HELP!! Snake egg trouble!

[ramzee86]

Hi guys, well My coastal Laid 16 eggs 8 days ago.
They all looked plump and fertile, and all candled to be alive.

The last few days i've noticed some deflation in the eggs, and everyone is telling me that it most likely is drying out, however the humidity was reading 95% in the container.
I was using a soaked perlite water mix, with a tray on top (and eggs on the tray) as my incubation method. The temperature and humidity seem to be going perfect but the eggs looked terrible yesterday. So to combat the 'dehydration' i closed the two ventilation holes and put a damp paper towel on top of the eggs, in hope by today they would improve a little. - The opposite happened.
i've moved the eggs to a 1:1 vermiculite water mix.

What the hell is going on!!! Is there any chance they can recover and still hatch!?
Any Tips?

 

[Pazzy]

I knew someone that had carpet python eggs he didnt even use an incubator he let the mum do it all they done what yours have done here even started going mouldy and 21 out of 23 hatched... I honestly dont know if there is anything wrong with your eggs but i have seen it happen and everything be fine..

 

[ScalyMung]

Keep them in a closed container no air holes and don't remove the lid, they should return back to normal after a while it take's a bit of time tho so don't worry too much yet
Cheers Deano

 

[RSPcrazy]

Don't trust the hydrometer, you might have to add more water.

I have used this exact method of incubation for the past 2 years, and IMO, it's one of the best. I use a fully sealed (air tight) container and I wet the substrate as much as I want, because if the eggs are not in direct contact with the substrate, then it doesn't matter how wet you make it. I have a next to perfect hatch rate using this method.

 

[Riggsy]

This may or may not work for you but it worked for me last season when the same thing happened. Although I used vemiculite and had the eggs sitting directly in (half buried) in the vermiculite and the tubs where sealed with no air vents.

Yours are drying out but still may be saved...when this started happening to mine I added a little water to the vermiculite but I also sprayed the eggs with a light mist of clean water every half an hour three of four times a night until they puffed up again. Then I had 40 babies hatch...

View attachment 225282

 

[ramzee86]

Thanks a lot for your input guys... I don't know if you saw but today i moved them into a 1:1 vermiculite water mix... they are half buried in... Do you guys suggest to wet the vermiculite even more and just put the eggs on a tray (sitting on top of the vermiculite)?

And Riggsy i can't see the attached pic?

 

[Riggsy]

 

[No-two]

You're better off keeping your eggs drier than too wet. They're pretty tough I don't see an issue with them, wouldn't have bothered changing anything. They're not the best looking eggs but certainly not the worst. If they're hard and haven't gone soft, I woudln't do anything.

 

[ramzee86]

Yeah they are relatively hard, but 1 week ago when they were put in, they were so much more inflated. i just hope the 1:1 mix works now!

 

[Riggsy]

Mine were also more inflated after laying then did deflate a bit, but after monitoring them and giving them the odd spray of water they did plump up a bit. I only got a bit of mould on one egg too which I wiped clean. Yours do look a bit too dry...

 

[RSPcrazy]

Thanks a lot for your input guys... I don't know if you saw but today i moved them into a 1:1 vermiculite water mix... they are half buried in... Do you guys suggest to wet the vermiculite even more and just put the eggs on a tray (sitting on top of the vermiculite)?

And Riggsy i can't see the attached pic?

I would recommend putting the eggs on a tray and wetting the vermiculite even more, that way you wont have to fuss over the vermiculite being to wet and killing the eggs.

It's worked for me.

 

[Riggsy]

Also what will happen a few days before hatching is that they will again start to deflate and will come unstuck from each other and with a little help you will be able to separate them so you can remove the slugs (non-fertile ones) ready to hatch. Just make sure the stay the same way up.

 

[No-two]

You can't really have any more humidity than wet perlite/vermiculite or above water. They're just not the best looking eggs, but should be fine. Moving them around, changing methods is probably not the best idea.

These eggs have been like this since about 1week in, (they're probably two weeks from hatching atm)

these are the same age diferent clutch,

this is a dodgy looking egg but they normally hatch (I've had them like this in the past).

 

[Riggsy]

Moving them around, changing methods is probably not the best idea.

Normally if you don't need to move them then it's best not to but during the incubation of my 40 eggs in two separate containers I moved them in and out of the incubator every couple of days to exchange air and halfway though the incubation I actually took the eggs out of the containers and changed the vermiculite to fresh stuff to get rid of a bit of white mould that was growing on the vermiculite.

 

[ramzee86]

So what do you think Just leave half sunk in the vermiculite or put a tray and wet the vermiculite even more?
I really hope they pull through!

 

[RSPcrazy]

You know my answer.

 

[ramzee86]

Ive just adjusted it to your way mate.... fingers crossed it works out!

 

[pythonmum]

How are they looking tonight? Any improvement? I hope they plump up a bit for you.

 

[OLAY89]

I have an egg that has gone soft not diflated and looks the same as the others but really soft ?

 

[ramzee86]

Hey Susan.... well i'm not too sure if they've improved but from what i observe they haven't gotten any worse which is good... i'm leaving the container completely sealed for about a week hoping they'll try to fix themselves...

Thanks again to everyone.... will let you know what they look like on the weekend