- Joined
- Jan 20, 2012
- Messages
- 110
Hi, I have had an adult Hermann that I had been breeding for one season and any fertile eggs were incubated with about 75% success rate. This spring, I obtained a 2.5 colony from a longtime breeder and have begun getting a few clutches of eggs, most of which are infertile. The eggs that are fertile (chalked and showed vessels on illumination) are probably only hatching 25%. I retrieve eggs almost immediately, most are laid outside in the ground. My incubation technique has been dampened vermiculite and the humidity has been 80-85% with temp of 30'C. I've checked with several thermometers. I'm going to begin incubating on near dry vermiculite with humidity of 70%. I'm not sure what else to try. It seems like my eggs "dry out" with large bubbles forming quickly which is why I tried the higher humidity, but it never made any difference.
This may just be the difficulties of new torts in a new environment for the first season, not making beautiful eggs, but I'm not convinced I don't have a bigger problem. I feed predominately weeds and mazuri chow, with calcium carbonate sprinkled regularly.
Any thoughts? Any questions I need to ponder? Any constructive advice?
This may just be the difficulties of new torts in a new environment for the first season, not making beautiful eggs, but I'm not convinced I don't have a bigger problem. I feed predominately weeds and mazuri chow, with calcium carbonate sprinkled regularly.
Any thoughts? Any questions I need to ponder? Any constructive advice?