My First Eggs

[egyptiandan]

Personally all my Testudo eggs are incubated on a dry substrate. Some people do use a damp substrate and hatch eggs just fine. I just don't like to advocate it for someone new to egg hatching as it's to easy to add to much water to the substrate and have the eggs split and go bad.
Makes it even harder when eggs need to be on a damp substrate like Redfoots and Hingebacks to get it right over the entire incubation. If you do want to try a damp substrate with Testudo, make sure you make it damp at the begining and not add any more water during the incubation process. Than add some water when you get the first hatchling pipping. This helps with the hatching process.

Danny

 

[zzzdanz]

Well Danny has by far more experience than myself at this, so go with his method.

 

[tortoises101]

Well Danny has by far more experience than myself at this, so go with his method.

Whatever method you use, good luck!

 

[danieledwards2006]

thanks guys for the advice. I think I shall be safe and keep it dry for the first time.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Congrats & good luck.

 

[danieledwards2006]

The eggs have now been in the incubator for 6 weeks at around 32c. Hopefully they are fertile a couple are showing signs of a slight shadow inside the egg on different parts.

 

[ChiKat]

Very exciting! Keep us posted
I hope to hatch tortoise eggs in the future (considering I only have one 18-month old Russian it could be a while )

 

[Tom]

Sorry I missed your question. Danny knows much more about this than me anyway. Can't wait for pics of the babies pipping and hatching.

In case no one told you, sometimes it takes two or three days from the time they first pip until they are "hatched". Some accomplish the feat in hours though. You just have to keep checking frequently. Just don't mess with them. They don't usually need any help. I keep my babies in a plastic shoe box with damp paper towels while they absorb their yolk sacks and change the towels twice a day. This usually only takes a few days. Most of them won't even try to eat during this time.

Good luck and you probably won't be able to stop smiling.

 

[TortieLuver]

Just a couple more weeks...so hard to wait! Hatching eggs is such a memorable and rewarding experience.

 

[danieledwards2006]

cheers guys can't wait I shall update you soon.

 

[danieledwards2006]

It' now day 83 and no hatchlings Do you think I should get the eggs out and candle them or just leave them for now?

 

[danieledwards2006]

I cracked open the eggs today and unfortunately they were infertile, inside was a hard yolk.

Hopefully next clutch will be fertile.

 

[B K]

Sorry to hear that

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Next time they might be fertile, good experience for you.

 

[Tom]

Sorry to hear that. This is fairly common in the species I keep. The first year my sulcata laid eggs I only got three and all were infertile. The next year she laid 7 and only three were fertile. This year, her third, she's laid two separate clutches of 12. They are due to hatch mid-May and mid-June. I expect higher fertility this year.

Do you ever feed Mazuri? Lots of people have told me that it tends to increases egg count and fertility if you feed it a couple of times a week as a supplement to a good diet. In my case, I went from 3 to 7 to 24. Of course they tend to lay more and have better fertility as they get older and bigger, but from 7 to 24 (and possibly more still on the way) is a big jump for one year. I started feeding her Mazuri shortly after she laid the 7 last year. There were other factors for me too, but I just thought I'd share what others have shared with me.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Sorry to hear that. This is fairly common in the species I keep. The first year my sulcata laid eggs I only got three and all were infertile. The next year she laid 7 and only three were fertile. This year, her third, she's laid two separate clutches of 12. They are due to hatch mid-May and mid-June. I expect higher fertility this year.

Do you ever feed Mazuri? Lots of people have told me that it tends to increases egg count and fertility if you feed it a couple of times a week as a supplement to a good diet. In my case, I went from 3 to 7 to 24. Of course they tend to lay more and have better fertility as they get older and bigger, but from 7 to 24 (and possibly more still on the way) is a big jump for one year. I started feeding her Mazuri shortly after she laid the 7 last year. There were other factors for me too, but I just thought I'd share what others have shared with me.

That is very interesting Tom. We supplement Muzuri during our egg laying season and always get great developed eggs. Our fertility is consistant among individual females. I have never contributed fertility levels to Mazuri. I would love to hear others that might have tracked this and the results. Hard to imagine that Mazuri has an influence. This is very interesting to me, any others with similar knowledge and experiences please share.

 

[onarock]

I can see the possibilities of Mazuri helping egg development, but helping to increase fertility.... not sure about that.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I can see the possibilities of Mazuri helping egg development, but helping to increase fertility.... not sure about that.

I agree Paul, just can not imagine any influence on fertility!

 

[danieledwards2006]

Cheers guys I shall try that.

 

[Balboa]

Hmmmm totally off the cuff here guys.... but I see a fine, indiscernable line between egg developement and fertility. Strictly speaking "fertility" refers to a viable union of sperm and ova, so yes Mazuri may not have much influence on that (except that maybe a healthier tort may produce better sperm or ova). Poor developement however could present as infertility, how can you tell "why" the egg didn't hatch?

Seems to me that all in all diet will be crucial to a good breeding program, and that's where formulated diets shine.

Of course I'm a long ways off from a breeding program, so all just speculation on my part.