# Hatchling. Method for the impatient.



## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

I want to talk about my method for obtaining the newborn tortoises.
My tort - mother lays eggs in the ground on a large enclosed court.
This year the first egg-laying was June 6.
I remind you how it was (6 good eggs and one - broken):





Usually in the incubator process spans approximately sixty days.
On the last day it took about seventy days, and I decided to start the process of digging the eggs.

I note that last week was quite cool and we had to cover the place with polyethylene. At night the temperature dropped to 16 degrees C.





For two months in the area a lot of weeds have grown with hard and strong roots. How difficult the kids to get out through those obstacles!





Finally I got to the eggs! It turned out (as I assumed) that some of the torts have already hatched and gain strength for the journey to the ground.





The first - the dirtiest! Since I specifically added the sand, be easier to to dig out.





And a couple of videos to make it clearer.
(In the video of a tort already had a shower)











At present end. Later I continue ... I'm tired ...


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## wellington (Aug 15, 2016)

That baby looked like a rock. 
I don't understand the title of this thread. Are you saying they took less time to hatch in the ground compared to an incubator?
Cute baby btw, I guess mom or dad, which ever one it was, wasn't too happy you were messing with their babes and wanted in there LOL


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## Yvonne G (Aug 15, 2016)

I think it's a translation problem. I think he means he dug them up rather than waiting for the babies to dig themselves out.

You're so lucky to be able to hatch the babies in the ground. Here where I live there are red ants that bite holes in the eggs and eat the insides.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 15, 2016)

Thanks once again for sharing.
Super videos and photographs.
A lovely, tiny baby.


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

I will continue the story ...

The second egg:


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

The third went...


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

The fourth was not ready to come out of the shell, as I put it with whole eggs









And the final picture: all torts and eggs.


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

Yvonne G said:


> I think he means he dug them up rather than waiting for the babies to dig themselves out.



Exactly.

There are two reasons.
1. Reduce the kids waiting time
2. It is very important !!! Very often the turtles can not get out of the ground.

PS: I can give you my last year's example.
From one egg hatched twins. They would never be able to get yourself out of the ground.


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

wellington said:


> That baby looked like a rock.
> Are you saying they took less time to hatch in the ground compared to an incubator?



Of course, the process takes place in an incubator is always faster.
And sometimes in the ground we have not the results.
Because the results are completely dependent on the weather. Two years ago, I did not have any baby, and then I began to experiment with the early digging eggs.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 15, 2016)

Fascinating stuff.
And I love the 'parent' trying to see what's going on.
Defending it's territory, I suppose!


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

- Is there life outside the egg?


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## Tom (Aug 15, 2016)

Looks like they needed another week or two in the ground.

I've never seen a case where the tortoises couldn't dig themselves out of their nest.

After they hatch they sometimes remain underground for a week or two. Some speculate even longer than that. They use this time to absorb their yolk sac and close up the umbilical scar, and also to eat their shell and seed their GI tract with feces left by the mother and dirt.


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## Yvonne G (Aug 15, 2016)

The dirt might be harder in Croatia, Tom. Who knows?


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## Kapidolo Farms (Aug 15, 2016)

Wonderful thread, You can't have too many photos and videos. Thanks for posting all this.


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

Tom said:


> and also to eat their shell and seed their GI tract with feces left by the mother and dirt.


In my opinion it is not very logical.
It is obvious that the use of the incubator completely refutes this statement.
No dirt or mother's feces ...


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

Will said:


> Wonderful thread, You can't have too many photos and videos. Thanks for posting all this.


Thanks 

PS: I have a lot of camera roll


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## Tom (Aug 15, 2016)

Chanchara said:


> In my opinion it is not very logical.
> It is obvious that the use of the incubator completely refutes this statement.
> No dirt or mother's feces ...



These two things have nothing to do with each other. I'm not talking about using an incubator I'm talking about leaving them in the ground or digging them up too early. 

When they are left in the ground the correct amount of time they do the things that I mentioned. Using an incubator would be a totally different thing. However, I do give them access to their shells when I incubate them artificially in an incubator. I rinse the incubation media off of their eggshells and I put the egg shells in the brooder box with the babies. They usually eat some of their eggshell along with whatever greens I provide.


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

Tom said:


> However, I do give them access to their shells when I incubate them artificially in an incubator. I rinse the incubation media off of their eggshells and I put the egg shells in the brooder box with the babies. They usually eat some of their eggshell along with whatever greens I provide.



Thanks for the idea!

I made the same: _I put the egg shells in the brooder box with the babies._


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## Tom (Aug 15, 2016)

Chanchara said:


> Thanks for the idea!
> 
> I made the same: _I put the egg shells in the brooder box with the babies._



You are welcome.

