# laying the Russian egg in the incubator



## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

HELP! I have an unexpected Russian Tortoise egg, How do I properly lay it in the incubator? I dont know if i can harm it by laying it wrong. The egg looked pretty far along when my wife found it.


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## tortadise (Apr 18, 2013)

Welcome! First off do you have your incubator set up? Secondly make sure not to turn the egg. If you have the incubator set up and going what temperature do you have it at? Also your going to need a container and some incubation media. If you dont have any vermiculite you can use moss or even a paper towel until you can get some media substrate. The egg needs to stay in the exact position that you found it. Best thing to do is to mark the top with an X with a pencil and place it in the incubator in its tub with the media.

Just like this.


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## wellington (Apr 18, 2013)

Hello and Welcome. I can't really help you with this. I have never had to worry about eggs. Someone should be on soon to help, hang in there, and good luck.




wellington said:


> Hello and Welcome. I can't really help you with this. I have never had to worry about eggs. Someone should be on soon to help, hang in there, and good luck.



See how quick that was, he beat me


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## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

tortadise said:


> Welcome! First off do you have your incubator set up? Secondly make sure not to turn the egg. If you have the incubator set up and going what temperature do you have it at? Also your going to need a container and some incubation media. If you dont have any vermiculite you can use moss or even a paper towel until you can get some media substrate. The egg needs to stay in the exact position that you found it. Best thing to do is to mark the top with an X with a pencil and place it in the incubator in its tub with the media.
> 
> Just like this.


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## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

Thats the issue, since it was unexpected the focus was picking up the egg carefully and we couldnt remember how it was laying there. Is there a way you can tell, we can see a big dark spot where the tortoise is at.


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## Laura (Apr 18, 2013)

you could just leave it.. 
you don't want to turn it.. it needs to go into the incubator the same way it came out of the ground. If it was just layed its not as much of an issue.. but if its already forming... moving it, can kill the embryo..


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## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

So if ive already put it in an incubator to keep its temperature what should i do? Should the dark part be on top or bottom?


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## lkwagner (Apr 18, 2013)

It sounds like he already turned it and doesn't know what position it was found


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## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

yes, that is correct. ive never had an egg before and didnt know what to do.


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## Yvonne G (Apr 18, 2013)

Then just set it down and hope for the best. I don't know for sure, but I THINK the yolk would be on the bottom, so the dark area would be topside??????????


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## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

a little background...found damaged egg fully developed tortoise some yellow yolk left smelled awful only 3 inches of ground cover inside for winter got excited and worried about other possible eggs! Screwed up bad now in major panic!HELP!


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## tortadise (Apr 18, 2013)

Calm down. Breath. This is a new egg or the one you are initially asking about? Is the little tort alive?


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## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

the egg in question in incubator we believe is still alive, first egg found, little guy was gone very upset since he looked perfect.


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## tortadise (Apr 18, 2013)

Ahh. Well good thing is it is very far along in developement so should be ok that you dont know the top. All you can do is wait. Do you know when at all possible they were laid?


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## hiatt2320 (Apr 18, 2013)

have no idea...caught them mating outside in the inclosure late this summer


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