

I have my eggs on vermiculite of perlite in open containers in a moist incubator (made especially for reptile eggs), so airholes don't apply to my situation.

You don't need a hygrometer, just use your eyes and you can't go too wrong. They need quite high humidity. If it's too low then the eggs will cave in (not to be confused with the caving in before they pip) if they are swollen and look (or feel) like they're going to pop then you can place a piece of dry paper towel over them and remove it after 20 mins or so once it's had a chance to absorb a bit of the excess moisture.


I hope those answers help you out a bit. Cheers,

Thanks! So, when I take the eggs from the nest box to put them into the incubator, I just need to try to keep them very close to the same position? If they aren't exact, is that going to be ok? This is the part I worry most about for some reason.

The blood vessels haven't formed until 3-4 days so you don't need to worry about it too much. I try to keep them the same side up as a rule but I don't panic if they tip a bit.

There's a difference between turning and rotating eggs. Someone has experimented with turning them (don't know exactly which direction), keeping the same side facing up and they hatched fine. It's rotating (rolling) the eggs around so that the same side isn't always on top that the baby could drown in the fluid. Does that make sense?

OK, now I am much less worried about that. Now, all I have to hope for is that the breeding was successful. She hasn't eaten the past couple of times I have tried to feed. Normally, she is a pig. Once spring started, she was eating like crazy, then she quit eating last week. Good sign maybe?

Originally Posted by dionythicus

There's a difference between turning and rotating eggs. Someone has experimented with turning them (don't know exactly which direction), keeping the same side facing up and they hatched fine. It's rotating (rolling) the eggs around so that the same side isn't always on top that the baby could drown in the fluid. Does that make sense?

'Turning' in reference to eggs as far as I have ever known does indicate the process of rotating/rolling the eggs.

Originally Posted by Colleen360

1. Everything I have read says not to turn the eggs. What happens if I dont keep them in the exact same position?

They do not drown since they are already 'breathing' in a liquid, but the umbilicus CAN become wrapped and/or knotted.

2. I have read that condensation dripping from the top of the egg chamber to the eggs is bad for them. How can I stop this?

I cover my eggs in their containers with sphagnum moss and a paper towel, and they seem to do fine in a rubbermaid tub incubator, inside sterilite containers with lids. Condensation does collect inside on the lids, but doesn't seem to soak the moss. I have holes drilled in the bottom of the containers for excess to flow out of the box.

5. How often to I need to check the moisture in the egg chamber?

I don't check for moisture, but do check about every two weeks for fungus, etc.

6. I am using the hovabator. Can I use a digital thermometer with a probe through one of the holes in the top of the hovabator to measure temp?

Yes, and I would personally recommend it.

D80

Another question...cover the eggs completely with vermiculite or just partially?
I'm sure you guys are sick of hearing my questions by now!!!

I don't use vermiculate, so can't say for sure but believe I have read from others that do both.

D80