Dying eggs?

[hornet]

I've started to get really worried about these coastal eggs today, when i checked on them there are 3 eggs that are getting these darker, almost wet looking, patches on the shell, 2 have a decent patch where as the other has slight speckling. I have also noticed an odd smell, i dont know if its normal or not, chicken eggs have a smell to them but being my first time incubating snake eggs i have no idea if this is normal. Anyway can anyone tell me what could be the cause and iff the eggs are done for or not? This is my first ever clutch so really dont want to loose the lot if possible. The are only on day 6 of incubation. Will be changing to vermiculite tomorrow. Btw temp is sitting at 30c-31.5c

 

[bkevo]

i had a few that look just like it just this year. for me it turned to a form of white mould, the eggs even expressed small droplets and ended up smelling quite bad. what are the eggs currently getting incubated on?

 

[hornet]

did any of the eggs make it? They are on paper towel, i have been trying to get eggcrate diffuser to incubate them over water with the no sub method but i cant find any locally so i'm just going to go with vermiculite.

 

[bkevo]

Incubation - Herp Hints - Snake Ranch
try something like this.
few things i follow. keep the eggs dry (sitting on perlite), the humidity up (no holes in my tubs, i lift the lid and exchange air every night) works well for me

 

[AM Pythons]

same.. put 2 in the bin this year.. mould, then bad smell... save the ones you can.. eggs are funny things... some just seem to go 'bad' for no real reason you can see... they do look wet a few of yours...

 

[AM Pythons]

$8-9 at woolies..

 

[AM Pythons]

View attachment 180487$8-9 at woolies..

 

[Sel]

Maybe seperate the ones you think are going bad from the good ones, so they dont "infect" the others. If they smell they are probably off

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

There is nothing wrong with your incubation method. I would lift the eggs off the paper towel though. That last egg is dead! Just leave them be. if the eggs die then they will start to smell and grow fungus. They can be thrown out when this happens. You can do nothing about the eggs that go off. They were sometimes just not meant to hatch.

 

[pythonmum]

Plastic cutlery drawer liners are easy to get - that's what I used. The containers from Woolies or Kmart will also keep the egg up and are readily available. I had one egg dry out and go moldy, but never any smell. This may be because I had a very large airspace. Good luck!

 

[Owzi]

There is nothing wrong with your incubation method.QUOTE]

Really? Why do you say this? I have never herd of anyone incubating eggs on paper towel? Is it cos they are in Queensland?

I would say your incubation method is wrong (I am in Melbourne though). Where is the humidity coming from in the container? Is the paper towel wet? If so, and the eggs are sitting directly on wet towel, that is a big no no. You want your eggs to be as humid as possible, without being in contact with moisture. They seem sunken in to me, which leads me to think not enough humidity.

Like AM Pythons, I use the same containers from Safeway/Woolworths & incubate them over water.

Otherwise, go with the vermiculite (they have it at Bunnings or any nursery now). I personally usually set up my tubs with vermiculite weeks before expecting the eggs. But I still think it would be better than what you have now.

Usually the first real indication that an egg is dead is the smell.

 

[hornet]

Some people incubate on paper towel, it works for some. Its moist but i really cant see how thats any different from sitting on moist vermiculite. Unfortunately all i have currently is a small esky incubator, those tubs AM and Owzi have posted pics of are too big . The container i am using (Decor 4.0 liter) fits perfectly. Anyway i will put them over to vermiculite today, thanks guy but if anyone has anymore suggestions please feel free to add, first time breeding pythons so dont want to loose the lot

 

[zobo]

for a quick easy way I used dry perlite and still added approx 40% water to perlite by WEIGHT and just poured water in carefully down side with no mixing.
This way eggs are on dry base but still have the same % water/humidty in there.

So far worked with 6 clutches this season and almost every eggs looked dam near perfect.

jas

 

[Owzi]

Some people incubate on paper towel, it works for some. Its moist but i really cant see how thats any different from sitting on moist vermiculite.

Not meaning to be rude, but I've never herd of it in over 15 years keeping herp.

When you see the same weight of water and vermiculite you will be suprised. Vermiculite is very absorbent.
If I were to even try the paper towel theory, I would have the eggs in a shallow container or suspended over it, not in direct contact.

When you set up your vermiculite tub, perhaps put it in one of your snake enclosures for a few hours to warm up before adding the eggs. Depending on how warm it is in Qld today.

Good luck with them,
Andrew

 

[hornet]

pike1 on here has been doing it for years with close to 100% hatch rate

 

[AM Pythons]

i have never heard of incubating on paper towel either... were do you get your 90-95% humidity from?... not having a go.. it just seems very strange to do it this way, in the wild the mother will urinate on them, to keep the humidity up..

---------- Post added 07-Jan-11 at 12:07 PM ----------

for a quick easy way I used dry perlite and still added approx 40% water to perlite by WEIGHT and just poured water in carefully down side with no mixing.

jas

i used this way for 3 years with great sucess..

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

Hornet: You should listen to owzi. I would definitely not have a clue how the mechanisms work that are involved in incubation!

 

[AM Pythons]

so the paper towel is damp/moist how wet is it? im very interrested now as to how this is done...

 

[hornet]

yes i will be changing over the vermiculite today, the paper towel was only going to be a temp solution till i could get some egg crate diffuser but since thats going to be a pain to get just going to go with vermiculite, its how i incubated lizard eggs and it worked well

 

[gozz]

I have seen the paper towel method...at pikes 1 place a few years back when i was
picking up some hatchies...the paper is moist but not wet, and it does work well
it is very easy....not all good looking eggs are fertilized to begin with and go off ..
cheers