Hi guys
Need some help,
Mini has laid 4 eggs of which i have put in a home made incubator.
I did some research on whether to leave in the pen buried or put in a incubator. This is what i have found so far, and it is very contradicting,
Those of you more experienced breeders could give me a helping hand.
This is from the Califonian tortoise and turtle club.
It is also possible to incubate eggs in very simple set-ups such as the examples described below, but you must check the temperature regularly:
Place the eggs in an egg carton, and put the carton in an aquarium. Alternatively, cover the aquarium floor with clean sand to a depth of 2 inches, and place the eggs in the sand. Put a cup of water in the aquarium to act as a humidifier. Use a thermometer, placed by the eggs, to monitor the temperature. For a heat source, start with a 15 watt aquarium bulb in the hood; if it is too cold use two bulbs or a higher wattage bulb.
Bury the eggs in a bucket full of sand, so that they are buried just below the surface. Place a thermometer by the eggs. Position the goose-neck lamp next to the bucket and move the light close to the sand surface. Adjust the temperature of the sand by moving the lamp closer or further away.
And this is TortoiseTrust:
When light bulbs are used as the heat source they invariably fail during the most critical phase, just as the egg is about to hatch!. Stability and reliability are the two key precepts to adhere to when incubating tortoise eggs.
We suggest you definitely avoid sand. It does not allow sufficient gaseous exchange to occur, and as a result anoxia is a real danger. It is better to use an artificial, lighter medium such as 'Vermiculite', or instead any non-toxic granular material. Bury the probe of a thermometer alongside the eggs to keep a constant check on conditions.
If the eggs are fertile, expect hatchlings at any point from 7 weeks on! Check the incubator daily after 7 weeks.
So who is right?
Need some help,
Mini has laid 4 eggs of which i have put in a home made incubator.
I did some research on whether to leave in the pen buried or put in a incubator. This is what i have found so far, and it is very contradicting,
Those of you more experienced breeders could give me a helping hand.
This is from the Califonian tortoise and turtle club.
It is also possible to incubate eggs in very simple set-ups such as the examples described below, but you must check the temperature regularly:
Place the eggs in an egg carton, and put the carton in an aquarium. Alternatively, cover the aquarium floor with clean sand to a depth of 2 inches, and place the eggs in the sand. Put a cup of water in the aquarium to act as a humidifier. Use a thermometer, placed by the eggs, to monitor the temperature. For a heat source, start with a 15 watt aquarium bulb in the hood; if it is too cold use two bulbs or a higher wattage bulb.
Bury the eggs in a bucket full of sand, so that they are buried just below the surface. Place a thermometer by the eggs. Position the goose-neck lamp next to the bucket and move the light close to the sand surface. Adjust the temperature of the sand by moving the lamp closer or further away.
And this is TortoiseTrust:
When light bulbs are used as the heat source they invariably fail during the most critical phase, just as the egg is about to hatch!. Stability and reliability are the two key precepts to adhere to when incubating tortoise eggs.
We suggest you definitely avoid sand. It does not allow sufficient gaseous exchange to occur, and as a result anoxia is a real danger. It is better to use an artificial, lighter medium such as 'Vermiculite', or instead any non-toxic granular material. Bury the probe of a thermometer alongside the eggs to keep a constant check on conditions.
If the eggs are fertile, expect hatchlings at any point from 7 weeks on! Check the incubator daily after 7 weeks.
So who is right?