Egg rotation question

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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I know that at some point, it is very important to not rotate or tip over tortoise eggs.
What point is that?
Right after they are laid?
Right before hatching?
The whole time?
I'll be getting some eggs soon from Bolivian parents. (Very large Redfoot)
I have some concern as to how and when they'll be collected.
 

Toddrickfl1

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I know that at some point, it is very important to not rotate or tip over tortoise eggs.
What point is that?
Right after they are laid?
Right before hatching?
The whole time?
I'll be getting some eggs soon from Bolivian parents. (Very large Redfoot)
I have some concern as to how and when they'll be collected.
You can only rotate them for a couple hours after they're laid as far as I know.
 

G-stars

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You can rotate them as long as the fetus hasn’t formed. So if the eggs haven’t been incubated yet then it’s okay to rotate them. I’d still limit it as much as possible though, I’d also put them in a container with the incubating substrate you plan on using during transportation.
 

zovick

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I know that at some point, it is very important to not rotate or tip over tortoise eggs.
What point is that?
Right after they are laid?
Right before hatching?
The whole time?
I'll be getting some eggs soon from Bolivian parents. (Very large Redfoot)
I have some concern as to how and when they'll be collected.
To clarify a point, are these Bolivian Redfoot eggs you will be getting being shipped to you or will they be laid at your home from your own tortoises? I am not certain from the wording of the last two lines of your post.

The eggs should not be tilted/rotated from the time blood vessels can first be seen when they are candled. In most instances this occurs at three weeks or so after incubation is started. If the eggs are found in the ground after being laid and you are unsure when the nest was actually laid, I would not rotate them at all from the time they were found.
 

Calaveras

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I know that at some point, it is very important to not rotate or tip over tortoise eggs.
What point is that?
Right after they are laid?
Right before hatching?
The whole time?
I'll be getting some eggs soon from Bolivian parents. (Very large Redfoot)
I have some concern as to how and when they'll be collected.
You usually have a day Or two after they are laid where they are OK.
Once the blood vessels are attached at the end do not roll them until they are hatched
 

ZEROPILOT

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To clarify a point, are these Bolivian Redfoot eggs you will be getting being shipped to you or will they be laid at your home from your own tortoises? I am not certain from the wording of the last two lines of your post.

The eggs should not be tilted/rotated from the time blood vessels can first be seen when they are candled. In most instances this occurs at three weeks or so after incubation is started. If the eggs are found in the ground after being laid and you are unsure when the nest was actually laid, I would not rotate them at all from the time they were found.
It's more or less a zoo situation.
Two pair of Bolivians. Living as pairs.
Pretty horrible. The eggs are usually scattered on the ground or just partially covered. Mostly due to the limited space and hard packed, well trampled dirt.
It may not matter now because I seem to have ticked off the person by suggesting that they needed much more space and pointed out the clear (to me) agression of both males.
It's one of those "BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS" stories.
Been doing it wrong for years I say.
The tortoises are honestly gigantic.
I'll keep the post updated.
 

zovick

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It's more or less a zoo situation.
Two pair of Bolivians. Living as pairs.
Pretty horrible. The eggs are usually scattered on the ground or just partially covered. Mostly due to the limited space and hard packed, well trampled dirt.
It may not matter now because I seem to have ticked off the person by suggesting that they needed much more space and pointed out the clear (to me) agression of both males.
It's one of those "BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS" stories.
Been doing it wrong for years I say.
The tortoises are honestly gigantic.
I'll keep the post updated.
It doesn't sound as though you would get viable eggs from this situation even if they do decide to give them to you.. If it makes you feel any better, I have been working with tortoises since 1958 and have never had an egg which was deposited on top of the ground hatch.
 

ZEROPILOT

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It doesn't sound as though you would get viable eggs from this situation even if they do decide to give them to you.. If it makes you feel any better, I have been working with tortoises since 1958 and have never had an egg which was deposited on top of the ground hatch.
Thank you
 

ZEROPILOT

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I'll get some photos tomorrow
(I'll try)
They are seriously large. Like close to 40- 50% larger than the largest adult Northern I've ever had.
Maybe 18-20"?
 

Relic

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It doesn't sound as though you would get viable eggs from this situation even if they do decide to give them to you.. If it makes you feel any better, I have been working with tortoises since 1958 and have never had an egg which was deposited on top of the ground hatch.
Not a tortoise, but many years ago I found 4 three-toed box turtle eggs at the bottom of the concrete pool inside their pen - about 12 inches underwater. There were three box turtles swimming around in the water at the time and those eggs were sloshing around like a group of sailors on shore leave. I had no idea how long the eggs had been there - possibly since the day before - but I fished them out, put them in my syrofoam ice chest with vermiculite inside, and darned if all 4 of those eggs didn't eventually hatch and turn-out normal.
 

zovick

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Not a tortoise, but many years ago I found 4 three-toed box turtle eggs at the bottom of the concrete pool inside their pen - about 12 inches underwater. There were three box turtles swimming around in the water at the time and those eggs were sloshing around like a group of sailors on shore leave. I had no idea how long the eggs had been there - possibly since the day before - but I fished them out, put them in my syrofoam ice chest with vermiculite inside, and darned if all 4 of those eggs didn't eventually hatch and turn-out normal.
Very fortuitous!
 

ZEROPILOT

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My lifetime hatch rate is only about 30%.
I've done many things wrong.
In the future, any eggs layed in my enclosure will remain there.
Two babies have popped up without me even knowing they were there.
 

zovick

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Not a tortoise, but many years ago I found 4 three-toed box turtle eggs at the bottom of the concrete pool inside their pen - about 12 inches underwater. There were three box turtles swimming around in the water at the time and those eggs were sloshing around like a group of sailors on shore leave. I had no idea how long the eggs had been there - possibly since the day before - but I fished them out, put them in my syrofoam ice chest with vermiculite inside, and darned if all 4 of those eggs didn't eventually hatch and turn-out normal.
Forgot to say that I really doubt those eggs could have been in the water more than a few minutes before you found them or they would have split open from imbibing excess water.
 

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