Hatchling. Method for the impatient.

[Chanchara]

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 ...

 

[wellington]

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

 

[Yvonne G]

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.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

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

 

[Chanchara]

I will continue the story ...

The second egg:

 

[Chanchara]

The third went...

 

[Chanchara]

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.

 

[Chanchara]

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.

 

[Chanchara]

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.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

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

 

[Chanchara]

- Is there life outside the egg?

 

[Tom]

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.

 

[Yvonne G]

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

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

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

 

[Chanchara]

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 ...

 

[Chanchara]

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

 

[Tom]

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.

 

[Chanchara]

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.

 

[Tom]

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.

 

[Chanchara]

More by token...

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