# My first Cherryhead Eggs



## kimber_lee_314 (Dec 22, 2014)

My cherryhead laid her first eggs! See the weird dented one? What would cause that? (It's dented in two places but still intact.) I welcome all advice on how to incubate these!


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## dmmj (Dec 23, 2014)

I am not 100 percent, but I seem to recall dents sometimes happen during laying, the momma does it. by accident of course. When i get back into tortoise keeping, I was thinking of getting cherries.


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## ZEROPILOT (Dec 23, 2014)

That's exiting! You need an incubator with a rheostat. I think that a chicken egg incubator would work, but you'll need to be able to keep it humid...and those eggs take friggin forever to hatch. 180 something days? With a pencil, draw an x on top of the egg or the date that they were laid to show what is the "top" of the egg. Don't rotate them. Good luck! I recently decided that I'd take another shot at breeding but I'm still looking for adult females. Mine are too young.


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## stojanovski92113 (Dec 23, 2014)

Very exciting. @N2TORTS should have some good advice for you 

Cherryheads are so beautiful!!!


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## Moozillion (Dec 23, 2014)

Congratulations!!!


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## Tyanna (Dec 23, 2014)

WOO! Happy days! Congrats!


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## keepergale (Dec 23, 2014)

The dented one reminded me of the 
Death Star. . . so when it hatches you have a galaxy full of names to use.


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## mike taylor (Dec 23, 2014)

.I let my eggs stay in the substrate . Its perfect for them . My red foot layed four eggs this year for the first time . Kelly told me to just keep them in the substrate thats how he does it . So I'm giving it a try .


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Dec 23, 2014)

Congrats!  They look nice and big. There are many RF experts that could give you some advice, I'm sure 
I hope they hatch! You've been getting a lot of eggs recently.


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## kimber_lee_314 (Dec 23, 2014)

Yellow Turtle01 said:


> Congrats!  They look nice and big. There are many RF experts that could give you some advice, I'm sure
> I hope they hatch! You've been getting a lot of eggs recently.



Yes - it's been crazy here with egg laying and eggs hatching all at the same time. My shelled friends keep me very busy and I LOVE every minute of it!


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Dec 23, 2014)

kimber_lee_314 said:


> Yes - it's been crazy here with egg laying and eggs hatching all at the same time. My shelled friends keep me very busy and I LOVE every minute of it!


They must be keeping busy too.. 
Must be that time of year?


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## katfinlou (Dec 23, 2014)

Hope you get lots of healthy babies!!! Good luck!!!


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## gingerbee (Dec 23, 2014)

Congrats!! Good luck!!!


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## Momof4 (Dec 30, 2014)

I just saw this!! How exciting!!! Sending good vibes your way!!


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## allegraf (Dec 31, 2014)

It is likely that the dented one may not be viable. But incubate until it goes bad, it may be a surprise hatchling! I'm not sure what other types of torts/turtles you are hatching but cherries are not difficult. Are all those eggs from the one clutch? Is this your first time having your cherry girl lay eggs or is it her first time? Not to be a downer, but generally viability is low on a cherry's first few clutches. 

Carl May wrote an article on how he does it. I think the article should help answer any questions you may have.Congrats!

http://www.tortoiselibrary.com/e-breeding-2/incubation/


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## tortadise (Dec 31, 2014)

Cool. If only seen dented eggs from Manouria. But that's rather common as they are soft shelled. Like Allegra said it may not be fertile but incubate anyways. When I use to incubate (with an incubator) red foot eggs i kept them mid 80s rather humid and substrate equal weight of water ratio. But now as mike stated I just leave them in the ground, or retrieve them for in soil incubation in the "egg pot". The "egg pot" is a 10 gallon aquarium filled with peat, sand and gravel mixture kept dry but the bottom is filled with water for moisture. It works great, and the little guys hatch out fully absorbed sac and ready to go. It's a more natural approach too. Also it's easier on me with as many that are kept here.


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## kathyth (Dec 31, 2014)

Very cool, my friend!! Cherries rule! Can't wait for them to hatch 
Congrats!!


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## Jacqui (Dec 31, 2014)

Great way to be wrapping up these last few days of the year.


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## allegraf (Dec 31, 2014)

tortadise said:


> Cool. If only seen dented eggs from Manouria. But that's rather common as they are soft shelled. Like Allegra said it may not be fertile but incubate anyways. When I use to incubate (with an incubator) red foot eggs i kept them mid 80s rather humid and substrate equal weight of water ratio. But now as mike stated I just leave them in the ground, or retrieve them for in soil incubation in the "egg pot". The "egg pot" is a 10 gallon aquarium filled with peat, sand and gravel mixture kept dry but the bottom is filled with water for moisture. It works great, and the little guys hatch out fully absorbed sac and ready to go. It's a more natural approach too. Also it's easier on me with as many that are kept here.


What is this "egg pot" of which you speak? I am intrigued!


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## tortadise (Dec 31, 2014)

It's just a 10 gallon aquarium filled with a soil mixture I bury the eggs in and leave ambient int greenhouse. Same hatch rate as incubator but never have to check on the eggs or adjust humidity etc...


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## allegraf (Dec 31, 2014)

Very interesting! What is the ambient temp of your greenhouse?


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## tortadise (Dec 31, 2014)

allegraf said:


> What is this "egg pot" of which you speak? I am intrigued!


The "egg pot"




And some eggs already In there. I ordered some data loggers to start doing some logged temperature records for it. It's going to be a pretty cool little science experiment. So far it's worked very well.


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## tortadise (Dec 31, 2014)

allegraf said:


> Very interesting! What is the ambient temp of your greenhouse?


86 during the day and low 70s at night when really cold. Mid to high 70s when it's not super cold nights.


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## allegraf (Dec 31, 2014)

No other heat source? I need to start taking temperature measurements around my house and garage. What about water? Is it just the initial water or do you add throughout the incubation period?


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## tortadise (Dec 31, 2014)

allegraf said:


> No other heat source? I need to start taking temperature measurements around my house and garage. What about water? Is it just the initial water or do you add throughout the incubation period?


Nope that's it. If there's eggs in the pot during summer or spring I'll add some water like every month. I've Even left the eggs in the ground in the greenhouse. Takes about 8-9 to hatch but they do.


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## Team Gomberg (Dec 31, 2014)

This egg pot is too cool. I love it.


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