First Clutch Question's

[mcifaldi]

I have my first clutch in an up right freezer converted into an incubator When my eggs start pipping in the next few days how should I handle them?
the lid is on the container and its inside the freezer.
Do I take the lid off? do I turn off the incubator and open the door? should I move the eggs and container to a bigger container with its own heat source?

If any one has used a fridge/freezer for a incubator could you please tell what I should do. Thanks in advance Matt

 

[Jay@PJCReptiles]

Hi Matt,
Congrats on your first clutch. We use a converted fridge as an incubator and I will say it works great. You should make sure you have the means to house each one of these babies separately. You should build a rack or purchase a baby rack from Jeff Mohr or someone like that. He has some more then reasonably priced "Corn Condos". You can find them here................

www.HatchlingRacks.com

Hope this helps.
Jay

 

[jaxom1957]

I have my first clutch in an up right freezer converted into an incubator When my eggs start pipping in the next few days how should I handle them?

Pick up some Glad or ZipLock plastic containers, the ones that resemble Tupperware but much cheaper. Drill or melt some very small holes in the lids to allow air to circulate. As the snakes hatch, move the babies to individual Glad/ZipLock containers with a very small water dish. I use plastic lids off of small peanut butter jars for water. The containers can either stay in the incubator or in any room with well-regulated temps, above 75 and below 90. Stock up on small pinkies, and offer them to the hatchlings after their first shed.

Good luck and have fun

 

[mcifaldi]

Should I remove the lid and leave the Incubator door open? Will the Suffocate ? Like I said it is a sealed Freezer.

 

[moreptiles]

If you want to keep the hatchlings in the refrigerator, you will need to put a light in there and give them something like 12 hours of light and 12 hours darkness. Just put the light on a timer. I would use a small wattage fluorescent so the heat from the light doesn't overheat the refrigerator/incubator. Get one of the screw in fluorescents that only use 10-12 watts. Hatchlings use very little oxygen, so don't worry about them suffocating. You will be opening the door enough to refresh the air.

Mark

 

[jaxom1957]

Should I remove the lid and leave the Incubator door open? Will the Suffocate ? Like I said it is a sealed Freezer.

You don't need to remove the lids because you already put holes in them. If you are going into the freezer to check on progress several times a day, there should be sufficient air exchange. If not, put the containers in a room, holey lids on tight to prevent escapes.

 

[mcifaldi]

Thanks Every one for you Ripley's