# All yolk??



## Irwin4530 (Feb 6, 2013)

I have three eggs in the incubator.
One was laid November 20, It cracked and leaked yolk. I let it stay until I was sure it was bad. Today I cut it open and there was nothing but yolk.

Thoughts

How can I help get viable eggs?


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## lvstorts (Feb 8, 2013)

Need more details to even speculate....What kind of tortoise did the eggs come from? Diet? Age? Is the male fertile? Incubating conditions?


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## Edna (Feb 8, 2013)

When I find eggs that are "disorganized", i.e. the membranes that are supposed to separate the various contents aren't doing so, I assume that the egg is not/possibly never was viable. A malfunction of the egg-making machinery? Presence of bacteria within the egg? I don't have the answer.


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Apr 22, 2013)

A couple ideas on this:

1) The female might not have mated, and had unfertilized eggs within her that had to be expelled. So, rather like when a hen has no rooster, the eggs would not contain an embryo.

2) If the female were deficient in calcium, of if she had fed on a lot of plants treated with pesticides, her eggs would have a thin, brittle shell. Then, even if the eggs had been fertilized, they might not last long enough for the embryo to survive, or even live long enough to be visible to the naked eye.

You said one of the three eggs cracked. How'd the other two do?


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## Tom (Apr 22, 2013)

They all turn to a homogenous mush inside when they aren't fertile. I'll bet that if you cracked open that egg the day to was laid there would have been separate yolk and albumin.


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## Irwin4530 (Apr 23, 2013)

That all cracked and leaked out eventually. I leave them until I am certain they are bad. I would hate to discard a viable egg that is simple on its own time table rather then mine


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