# Chalking



## hingeback (Dec 25, 2015)

Hi, what actually is chalking? How do I tell whether an egg has chalked or is chalking? Here is a picture of the eggs my incubator:


----------



## allegraf (Jan 12, 2016)

Chalking is when the eggs start developing. They start at top and start turning clean white and continues down the egg until the whole egg is clean white. If the white stops, the development has stopped. I'll try to take a picture of mine.


----------



## allegraf (Jan 12, 2016)

Here is a pic of some of my eggs that have started chalking over. The whitening or chalking will continue until the entire egg is white. Hope this helps. As you can see the smaller eggs behind have not chalked over as yet and are unlikely to chalk. I'll still give them a few more weeks before removing.


----------



## hingeback (Jan 12, 2016)

Thanks, have the first three eggs stop developing or is it the spaghnum moss? The fourth egg was laid about 2 weeks ago.


Also what is that on the first one?


----------



## shellfreak (Jan 13, 2016)

That first one Looks like it was left inside the tortoise longer then the others. calcium build up. Ive had some like that and were duds, I've also had a few of those that have done just fine and continued onto hatch. Here is an example of an egg that started to chalk, but stopped. This exploded two days after.


----------



## hingeback (Jan 13, 2016)

shellfreak said:


> That first one Looks like it was left inside the tortoise longer then the others. calcium build up. Ive had some like that and were duds, I've also had a few of those that have done just fine and continued onto hatch. Here is an example of an egg that started to chalk, but stopped. This exploded two days after.
> View attachment 162121


That's unfortunate, does you mean the first egg might be a dud? Non exploded yet.


----------



## ZEROPILOT (Jan 13, 2016)

Thanks. I'd never heard the term before.


----------



## hingeback (Jan 13, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Thanks. I'd never heard the term before.


When I made this thread I also was new to the term


----------



## shellfreak (Jan 13, 2016)

My rule of thumb is "always assume the egg is fertile, until it stinks to high hell or explodes". There is a chance that egg is fertile.


----------



## allegraf (Jan 13, 2016)

shellfreak said:


> My rule of thumb is "always assume the egg is fertile, until it stinks to high hell or explodes". There is a chance that egg is fertile.


Nope, I've had too many stinkers! When they explode it is pretty gross. If I don't see the chalking starting after six weeks, I dump them. Same with the ones where the chalking stops and it starts turning colors. They gotta go, it is a race against the stink!


----------



## hingeback (Jan 13, 2016)

allegraf said:


> Nope, I've had too many stinkers! When they explode it is pretty gross. If I don't see the chalking starting after six weeks, I dump them. Same with the ones where the chalking stops and it starts turning colors. They gotta go, it is a race against the stink!


I guess I will just keep them, after all I only have for eggs...


----------



## Crzt4torts (Feb 5, 2016)

Any guesses as to if I have development here? I am thinking the 2 large and possible the smaller one as well?


----------

