Egg thoughts...

[Jacqui]

Okay, I had another Homes egg appear today in with my one trio set. This group lays lots of eggs, but I have yet to have one hatch. In the past I have used the incubator and had bad luck with that. So I was going to try from now on, leaving the eggs in with their parents to hopefully hatch out (like my two did awhile back). The problem is, this group is very active with digging down, rearranging their hides, and such so I am a bit concerned they may move this egg at the wrong time during incubation.

What I am currently debating is if I should set this egg up in a tank all it's own and try to keep it operated, as if I had hingebacks in there. Or option #2 is to bury the egg within one of the tanks which already houses young hingebacks. The young ones are not diggers and thier tank is watched closely, because it does house tortoises. I am not sure, if I would keep up the empty appearing tank as well. Know what I mean? When you have actual tortoises in a tank, you have to give them time daily no matter how busy things get, would I manage to feel the same way about an "empty" tank for all those months?

Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[dmmj]

I am not criticizing we all do it, but since they are in a smaller area than they would be in the wild, I don't think it would be a good idea to leave them in with the parents, would hate to see them by accident break the egg. The best bet would probably pit it in it's own tank.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have trouble with eggs in the incubator too, but I'm keepin' on keepin' on. Why'n'cha' try the eggs-in-the-covered-box-in-the- incubator method? First chance I get I'm going to the Dollar Store and see if I can find some plastic boxes with low sides and lids that would fit in my incubators. I have always just gone by the seat of my pants, but next time I'm going to weigh my water/vermiculite and go scientific. Drill holes in the sides of the box, cover it and - voila!! Three months later...babies. Yeah, right!

 

[ShadowRancher]

Are homes hard to incubate? I guess I don't know much about them

EDIT: sorry to get off topic...I haven't incubated yet but I would go with what's worked, so leaving them in...maybe if you upped the substrate level there would be less chance of accidental breakage? Idk

 

[Jacqui]

I have trouble with eggs in the incubator too, but I'm keepin' on keepin' on. Why'n'cha' try the eggs-in-the-covered-box-in-the- incubator method? First chance I get I'm going to the Dollar Store and see if I can find some plastic boxes with low sides and lids that would fit in my incubators. I have always just gone by the seat of my pants, but next time I'm going to weigh my water/vermiculite and go scientific. Drill holes in the sides of the box, cover it and - voila!! Three months later...babies. Yeah, right!

Tried that... with Bells eggs. Did sorta that once with Homes eggs, too.

I have had the Russians hatch with no problem out of the incubator. Years ago, I had no troubles with Bells in there, but lately I just keep feeling like all I am doing is wasting eggs. I had luck doing the box turtles and just leaving them in the cupboard method.

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I am not criticizing we all do it, but since they are in a smaller area than they would be in the wild, I don't think it would be a good idea to leave them in with the parents, would hate to see them by accident break the egg. The best bet would probably pit it in it's own tank.

But my last two were hatched that way. Also some of the more successful Hingeback hatchers have also left eggs in with parents.

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Are homes hard to incubate? I guess I don't know much about them

Ana, not sure how to answer this. We have a lot of failed eggs, but we never know for sure if they were good fertile eggs to start with. It seems folks either have fairly good luck or no luck at all with them.

 

[chairman]

If I ever get my group of Home's properly organised, I do not plan to "incubate" the eggs per se. I plan to add vermiculite to a plastic shoe box and then slowly add water until all the vermiculite is clumpy with no dry patches. Then I'll add the eggs, close up the container, keep at the same temperature as my tortoises, and open the container daily (or so) for air exchange. If the condensation on the sides of the container diminishes I'll give the container a quick mist.

I used this approach years ago when I bred corn snakes and always had close to 100% hatch rates. I am using the same method for my crested gecko eggs and things seem to be going well on that front, but I've just started with them. I plan to use the same approach for the hingebacks because they live in "lower" temp, high humidity micro climates just like the two species I have experience with. If someone else comes up with a better, more successful approach before I finally get my act together I'll be happy to revise my plans, but since you're asking...

 

[Katherine]

I like your idea to leave it in the enclosure with them. My feeling is if conditions were such that they successfully bred and laid, then conditions are likely such that the eggs can hatch. I understand your concern about them digging up the eggs due to having limited space/substrate and also know what you mean about neglecting an empty tank.... (I think this is the problem with a lot of at home incubation projects actually; they are so exciting the first month after they are laid and so exciting when it's time for hatching but I think when life gets busy they often get a blind eye months into the process, despite the fact that everyday is critical for development). I vote to either put them in with the 'less likely to dig' babies or place them in a tupperware container with generous holes through out back into the adult enclosure to prevent their destruction should they get dug up. Sounds like you are setting yourself up for success this time; goodluck I hope these eggs hatch for you!!!

 

[bigred]

I have trouble with eggs in the incubator too, but I'm keepin' on keepin' on. Why'n'cha' try the eggs-in-the-covered-box-in-the- incubator method? First chance I get I'm going to the Dollar Store and see if I can find some plastic boxes with low sides and lids that would fit in my incubators. I have always just gone by the seat of my pants, but next time I'm going to weigh my water/vermiculite and go scientific. Drill holes in the sides of the box, cover it and - voila!! Three months later...babies. Yeah, right!

Ive used the spring mix salad containers in my incubator. One clutch per container and 4 containers fit in the incubator. 10 out of 13 hatched last time I did this. This year I have 19 eggs in 4 seperate containers and we will see. The oldest clutch has been in there for 4 months 1 week so any day now from my female that has never laid before

 

[Laura]

can you fence off the egg area?

 

[gargoileddie]

You guys seen to know ur hingebacks. I'm having a little trouble identifying the Sex of mine. I was told they we're a pair of male and female.if I ever figure out hoe to post pics thinl anyone could help me out. Ide love to breed them one day.

 

[Jacqui]

You guys seen to know ur hingebacks. I'm having a little trouble identifying the Sex of mine. I was told they we're a pair of male and female.if I ever figure out hoe to post pics thinl anyone could help me out. Ide love to breed them one day.

We sure would love to try. Just start a new thread in here on them. Which kind are they? How are you trying to do pictures? I use photobucket myself.

 

[gargoileddie]

I have a pair of kinixys homeana. I downloaded the app so I could upload directly from my phone but its not working. I keep geting an error.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a pair of kinixys homeana. I downloaded the app so I could upload directly from my phone but its not working. I keep geting an error.

Hi gargoileddie:

Won't you start a new thread in the "Introductions" section and tell us a bit about yourself?

If you use either photobucket.com or tinypic.com its quite easy to add pictures.

 

[EricIvins]

You may have to take them through a wet/dry/wet diapause. Seeing that they come from areas that are Monsoon influenced, they may need a week or two of wet conditions at the right time to trigger them to hatch........

 

[Neal]

How about placing a large flat stone or brick over the nest so the adults can't dig down? Build up the sides with soil, or submerge it a little so they can't dig under it.

When it gets closer to hatching out, remove the stone and block the adults from the area somehow.

 

[Jacqui]

Well today, this trio of Homes added three more eggs to the party!!!

 

[kbaker]

Well today, this trio of Homes added three more eggs to the party!!!

Yeah! Let's Party!