slitting eggs

[tahniandshae]

seems like a lot of breeders are slitting eggs these days and was just wondering why. ive bred hundreds of babies over the last few years from coastals, bredli diamonds, woma and blackheads and have never had to slit an egg. so why the popularity in doing so. if they don't hatch out by themselves then maybe they weren't meant to. just like to know what other breeders think.

 

[Porkbones]

Ild be interested to read some replies

 

[Emilie]

Because people would like as high survival rate as possible I assume. Once a snake has hatched we can provide it with the best care in captivity, if hatching in the wild they would all have to fend for them selfes, but now in captivity they will have the heat, food, shelter provided, no predators and can even go to the "doctors" if feeling crook for remedies.

 

[The_Geeza]

Ummm.... Slitting allows exit with ease ... Un formed egg tooth's and a hard egg shell can cause them to drown in there own shell... Not always the case but helping by slitting is just a 100% piece of mind for the keeper and success hatching rates

 

[Pythons Rule]

not always a 100% mind I don't think but its still a higher percentage of piece of mind, if cutting correctly and not cutting veins and membranes the baby will come out in its own time, it still needs to leave the membrane, if born without a egg tooth however it wont make it. in my experience most my babies from this season where born with egg tooth but the shell was tough as bricks due to a lack of water in the bottom of the container towards the end of incubation. I cut the eggs at full term 55-60days each clutch of babies did not slit the membrane till day 61 and day 67 even though the egg was opened earlier. however any baby that did not make it died off before and during the week before pipping the eggs, apart from 1 poor lil darling which suffocated in the egg not being able to get out of the membrane due to missing an egg tooth. all the rest are strong and healthy nothing wrong with them at all, even my 2 sets of twins are going well, most of the 1st clutch have eaten there first meals, onto there second shed and up to there 2nd feed. my 1st clutch are all starting go into shed mode.

 

[pythonmum]

I wait until the first has slit the egg, after which I make a small cut in the rest. Some youngsters like to use mine, others prefer to cut their own. I do this to increase the chance of survival and hatchling. I have no comparison of unslit eggs, but I have no problem when I do this.

 

[tahniandshae]

thanks everyone, interesting to see others opinions, but like I said in the post, of the 100s of babies ive hatched ive never had a healthy egg go full term and not hatch natures way. cheers