The Devil
Very Well-Known Member
It's that time of the year and for some people it's all over red rover. Most species around my way seem to hatch in December/January.
Over the past couple of weeks I've had several phone call from first timers regarding incubation temps, incubation methods and whether or not to cut the eggs when they are close to time. Yes, I can still remember how exciting it was waiting for the hatching
There are many different thoughts about these 3 things and I would guess that 99% of these ideas work.
With regards to incubation temps I have hatched jungle eggs at temps ranging from 24.5C (no, not a typo) up to 32C. Admittedly not many hatched at 24.5C but at 26.5C most did.
To quote a friend from years back, "they just take longer" at lower temps.
So it doesn't really matter what temp you pick, myself I have always used 31.5C.
The incubation method I currently use is the eggs on a plastic rack over water. It works extremely and saves mucking around with vermiculite or perlite. I've used and had equal success with both methods over many years.
Whether or not to cut the eggs when they get close to the hatch date, I NEVER have. I usually wait until I see one or 2 that have pipped and then cut the rest of the eggs the next day.
The last few years I've usually just left them alone and they do the job themselves.
The only clutch that I've ever had a problem with was some year ago with a clutch of woma. The little ones developed without an egg tooth and therefor couldn't cut the egg. I lost the clutch.
That has not happened since.
Mother Nature has designed the eggs to hatch under a wide range of conditions and temps.
The attached pic is of albino darwins, the first one pipped at about 8am yesterday, I was thinking of cutting any that hadn't pipped by this evening but as you can see they have done the job for me.......
Over the past couple of weeks I've had several phone call from first timers regarding incubation temps, incubation methods and whether or not to cut the eggs when they are close to time. Yes, I can still remember how exciting it was waiting for the hatching
There are many different thoughts about these 3 things and I would guess that 99% of these ideas work.
With regards to incubation temps I have hatched jungle eggs at temps ranging from 24.5C (no, not a typo) up to 32C. Admittedly not many hatched at 24.5C but at 26.5C most did.
To quote a friend from years back, "they just take longer" at lower temps.
So it doesn't really matter what temp you pick, myself I have always used 31.5C.
The incubation method I currently use is the eggs on a plastic rack over water. It works extremely and saves mucking around with vermiculite or perlite. I've used and had equal success with both methods over many years.
Whether or not to cut the eggs when they get close to the hatch date, I NEVER have. I usually wait until I see one or 2 that have pipped and then cut the rest of the eggs the next day.
The last few years I've usually just left them alone and they do the job themselves.
The only clutch that I've ever had a problem with was some year ago with a clutch of woma. The little ones developed without an egg tooth and therefor couldn't cut the egg. I lost the clutch.
That has not happened since.
Mother Nature has designed the eggs to hatch under a wide range of conditions and temps.
The attached pic is of albino darwins, the first one pipped at about 8am yesterday, I was thinking of cutting any that hadn't pipped by this evening but as you can see they have done the job for me.......
