# concerned about egg viability



## transboxer (May 9, 2014)

on 10/27/2013 my red foot laid eggs. I am incubating them. A few have gone bad, which could tell due to odor and leakage from the egg - they might have cracked when laid. The others are fine but have not hatched yet. If these eggs were "not" fertile, wouldn't they start to rot right away? Can I assume that they are good and just taking what seems to be FOREVER to hatch. My girls lay every other month and there plenty other eggs incubating with this first clutch. Every where I read says 4 to 6 months but could it possibly be longer? We are snake breeders and the eggs are so different from tortoise that I have no idea if they are good or bad? 

Any information please. THANK YOU!


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## tortadise (May 9, 2014)

The ones that are not fertile usually won't go bad or rot. I've had eggs in some of my incubators for 2 years. That's my threshold of tossing them. Sometimes eggs can die, embryo could of stopped developing, and begin to decompose causing gases inside the egg expand the gaseous matter internally, causing the explosion or pop. Too much water around the egg can cause it too, as well too much heat. So a nice balance of each is best. One of our members just had a cherry head hatch that was laid on August 28th of last year, so yes they can take a very long time. I have not had one take long before. But sure have had some take a while.

Just a couple questions. What incubation medium are you using(vermiculite, perlite, soil?)
What temps do you have them at(night drop and daily rise if you know)
And how wet is the medium? Not the humidity but how wet is the substrate you are using?


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## transboxer (May 9, 2014)

wow - 2 years. I had no idea they might not "go bad" or rot. I use perlite. I spray the eggs every so often. the humidity seems at a great range when I open the hatch to check on them which I know I should not do and a watched pot does not boil but i feel i need to keep checking. The temperature set on the incubator is about 86 degrees and stays constant the perlite is moist but not soaked. The same incubator hatches ball python eggs. 

Thank you for your time Kelly. I will try to be patient. We adopted this trio from friends who let them lay outside and hatch on there own so he was not much assistance.


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## Yvonne G (May 9, 2014)

If there was nothing inside to rot, for example a dead embryo, then the albumen and yolk eventually just dries up. It doesn't rot, it just dessicates. So the egg sits there forever. But if you pick it up it feels very light.


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