My suggestion was to wait a little longer to dig them up next time. I think you were a little too early this time, and I was trying to explain that if you are late digging them up, nothing bad will happen, as they stay underground for a while in the nest on their own anyway.


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

More by token...

The process continues
The fourth and fifth come out of eggs.
We are waiting for the sixth ...


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## Tom (Aug 15, 2016)

Gorgeous little babies. 

I would not keep them on red paper. They are very likely to eat it. Same with the rice. Is that rice for substrate?

I usually use lightly dampened plain white paper towels with a bunch of greens in the middle like in your pic. This year I used grape vine leaves and broadleaf plantain leaves instead of the paper towels, and it worked very well for me.

You might find some useful tips here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-incubate-eggs-and-start-hatchlings.124266/


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## Chanchara (Aug 15, 2016)

Tom said:


> I would not keep them on red paper. They are very likely to eat it. Same with the rice. Is that rice for substrate?
> 
> I usually use lightly dampened plain white paper towels with a bunch of greens in the middle like in your pic. This year I used grape vine leaves and broadleaf plantain leaves instead of the paper towels, and it worked very well for me.


Rice and paper - for a couple of days ...
Perhaps today I will set them on the shavings.
This substrate one of the Croatian breeders likes to use for babies.


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## Chanchara (Aug 16, 2016)

We are already the five!


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## Tom (Aug 16, 2016)

Chanchara said:


> Rice and paper - for a couple of days ...
> Perhaps today I will set them on the shavings.
> This substrate one of the Croatian breeders likes to use for babies.




Hatchlings sample their substrate and surroundings. Its part of them learning to eat. I would never put a hatchling, or an older one for that matter, on shavings. Besides the impaction risk, shavings are much too dry for a baby.


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## Chanchara (Aug 16, 2016)

Tom said:


> Hatchlings sample their substrate and surroundings. Its part of them learning to eat. I would never put a hatchling, or an older one for that matter, on shavings. Besides the impaction risk, shavings are much too dry for a baby.



Tastes differ. 

Here's how the kids grow from this breeder
(For information: shavings are always wet. Most of the time torts burrow into shavings.)

That two-year:









That annuals:









The last - ten days




Please note: no pyramiding!


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## Chanchara (Aug 17, 2016)

The third day of life ...
Please rate our umbilical cord. All right?

PS: the sixth does not hatch ... I am beginning to to worry ...


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## Chanchara (Aug 17, 2016)

Everything is fine!
The sixth gone!

The difference between pictures - two hours:


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 17, 2016)

Chanchara said:


> Everything is fine!
> The sixth gone!
> 
> The difference between pictures - two hours:


Better late than never!
Glad the last little one made it.


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## Chanchara (Aug 18, 2016)

The sixth tort continues to struggle!


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 18, 2016)

Is it out now ?
Or will you have to help him a bit ?
He must be getting weak.


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## Chanchara (Aug 18, 2016)

Tidgy's Dad said:


> Is it out now ?
> Or will you have to help him a bit ?
> He must be getting weak.


He coped! 
Here's how it happened:


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 18, 2016)

Beautifully captured in photos.
That first moment when a baby first gazes upon the world is a very moving event. 
Thank you.


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## Chanchara (Aug 19, 2016)

Today, torts for the first time came out into the open air, under the sun:
(for comparison close to newborns annual one)





It seems they enjoyed:


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## Gillian M (Aug 19, 2016)

Lovely pics!  

Thanks for sharing @Chanchara .


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 19, 2016)

Chanchara said:


> Today, torts for the first time came out into the open air, under the sun:
> (for comparison close to newborns annual one)
> 
> 
> ...


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## Chanchara (Aug 22, 2016)

The first five more and more actively are including in real life!










The sixth is crawling with the yolk sac, but he eats well and looks healthy and happy!


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 22, 2016)

The guy top left in the video is obviously the philosopher. 
Thinking rather than eating.
Glad to know they're all doing well.


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## Chanchara (Aug 22, 2016)

Tidgy's Dad said:


> The guy top left in the video is obviously the philosopher.
> Thinking rather than eating.
> Glad to know they're all doing well.


Thanks! 

PS: About philosopher...
Morning, +20 C...
May be - frostophobia...


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## Chanchara (Sep 9, 2016)

Sorry, was distracted. 

We have successfully moved from Croatia to the sunny Cyprus, but with a stopover.




One of the kids was given to a good friend.



The new enclosure has been specially made for the company.
Not very big, but enough for the kids.


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## Chanchara (Sep 9, 2016)

I think the torts really liked the new home, they are excellent eating and have a lot of walking.









and a small video


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 9, 2016)

They look to have settled in nicely! 
They'll love the Cyprus sunshine.


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## Chanchara (Nov 8, 2016)

Be very careful when soaked torts!!!


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## Tidgy's Dad (Nov 8, 2016)

I hope you rescued it!
Poor little thing.


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