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Incubation and hatching
- Thread starter Chrissie
- Start date
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
That's sad. What was your incubation set up? Temperatures? humidity? length of incubation? Why did you open the eggs? I can't help you because I have't bred mine yet, but if you add the info it's much more likely the breeders here will be able to
bitsy
Owned by Corns since 1991
Sorry if this sounds a bit basic, but do you know that they usually take 8+ weeks to incubate?
Don't mean that to sound funny, but I remember one poor soul who asked the same question and had been told that the eggs hatch after 4-6 weeks. They'd been throwing away fertile clutches for a couple of seasons.
Don't mean that to sound funny, but I remember one poor soul who asked the same question and had been told that the eggs hatch after 4-6 weeks. They'd been throwing away fertile clutches for a couple of seasons.
Extra info
I incubated at 80 but im not sure how to judge the humidity. The eggs were incubated for about 7 months before i decided to open them up and see what was going wrong. They smelled quite bad and some were rotten whilst others had collapsed but most had formed or partially formed babies. But this has been 2 years running. I forgot to mention I bought a quite expensive thermostat controlled incubator which was used both years so the temperature was constant. I just dont know what to do for next year.
Can I also ask when you all change the temperatures for the breeding season and what to?
Just to give you a bit to think about.
Really apreciate your time.
Chrissie x
I incubated at 80 but im not sure how to judge the humidity. The eggs were incubated for about 7 months before i decided to open them up and see what was going wrong. They smelled quite bad and some were rotten whilst others had collapsed but most had formed or partially formed babies. But this has been 2 years running. I forgot to mention I bought a quite expensive thermostat controlled incubator which was used both years so the temperature was constant. I just dont know what to do for next year.
Can I also ask when you all change the temperatures for the breeding season and what to?
Just to give you a bit to think about.
Really apreciate your time.
Chrissie x
Incubate how long
I was told approx 10 weeks so I would of had a nice suprise! I kept them for far longer than I should have in some desparate attempt. I had also heard that I lower temp meant the eggs took longer before hatching which is why I kept them longer, thinking perhaps the temp was a little on the low side. Do you use an incubator? I have recently been told it is better to just keep the eggs on moist vermiculite in cricket boxes in the tank at approx 80degrees as this provides the correct humidity. Im just a bit lost in it all. Chrissie x
I was told approx 10 weeks so I would of had a nice suprise! I kept them for far longer than I should have in some desparate attempt. I had also heard that I lower temp meant the eggs took longer before hatching which is why I kept them longer, thinking perhaps the temp was a little on the low side. Do you use an incubator? I have recently been told it is better to just keep the eggs on moist vermiculite in cricket boxes in the tank at approx 80degrees as this provides the correct humidity. Im just a bit lost in it all. Chrissie x
bitsy
Owned by Corns since 1991
That's a small mercy at least Chrissie.
80 degrees should be fine. I usually incubate slightly higher and mine generally take 62-66 days at about 82 degrees. 80 degrees might add a few days or a week to the process, but the hatchlings should still be healthy at the end of it.
Humidity can be a bit difficult. I make the vermiculite wet, then squeeze it out before I put it in the egg container. There should be just enough moisture in it to hold it together in clumps. I sit the eggs is a slight hollow in the top of the vermiculite and cover them with a layer of damp moss (same wrung-out type of dampness). I don't add any extra water during incubation becuase I don't have air holes in my egg containers. I use airtight plastic tubs and just taking the lids off to check the eggs once a week is enough to keep the air fresh.
I don't cool my adults for breeding and they do the business just fine. I think that cooling (brumating) improves fertility, but that's not really an issue for me as I only breed as a hobby.
It's a real shame that you keep finding yours either fully or partially developed. Keeping the eggs for seven months is a real act of faith. There must be something odd going on.
I hope somebody else has the answer, because I'd love to know what's happening as well.
80 degrees should be fine. I usually incubate slightly higher and mine generally take 62-66 days at about 82 degrees. 80 degrees might add a few days or a week to the process, but the hatchlings should still be healthy at the end of it.
Humidity can be a bit difficult. I make the vermiculite wet, then squeeze it out before I put it in the egg container. There should be just enough moisture in it to hold it together in clumps. I sit the eggs is a slight hollow in the top of the vermiculite and cover them with a layer of damp moss (same wrung-out type of dampness). I don't add any extra water during incubation becuase I don't have air holes in my egg containers. I use airtight plastic tubs and just taking the lids off to check the eggs once a week is enough to keep the air fresh.
I don't cool my adults for breeding and they do the business just fine. I think that cooling (brumating) improves fertility, but that's not really an issue for me as I only breed as a hobby.
It's a real shame that you keep finding yours either fully or partially developed. Keeping the eggs for seven months is a real act of faith. There must be something odd going on.
I hope somebody else has the answer, because I'd love to know what's happening as well.
vanderkm
New member
Are the clutches from the same pair both years? It is possible that the problem is with the breeders and not the incubation. Does your incubator not indicate the temperature that it is maintaining? It would really be worth investing in a good thermometer so that you can monitor temps in the incubator. We use the digital indoor outdoor thermometers that you can pick up for $10 at home hardware type stores - just put the 'outdoor' probe into the egg box and you can read the temp on the display.
We use a basic set up - thermos cooler with water in the bottom, heated by an aquarium heater (Ebo Jager is the best brand in our experience). A rack above the water holds the egg containers. Each container holds a small amount of damp vermiculite or moss and a piece of plastic 'egg crate' cut from ceiling tile. The eggs sit on the plastic crate - no need to bury them and it is easy to see hatching. The tub has holes in it so that the 100% humidity in the cooler surrounds the eggs.
Incubator with indoor outdoor thermometer and heater cords going through a small hole in the edge of the lid
Inside view of egg boxes - you can see the submersible heater along the front of the cooler under water
hatchlings
We incubate at 82-84 degrees and have very good hatch rates with a very simple system.
mary v.
We use a basic set up - thermos cooler with water in the bottom, heated by an aquarium heater (Ebo Jager is the best brand in our experience). A rack above the water holds the egg containers. Each container holds a small amount of damp vermiculite or moss and a piece of plastic 'egg crate' cut from ceiling tile. The eggs sit on the plastic crate - no need to bury them and it is easy to see hatching. The tub has holes in it so that the 100% humidity in the cooler surrounds the eggs.
Incubator with indoor outdoor thermometer and heater cords going through a small hole in the edge of the lid
Inside view of egg boxes - you can see the submersible heater along the front of the cooler under water
hatchlings
We incubate at 82-84 degrees and have very good hatch rates with a very simple system.
mary v.
