# First Egg Questions



## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

Hey everyone! Today my female laid an egg, I couldn't find her today in the enclosure so just figured she was in one of the hides because it was getting hot. Turns out she was behind a bush making a hole for an egg. This was her first time laying, and I'm thinking it may have been from a fall mating with the male, not spring mating because it's only March and she probably would have laid later. I have some questions.

-Should I keep the cap on over the container of the egg in the incubator? It is on dry vermiculite right now, with several dishes of water in the incubator. Not sure if the cap should be off to have access to humidity or not.
-Are first eggs usually infertile? She dug the hole and buried perfectly, not on top of the ground or anything.
-If this is her first year laying and she is towards the smaller size of laying females, should I expect more later in the season?
-In this pic does it look fertile? Or you can't really tell yet.


Thank you!


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## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

It's fine to just answer any of the questions you know, if you don't know all of them it's okay, any advice helps!


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## Yvonne G (Mar 27, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Hey everyone! Today my female laid an egg, I couldn't find her today in the enclosure so just figured she was in one of the hides because it was getting hot. Turns out she was behind a bush making a hole for an egg. This was her first time laying, and I'm thinking it may have been from a fall mating with the male, not spring mating because it's only March and she probably would have laid later. I have some questions.
> 
> -Should I keep the cap on over the container of the egg in the incubator? It is on dry vermiculite right now, with several dishes of water in the incubator. Not sure if the cap should be off to have access to humidity or not.



(edited - I made a mistake, haven't incubated russian eggs. Don't moisten the vermiculite)
_Moisten the vermiculite. You can punch holes in the lid and leave it on, or leave it off. As long as you keep the vermiculite moist the lid doesn't matter_





MichaelL said:


> -Are first eggs usually infertile? She dug the hole and buried perfectly, not on top of the ground or anything.





This might be YOUR first egg, but it probably isn't the tortoise's first egg. I never toss eggs until/unless they burst or smell real rotten





MichaelL said:


> -If this is her first year laying and she is towards the smaller size of laying females, should I expect more later in the season?





They usually lay four or five eggs in a clutch. Are you sure there was only one egg in the nest? She probably won't lay again until next year.







MichaelL said:


> -In this pic does it look fertile? Or you can't really tell yet.
> View attachment 321961
> 
> Thank you!





Can't tell for a week or more.


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## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

Yvonne G said:


> _Moisten the vermiculite. You can punch holes in the lid and leave it on, or leave it off. As long as you keep the vermiculite moist the lid doesn't matter_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Okay I will moisten it, thank you. And regarding it being the first egg, I've had her since before she was breeding size and this seems to be the first time the mating was successful and she actually laid. I checked thoroughly and there was only one for sure. Thank you for the help!


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## Duckster RT (Mar 27, 2021)

My RT laid on the 3rd. Today candled them. I can’t tell. Note good. Nothing bad. Nice bright white but idk.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Mar 27, 2021)

Good luck man! I'm still a beginner myself at hatching eggs. The ones that I hatched I just set the lid on top loose.


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## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

Duckster RT said:


> My RT laid on the 3rd. Today candled them. I can’t tell. Note good. Nothing bad. Nice bright white but idk.


Oh wow congrats! Good to know, thanks


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## Tom (Mar 27, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Okay I will moisten it, thank you. And regarding it being the first egg, I've had her since before she was breeding size and this seems to be the first time the mating was successful and she actually laid. I checked thoroughly and there was only one for sure. Thank you for the help!


NOOOOOOO!!! Don't moisten the media for a RUSSIAN egg! Dry media. If you've already done this, stop reading immediately and go get it off the damp media!


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## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> Good luck man! I'm still a beginner myself at hatching eggs. The ones that I hatched I just set the lid on top loose.


Thank you! Congrats on hatching some, and ok thanks!


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## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

Tom said:


> NOOOOOOO!!! Don't moisten the media for a RUSSIAN egg! Dry media. If you've already done this, stop reading immediately and go get it off the damp media!


Thank you! I will replace it immediately!


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## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

Tom said:


> NOOOOOOO!!! Don't moisten the media for a RUSSIAN egg! Dry media. If you've already done this, stop reading immediately and go get it off the damp media!


Luckily it was barely moistened so hopefully no damage done, the vermiculite is replaced with dry now. What do you think about the cap of the container being on or off?


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## Tom (Mar 27, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Hey everyone! Today my female laid an egg, I couldn't find her today in the enclosure so just figured she was in one of the hides because it was getting hot. Turns out she was behind a bush making a hole for an egg. This was her first time laying, and I'm thinking it may have been from a fall mating with the male, not spring mating because it's only March and she probably would have laid later. I have some questions.
> 
> -Should I keep the cap on over the container of the egg in the incubator? It is on dry vermiculite right now, with several dishes of water in the incubator. Not sure if the cap should be off to have access to humidity or not.
> -Are first eggs usually infertile? She dug the hole and buried perfectly, not on top of the ground or anything.
> ...


-Yes on the lid, but have some tiny air holes. I use an eighth of an inch drill bit and make two to four holes up close to the top.
-Humidity and water tubs inside the incubator are necessary, so good job there.
-Russians are the only species I know of that need to be incubated on dry media. 
-FIrst eggs are usually dropped on the surface and frequently have no shell or partial shell. If she dig a hole and buried it, it is very possibly fertile.
-Most russians will lay two or three times per year, but this varies a lot. Sometimes one egg per clutch and I've heard as many as five, but that is unusual. 2 or 3 is pretty normal.
-Can't tell if its fertile by looking, but the egg looks good so far.

Read these for more info on egg care and what to do if it hatches:





How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings


I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...




tortoiseforum.org





Different species, but early hatchling care is the same. Lots of tidbits of info in this thread:





Sudan Sulcatas (This never gets old...)


My very first clutch of true 100% pure Sudan sulcatas is now hatching. I don't care how many times I see this, it just never gets old. I dig up the eggs carefully place them in my prepared shoe boxes, watch the temperature in the incubator and tend to them for months, and then... When that...




tortoiseforum.org


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## Tom (Mar 27, 2021)

MichaelL said:


> Luckily it was barely moistened so hopefully no damage done, the vermiculite is replaced with dry now. What do you think about the cap of the container being on or off?


Good. Russian eggs will swell up and crack if kept on moist media.


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## MichaelL (Mar 27, 2021)

Tom said:


> -Yes on the lid, but have some tiny air holes. I use an eighth of an inch drill bit and make two to four holes up close to the top.
> -Humidity and water tubs inside the incubator are necessary, so good job there.
> -Russians are the only species I know of that need to be incubated on dry media.
> -FIrst eggs are usually dropped on the surface and frequently have no shell or partial shell. If she dig a hole and buried it, it is very possibly fertile.
> ...


Thanks Tom!


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