# Incubating by defult!!!



## mered93 (Aug 14, 2013)

Please excuse me if I waffle!!!!
I work in a veterinary practice and some time ago a client "popped" in with 2 tortoise eggs. She had been to Australia to visit her daughter for 3 weeks. On her return her female tortoise had laid 2 eggs buried under straw in the enclosure. she has a male and female that are about 30-35 yrs old. In her hast as they have never produced before she brought the eggs to us not knowing what to do. She brought them in exactly as she found them, in hay and did not rotate them at all and had marked the top. Well, I just thought I have nothing to loose I will try and see what happens!!!!
I brought them home and was going to make a makeshift incubator discussed with all the nurses from the Practice when My Daughters Boyfriend came around and said " I've got a proper chicken egg incubator at home I will go get it". We took out the rotation part and I have placed the eggs exactly as they were found in the straw in a sandwich box in the incubator. It has sections for adding water for humidity but only has a probe for temp that I am keeping between 30.5 and 32c I can only guess humidity:/ I open the lid once daily although it has 3 holes in it, and top up the water when the temp creeps up. These two eggs are 35 days old this Fri, I also have 1 more she brought in a week later! She doesn't know the breed but By looking at pics with her I think they are Russian tort eggs. 1 has an obvious air space at the top and jagged yoke at the bottom, 1shows no airspace but straight yoke at the bottom and the egg that is a week later(28 days) is showing nothing! Havent seen the ring of life in any, but learning as I go along. Really hope this works any advice would be good, but hey they stood no chance with the owner
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## wellington (Aug 14, 2013)

Hello and Welcome. I can't give any advice with your eggs. Just wanted to welcome you and wish you good luck. Will be really cool if they hatch. Keep us updated


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## Maggie and Torie the Tort (Aug 14, 2013)

Hello, and welcome. I absolutely know nothing about incubating, but I am sure someone will help you soon! Good luck!!


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## tortadise (Aug 14, 2013)

Keep the humidity up. 70% is good 80% is good too. With Russians Dont get them too wet. Just wait and see what happens. if they are are Russians they will hatch pretty quick. I got my guys out in 80 days or so if i remeber correctly(been a while)low to mid 80s


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## mered93 (Aug 15, 2013)

tortadise said:


> Keep the humidity up. 70% is good 80% is good too. With Russians Dont get them too wet. Just wait and see what happens. if they are are Russians they will hatch pretty quick. I got my guys out in 80 days or so if i remeber correctly(been a while)low to mid 80s



Yikes have no way of measuring humidity!!!! Just top up water when the temp is unstable!!!!


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## mered93 (Aug 15, 2013)

Yikes .....Have no way of measuring humidity.....Just top up water in trays when temp is not stable!!!!


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## mered93 (Aug 19, 2013)

What SHOULD I be seeing by now ....If all is good????....What are your views on picking up eggs, gently, not rotating etc. to view eggs at all angles? Also 1st egg with airspace and jagged yoke at the bottom is heavier than the other two. Not weighed it but you can defiantly feel it.


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## tortadise (Aug 19, 2013)

You can pick up the eggs. But no real reason too. I would leave them alone. Just fill up a cup of water and put in the incubator. Should keep your humidity up good enough. Its hard to wait but if fertile they will pop out sooner than later.


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## mered93 (Aug 19, 2013)

Just spent 3 hrs. reading all posts and I now feel the truth is.....There is no real way of telling. They will either hatch or explode. This is where I feel I am. I will leave them alone as this is the best I can do. The owner panicked, knew nothing so they would have surely perished, at least I am trying, we will see 32 days in ????????? to go..... Read up on what I can. PLEASE keep everything crossed, will keep you informed.


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## mered93 (Aug 21, 2013)

Looked at My3 eggs again tonight. Find it bizarre that they should either look fertile or not 50/50 BUT ALL 3 LOOK DIFFERENT. I know 1 is a week behind but looks totally different to the other two a week ago?....Guess its the same as My 3 Children, same parents totally different!:/.....They don't smell, they look like eggs, no mould or misshaping Soooo I just wait!!!.....and wait.....and wait!!! The suspense is killing me!....Please let at least 1 be a baby tortoise!!!


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