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Crystal Renee Beard

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Hello my name is Crystal. We have two sulcata tortoises. They are both around 7 years old. One male and one female. Well, our female laid eggs today and I am so new to this that I am not sure what my next steps are. I checked where she buried them to make sure there were eggs but we came across one that was super thin and could see the yolk. It was so soft that I covered it back up because I was afraid to break it. Is this normal or is this something I need to be concerned about and take her into our vet? Also, needed tip to dig the eggs up and incubate them. Thank you in advance.
 

Yvonne G

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Hey, Crystal. . . congrats on finally making your first post! And a belated "Welcome" to the Forum!

I wouldn't worry about that one thin-shelled egg. The first couple clutches females lay are sort of sporadic. Way back when I had a female in with my male sulcata I took a shovel and chopped up the eggs in the nest then covered it back up. I didn't want to be bothered trying to find good homes for lots and lots of sulcata babies. But if you're determined to hatch those eggs, it would be a good idea to buy an incubator. I really like the Zoo Med Reptibator, but it's quite a bit more expensive than the Little Giant Bird Brooder, which works well too, just isn't as roomy inside as the Zoo Med.

Gently remove the dirt from the hole to expose the eggs, then pick them out of the nest, being careful to not change the orientation of the egg. Wipe off the dirt, but don't wash them. Place them into the incubator at around 85F or so degrees. I use moist vermiculite mixed with hatchrite. Don't turn the eggs.

It might be a good idea for you to separate the two tortoises. Now that the male has the breeding idea he's going to pester the female until she stays hidden all the time, maybe she'll even stop eating. If you want them to breed, you can put him back with her every so often, but for stress sake, I'd keep them separated most of the time.
 

Crystal Renee Beard

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Hey, Crystal. . . congrats on finally making your first post! And a belated "Welcome" to the Forum!

I wouldn't worry about that one thin-shelled egg. The first couple clutches females lay are sort of sporadic. Way back when I had a female in with my male sulcata I took a shovel and chopped up the eggs in the nest then covered it back up. I didn't want to be bothered trying to find good homes for lots and lots of sulcata babies. But if you're determined to hatch those eggs, it would be a good idea to buy an incubator. I really like the Zoo Med Reptibator, but it's quite a bit more expensive than the Little Giant Bird Brooder, which works well too, just isn't as roomy inside as the Zoo Med.

Gently remove the dirt from the hole to expose the eggs, then pick them out of the nest, being careful to not change the orientation of the egg. Wipe off the dirt, but don't wash them. Place them into the incubator at around 85F or so degrees. I use moist vermiculite mixed with hatchrite. Don't turn the eggs.

It might be a good idea for you to separate the two tortoises. Now that the male has the breeding idea he's going to pester the female until she stays hidden all the time, maybe she'll even stop eating. If you want them to breed, you can put him back with her every so often, but for stress sake, I'd keep them separated most of the time.
 

Crystal Renee Beard

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Thank you for sharing and responding to my post. I have since made a separate side for our male so he can leave her alone. We live in Louisiana and are hoping her eggs will hatch on their on in the ground if we leave them there? I was going to try and put them in an incubator but the soil she chose is so compacted that we may have broken one or 2 so we stopped. Do you think they will hatch on their own? This is now day two and she is being such a good mommy. Every time we have tried to uncover it she goes and covers it right back up. ❤
 

bouaboua

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Hello and Welcome to the forum.
 

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