# My tort just laid an egg and I wasn't expecting it! (new owner HELP!)



## Tortaholic (Jul 24, 2013)

My Shella just now laid an egg and there's NOTHING open around here to get an incubator till morning. Anyone got any ideas of what I should do till then?


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## kimber_lee_314 (Jul 24, 2013)

Did she dig a nest? If not, it probably isn't fertile. What kind of tortoise do you have?


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## parrotlady (Jul 24, 2013)

Pop it in the incubator, you might be surprised. I found an egg on top of the ground and it did hatch!


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## kimber_lee_314 (Jul 24, 2013)

parrotlady said:


> Pop it in the incubator, you might be surprised. I found an egg on top of the ground and it did hatch!



I agree! You never know! You can probably just put it in a tub with vermiculite on top of the refrigerator (or another wamr place) until you get or make an incubator.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 24, 2013)

kimber_lee_314 said:


> Did she dig a nest? If not, it probably isn't fertile. What kind of tortoise do you have?



They're Russian Torts, I've only had them for about a month. She's been nesting for a couple weeks, but tonight she didn't. It is a male and female pair so it could be fertile, hopefully it is.


I rigged up a temporary incubator out of a 10 gal tank with heated water and a coffee container full of dirt with coconut coir on top. I'm hoping that will work till morning. I live in a farming community so I'm sure I can find one. Hope this works!


I'm so excited!


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## parrotlady (Jul 24, 2013)

Please keep us posted, also keep watch as I am sure she will lay more eggs. It sounds like she hasn't found a good nesting site.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 24, 2013)

parrotlady said:


> Please keep us posted, also keep watch as I am sure she will lay more eggs. It sounds like she hasn't found a good nesting site.



I was wondering how long it is before she would/could lay another egg. I just changed their entire living area day before yesterday so I took away her nest. Had I'd known I'd have waited.  I'll keep an eye on her and keep everyone updated.


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## tortadise (Jul 24, 2013)

Could lay any day really. Russian females as well with any tortoise really, can stress a good deal if the male is still with her. Just make sure there is ample depth for her to nest. I would allow 10" or so of soil in maybe one or two corners fer her to choose which area she likes. As for the egg. Keep it warm and if should be fine. Given it being fertile it will hatch if kept warm enough and not too dry or wet. I'd make sure it stays around high 80s.

On another note too. When you do get an incubator run it and tweek the temps for a few days before putting the egg inside. If Tamps get too high or too low in the beginning or could harm and halt development. So once you get an incubator make sure the temps stay consistent, day/night before trusting it with the future of the egg. Also is she lays more in up coming days or weeks. Mark your calender. She will more than likely lay more 4 to 6 weeks after these if she is in a production state.

Good luck


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## Tortaholic (Jul 24, 2013)

tortadise said:


> Could lay any day really. Russian females as well with any tortoise really, can stress a good deal if the male is still with her. Just make sure there is ample depth for her to nest. I would allow 10" or so of soil in maybe one or two corners fer her to choose which area she likes. As for the egg. Keep it warm and if should be fine. Given it being fertile it will hatch if kept warm enough and not too dry or wet. I'd make sure it stays around high 80s.
> 
> On another note too. When you do get an incubator run it and tweek the temps for a few days before putting the egg inside. If Tamps get too high or too low in the beginning or could harm and halt development. So once you get an incubator make sure the temps stay consistent, day/night before trusting it with the future of the egg. Also is she lays more in up coming days or weeks. Mark your calender. She will more than likely lay more 4 to 6 weeks after these if she is in a production state.
> 
> Good luck



Thanks! I did make the one corner extra deep for her and in her hide as well, the place she chose to do it was actually the hide I intended the male to use, go figure. 

So if I wait the couple of days to regulate the incubator what should I do with them till then? I'm afraid it's too wet in what I have rigged up for a home made incubator, tho it is warm and humid.


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## Baoh (Jul 24, 2013)

It looks like she tried to make the best of what she had, but still found it lacking and went on with the process. You might want to add a ton more substrate, although you said you already have. I would use soil without perlite.


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## kimber_lee_314 (Jul 24, 2013)

Is there any way you could set her outside for a while? She might dig a nest right away.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 24, 2013)

kimber_lee_314 said:


> Is there any way you could set her outside for a while? She might dig a nest right away.



I had her out today and she acted normal. Normal = she sat there and ate grass. I couldn't let her out at night around here, (Southern IL.), I don't have an out door enclosure yet. As soon as she got done with the egg she went to sleep and is still that way. I keep checking on her.




Baoh said:


> It looks like she tried to make the best of what she had, but still found it lacking and went on with the process. You might want to add a ton more substrate, although you said you already have. I would use soil without perlite.



The substrate in there is 4-5 inches deep, looks to me like she didn't try to dig at all. She'd been nesting before I changed the table day before yesterday, so I screwed up and did away with her nest. Just wonder if she didn't have time to make a new one. :/ Oops.


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## Baoh (Jul 24, 2013)

There is more to it than depth, but the smell must be right from what I see many females do. I am not sure if they are checking moisture or some other cue that their olfactory sense can detect.

