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Dimpling eggs...

beaniebopps

beaniebopps

Beanie
I'm a little worried about my clutch of 22 eggs. They seem to be dimpling alot... they aren't going bad but they aren't that nice clean white they were at the start... I've heard dimpling is a sign that it isn't humid enough but I think it is too humid in my incubator. There are several large water droplets formed on the lid. I'm afraid I haven't got a pic of the eggs, I know that would help lol.

The incubator is just a plastic box insulated with styrofoam & heatmat set on a good thermostat. The thermostat (with the probe between the heatmat and the plastic box) is set at 84/85 F which keeps the thermometer (with the probe stuck into the vermiculite beside the eggs) reading 82F.

I can't think of any way to decrease the humidity other then leave the lid off for a while to evaporate some of it off, but this causes drastic fluctuations with the temperature.

Do most clutches stay looking nice and white and not dimpled? Its been about 8 days since they were laid.
 
Nope no air holes... but lid doesn't close airtight because of thermometer probe going in and I read they didn't need air holes? Was just opening every few days to circulate some fresh air in and to check on them.
 
When mine started to dimple a week after being laid, I took a thumb tack and poked 2 holes in each lid..... so the holes are barely there, know what I mean?? I, too, have read that but I just have better luck with them staying plump and nice with just the tiny tinyyy holes and then checking them about every 4 days or so.
 
I shall try a couple tinnnnnnyyyyyy holes then... oh I do hope my eggs are ok, its my first ever and only clutch! Eggs aren't that likely to go wrong if they are incubated properly are they?
 
Yes, they should be nice and plump. Frequently the will dimple when they're about to hatch, but at 8 days, it's obviously way too early for them to be hatching. Sounds like they might drying out. I, too, incubate in vermiculite, and the humidity is high, but I don't have water droplets forming. Can you put a hydrometer in there to measure the humidity level?
 
Dimpling is a sign of eggs drying out, when I had one clutch start that I put a lite layer of damp moss and the dimples came out.
John
 
The vermiculite appears to be drying out... maybe there is so many water droplets because all the humidity is just clinging to the lid in droplets and not around the eggs. I will put a humidity gauge in but it is just an analogue one... I have some more moss that came in a snake cave, and plenty of vermiculite, I will try some moss over the top then? Pictures to follow within a few hours!
 
Well here are the pictures...

The first 2 are the day they were laid... nice and white and healthy looking

The 2nd two are what they now look like.

HELP!! I really don't want them to go wrong...
 

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Give the Vermiculite around the eggs a spray,
Its better for the eggs to abit dry than abit wet, dry eggs are easier to sort out,
 
I would avoid the spray (I don't like any moisture directly on the eggs) and maybe just pour a ounce or two of water around the edge of the tub as needed. the substrate will soak it all up evenly. since you are leaving the eggs above the substrate you will not drowned them. With a little bit of damp moss you will be fine. Just check the moss regularly to make sure it doesn't start drying out and pull moisture away from the eggs.
John
 
the eggs dont look bad off still ok and for some reason alot of the moisture in the air in your incubator is condensing on the lid we dont want that we need water vapor in the air....i wouldnt be able to tell you why its condensing on the lid but that may be the cause of your little guys drying out. it may be the location of your heat source... your water vapor will always migrate to a cooler area "your lid" to condense see if you can make a makeshift heating box something that will heat the incubator and the outside air to keep the moisture from condensing on a cold lid
 
also if you do that make sure you still have airflow in the heating box as well as your incubator so you dont bake them or sufocate them
 
What do you suggest I do for a heating box? If I placed a heat mat ABOVE the incubating box it might stop the water condensing on the top, but the problem is I'd have to watch the temperatures very closely as all my theromostats are in use at the min...

EEpp...

Does everyone think my eggs look ok? I know they don't look good but they don't look rotten either....
 
i thought a little on it and i think i got something that should work. i included an image but test run it b4 you take the insulation off your current incubator and put the eggs in.
youll need a plastic bin large enough to fid the current incubator you have in it loosely.... well the drawing' while not very good' is pretty self explanatory....i would recommend 3 digital thermometers also.

first the test run once you get the heating box so to speak built test run it for a day or 2 to tweak it... drill 1 or 2 small holes in the lid opposite the side of the heat pad. insert one of the digital thermometers into the middle of the lid and fire it up give an hr or 2 to heat up... if it doesnt get hot enough insulate the box( can wrap the sides in a blanket if needed) if its getting too hot drill a few more holes. take 1 whole day of tweaking at the least once your happy with it. take off your insulation in your current incubator and place the whole thing in the heat box ! raised slightly from the ground. the other digital thermometers are shown placed in the picture. remember to check on them a few times a day too and to open up a little to check humidity and do some air exchange for them... ps im not 100% sure it will work it came to me while i was eating so yea im fairly sure though.... but i hate to think im the only idea person here so if it fails hopefully someone else can help me out

photo will not upload right heres a link to my old myspace i put it therehttp://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=88866676&albumID=26273&imageID=30638525
 
its not to a breeders advantage to burry the eggs provides a good means to keep tabs and prevent problems that could be catastrophic to the other eggs
 
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