Dying eggs?

[Owzi]

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

Wasn't trying to be rude MB, I was genuinely asking why you feel that method is ok? I wasn't trying to sound sarcastic if thats how it came across. I agree with AM Pythons, where do you get your humidity from, how damp is it, are the eggs touching damp paper towel? I don't understand how it could work.

At the end of the day, I'm just trying to help Hornet hatch their eggs.
Andrew Owen

 

[hornet]

Thanks for your help guys, its much appreciated. I'll be doing 60/40 vermiculite/water by weight, that sound ok? Is it only that 1 egg you guys recommend i chuck? or should i ditch both the ones with the wet lookng patch on them

 

[gozz]

candle them....first

 

[Owzi]

I have only ever used equal weights of water & vermiculite, which has worked well for me.
(just my experiance, listen to other peoples experiances/opinions & decide whats best for you)

Perhaps you could set up a second container for the dodgy eggs & put them in a enclosure or seperate warm place & see if they continue to go downhill. You might feel better about throwing away mouldy eggs that you have non doubt about being duds.

 

[AM Pythons]

interresting.. learn something new everyday around here...

 

[vitticep]

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

Exactly how many seasons have you bred pythons for?????
Is it 2 or 3 now?

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

Exactly how many seasons have you bred pythons for?????
Is it 2 or 3 now?

Fifteen years plus! Does my opinion carry more weight in this discussion now? Seeing that I am more experienced than Owzi now! LOL. And that I told you that on a forum?

It is our business to know everything that there is to know about incubation methods and systems.

 

[MR_IAN_DAVO]

Mate, there is nothing wrong with suspended over water method, I have used this method the last 3 years with great success.
The first year though I lost a few eggs the same way, & the cause was not enough humidity in the egg container as I did not have a sealed lid. The eggs caving in or sunken in is a result of not enough humidity in my books.

Throw the bad eggs that smell, clean the others with mould if they look ok, with a very weak bleach & water solution, get them off the wet paper towel & suspend over water in sealed container as I sugested earlier.The container can have a small hole at either end for air exchange & to insert the probe for the thermometer.

The snake ranch method is similar.

Cheers
Ian.

 

[D3pro]

Exactly how many seasons have you bred pythons for?????
Is it 2 or 3 now?

hahahahaha.... oh god that made me laugh.
Nicole they are disrespecting your 6 months of experience.

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

With my six months of experience i thought i would help you out a little more! I hope these pics help!

Water level!

You mods might want to sticky these images!

Maybe Owzi and Viticeps can post some pictures of their setup!

 

[hornet]

where did you get your eggcrate diffuser from? Thats exactly how i wanted to do it but couldnt find any anywhere

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

Any aquarium would have it!

 

[MR_IAN_DAVO]

Carpet Pythons, good photos. It does not even have to be elaborate & have made mine out of containers & left overs. So long as my containers & incubator are sterilised, I have had no probs.
I actually place the eggs in a dry container (chinese takeaway) no lid, on top of mesh suspended over water with a sealed lid on the outside container. the only extra I do is air hole both ends for air exchange. This removes the reqiurement for me to remove the lid at any stage, unless moisture forms in the container housing the eggs. Which then I mop up with paper towel leaving the eggs exactly where they are.
This works for me, & like I said the first year I had problems with eggs sinking in, & under advise it was said I should seal the lid to keep humidity in & I did & no more problems.

When Paula gets home (& if she wants to) I will get her to post some photos of my bogdey containers.
Cheers Ian.

 

[hornet]

cheers guys. I have mixed up the vermiculite, 90grams of vermiculite to 60mls of water (60:40) but just wanted to confirm that it should still feel relatively dry and not to the point of holding together?

 

[MR_IAN_DAVO]

Mate I have never done that way so cannot coment, hopefully others can.
I will post pics of my set up in another hour or two.
Cheers
Ian.

 

[Pythons Rule]

the verm needs to be moist, get a handful and sqeeze tight there should be no water dripping out of it and it should hold together but also crumble appart easily.

 

[hornet]

it doesnt exactly hold together, should i add a little more water?

 

[Vixen]

I needed to use the plain verm method with one of my clutches this year as I didn't have enough grating left. I mixed it up 60/40 but put a small layer of completely dry verm under the eggs (just directly under the eggs, not around the sides etc). Probably not necessary but it's peace of mind, and no eggs grew mold.

 

[kkjkdt1]

My set up,
A microclimate thermostat, thermometer/hydrometer and heat cord in a polystyrene box.
i use a sealed tub with 50/50 vermiculite(by weight).
Temps stay at 31.1-31.3 and 99% humidity.
Deffently not a flashy incubator, this is my first year breeding(jungles) and it's working for me.
.

 

[Pythons Rule]

hey vixen even though its not holding together is it going to have enough humidity or should he add a tad more?

---------- Post added 07-Jan-11 at 05:30 PM ----------

I was going to do what colin told me this year, mind you it was all set up ready to go and then she did a phantom on me and never laid. but I was using a grade 4 verm 50/50 mix and it held together, no leaking and fell apart, tested it in the incubator for 2 weeks waiting for eggs held a humidity lev of 98% for 2 weeks and on 31.4degs.

I'm annoyed I didn't get to use it after all colins help I feel really bad...