hey yommy I've also had terrable luck but with the 3 years I've tried this breeding thing. 1st season most of you know I got 22 eggs, 8 slugs and had nothing but bad luck from 2weeks on to hatch date. I put it down to lack of exsperiance and bad weather + a faulty digital thermometre/hydrometre. I had 2 eggs at the end on 65days but some reason 1 died a day before the other came out. cause I lost one of the 2 viable eggs I desided to pip the last one on day 65. and the egg was very dry inside and the shell was touph, however there was a healthy hatchy inside - avatar pic. the other I opened the egg to find a fully formed, no kinks healthy looking baby...then I noticed no egg tooth....so sad I almost gave up after that it was so heart breaking.
pic's of last 2 eggs from clutch of 14 fertile eggs. all but 2 died from weeks 2 +. large one on left went bad a day before the other came out.
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red banded hatchy that drowned in the egg
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striped hatchy that made it due to me pipping.
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2nd year I had 36 eggs layed but when I went to remove them from the female she wouldn't let go and tipped whole clutch over, all died from 2 weeks....I was then furious and upset.
3rd year I ended up seeking out a mentor, did everything he told me, built a new incubator from instructions he gave me, did all the research he sent me, listerned to everything he told me, I updated him with pic's etc through out, I did everything I was told, stressed a lil when I went on holidays but ended up calming down thinking she would lay by the time I got home, she went through all the signs and prelay etc and was huge and then when I get home she still didn't lay but was much skinnier then before I left. bloody hell she pulled a phantom on me... 3rd year bad luck....
I have desided to wait till 2012 before I try again at least then I can make sure all my females are fat enough and healthy enough to produce healthy eggs. I should also be down in sydney by this time and in a place where keeping an incubator at a stable temp is easier and also cooling of animals more successful.
maybe its this particular snake thats got weak genes who knows, but I do know that this pair produce a spectacular looking animal which is my pet project if I could ever produce anymore with a close to 100% hatch rate one day. its the most frustraiting and time consuming thing to go through if it doesn't go according to plan so I feel all your pain and more.