If you suspect she is retaining and that this is less than ideal or risky, you could take her to get induced and then prep further for future clutches. Incubate anything intact that is expelled. I keep a supply of oxytocin and another compound (that is a bit more drastic) on-hand in case I deem this sort of thing necessary.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 24, 2013)

Baoh said:


> There is more to it than depth, but the smell must be right from what I see many females do. I am not sure if they are checking moisture or some other cue that their olfactory sense can detect.
> 
> If you suspect she is retaining and that this is less than ideal or risky, you could take her to get induced and then prep further for future clutches. Incubate anything intact that is expelled. I keep a supply of oxytocin and another compound (that is a bit more drastic) on-hand in case I deem this sort of thing necessary.



Is there any way to tell if she's retaining? I've only had them around a month, so I don't have much to go on as far as changes to her activities. She dug and dug in that other substrate they'd been living in but never produced anything. Then 2 days in the new stuff and this.


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## Baoh (Jul 24, 2013)

X-rays. Some say palpation, but I do not do that because it is not quite as reliable (how would you know if there is an overcalcified egg remaining or not?).

Since I have supplies on hand, I administer oxytocin (or the other item if I am not concerned for any eggs or retained sperm) when I have my suspicions. If they are retaining eggs, they pass them. If not, they just basically have very extensive bowel movements.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 25, 2013)

I got the incubator today and am regulating it now. 

Shella hasn't laid anymore eggs, been keeping an eye on her and she seems to be doing fine. 


I read somewhere that the incubator should hover around 82 degrees, is that right?


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## Baoh (Jul 25, 2013)

Do you want a male or a female (if it is fertile)?

I would get a secondary thermometer such that you can place the tip of the probe near the egg itself. I like the digital cooking ones you can find at grocery stores for $5-10 if you do not have lab grade stuff. Several of the ones sold at pet stores are of poor quality in my experience.

For most chelonians, I would say 82-84F for male and 88-90F for female. Thresholds often fall around 86/87F.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 25, 2013)

Baoh said:


> Do you want a male or a female (if it is fertile)?
> 
> I would get a secondary thermometer such that you can place the tip of the probe near the egg itself. I like the digital cooking ones you can find at grocery stores for $5-10 if you do not have lab grade stuff. Several of the ones sold at pet stores are of poor quality in my experience.
> 
> For most chelonians, I would say 82-84F for male and 88-90F for female. Thresholds often fall around 86/87F.



It doesn't matter to me whether its M/F, as long as it's healthy. The egg should be fertile, she'd been in with the male since before I got them. 
I'll be looking into a better thermostat/hydrometer soon. Thanks for the heads up on where to look for them.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 26, 2013)

We have egg #2!! Go Shella Go!


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## Baoh (Jul 27, 2013)

Congrats. May they all be fertile.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 29, 2013)

We're up to egg #3! She had it while I was gone so I'm not sure how long it sat there till I got back. Will that hurt anything? And if it were turned before I got to it will that hurt the chances of hatching?


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## Baoh (Jul 29, 2013)

When in doubt, incubate. If it was less than 24hrs old when you found it, it probably is okay with regard to having been turned. My only major concern would be if it had been overheated under a lamp or other heating element, but still - go with my first sentence.


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## Tortaholic (Jul 30, 2013)

So the incubator I got is a simple chicken egg deal with water in the bottom. It's keeping the temp but I don't think it has the humidity needed. They're in a tupperware bowl with coconut coir (because I can't find vermiculite around here) and I put a lit over it with holes in it but there's still a lack of humidity. 

Any ideas of what I can do to raise the humidity? Would sand be better since I can't find the vermiculite? I read that you're not supposed to spray them so I'm at a loss. :/


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## Baoh (Jul 30, 2013)

Sit them on prepared incubation medium in deli cups. Put two to four pinholes in the lids and put the lids on the cups. That should work. A little bit of gas exchange and a slow loss of moisture. Gladware also works.


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## Tortaholic (Aug 12, 2013)

Well, Shella laid 4 eggs and seems to be done. The first egg isn't quite 3 weeks along, it's a healthy pink color but no veins yet. 

Thought you might like an update. Keep your fingers crossed!


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## Tortaholic (Aug 16, 2013)

I don't think the 3rd egg is good (the small one). It's not looking like the other 3.


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## Jabuticaba (Aug 16, 2013)

Tortaholic said:


> I don't think the 3rd egg is good (the small one). It's not looking like the other 3.



It might still surprise you. Fingers crossed for you! 


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM], Hermann's [TURTLE][TURTLE] & Aussie [DOG FACE][DOG FACE][DOG FACE] (@YWG)


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## sibi (Aug 16, 2013)

So how long will this take before hatching?


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## Tortaholic (Aug 18, 2013)

Just tried to candle them, now I'm thinking 2 of them are bad. The one is now clear and the small egg all the dark is in the bottom of the egg. I think I'm not doing something right. 

It takes 7-10 weeks or so for them to hatch.


And I should be seeing some veins in the first egg by now and I'm not.


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## SANDRA_MEISSNEST (Aug 18, 2013)

I dont know,i hope someone here is going to let u know asap

Sent from my ZTE N9120 using TortForum mobile app


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