Help, found tort eggs

Heather B

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Hello everyone,
I have a near emergency/ miracle today. As I was checking on my two red foots to feed and water them today, I found two eggs. We had believed both to be male, so no eggs were ever expected! One was out in the open and the other was in the heated hide. I have no idea what to do other than get them out and warm. Both eggs seem heavy and full. Help! what is the next step to attempt a hatch? Currently, we have them on a heating pad wrapped in a wash cloth.
 

daniellenc

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They will dry out and die if not kept dampish. If you want babies incubate them, and if not toss them.
 

Heather B

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We really do want to attempt a hatching. Specifics, please?
 

Toddrickfl1

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If they weren't buried and just in the surface chances are they aren't fertile. Maybe not though. They need to be kept 85-90 degrees, with 70-80% humidity.Try not to rotate them, keep them oriented the same way they are now. I used the Hovabator incubator you can find online but since your in a pinch you can make a diy incubator.

http://www.pelomedusa.com/Incubator.html
 

Heather B

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I did keep them oriented upwards, thankfully. And marked them as such on the shell. I have a chicken egg incubator and will try to keep them alive in there. Of course, I have removed the turner and will set the eggs in some pearlite material in a tray inside the incubator. What do you think?
 

Toddrickfl1

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That should work. Take a cup and fill it with warm water and put a couple paper towels in the cup and put it in the incubator for humidity
 

Heather B

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Hey Tort folks, the countdown is on for my first attempt at hatching my only pair of Redfoots' eggs. Prayers for the babies. My kids and I have been waiting for what seems forever, checking the incubator for months. We are hoping for at least one out of the six to hatch.
 

Toddrickfl1

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Awesome, good luck! Have you tried candling them at all?
 

Heather B

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Awesome, good luck! Have you tried candling them at all?
Yes, we have. In our uneducated opinion, we think half of them show definite growth. Two look a little funny, being kind of domed now and another is actually found to have a crack this evening!
 

Toddrickfl1

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Yes, we have. In our uneducated opinion, we think half of them show definite growth. Two look a little funny, being kind of domed now and another is actually found to have a crack this evening!
That's a pip then, congratulations! Post pics!
 

Heather B

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Well, sadly, we have discovered that none of the six eggs that were found in our Redfoot's enclosure will hatch. The apparent pip that I first saw, was just a crack in the unfertilized egg. We broke them open today and found them all unfertilized. We were hoping for at least one to be viable. Maybe next time. Hum.
 

method89

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Well, sadly, we have discovered that none of the six eggs that were found in our Redfoot's enclosure will hatch. The apparent pip that I first saw, was just a crack in the unfertilized egg. We broke them open today and found them all unfertilized. We were hoping for at least one to be viable. Maybe next time. Hum.

Wow... I just read every post back from January and was not ready for this ending. Sorry to hear this news. Better luck next time.
 

Toddrickfl1

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Bummer
 

Heather B

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Thanks for your kind words. Hoping for another chance soon.
 

MountainFox

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That’s disappointing! Have you figured out which of the two torts is actually female?
 

Yvonne G

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Hey Tort folks, the countdown is on for my first attempt at hatching my only pair of Redfoots' eggs. Prayers for the babies. My kids and I have been waiting for what seems forever, checking the incubator for months. We are hoping for at least one out of the six to hatch.
SIX? Last I heard it was only two.

Like was already said, when eggs are just deposited on top of the ground they're usually not fertile. It's just an inexperienced female dropping what she though was a poop. Hopefully, now that her 'works' are, well, working, you'll get some good eggs. But they will be buried in a nest.
 

Relic

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Never give up. I found 4 three-toed box turtle eggs in their drinking/soaking pool one morning - lying on the bottom, 8 inches deep - with three turtles enjoying a morning drink/soak around them. I had no idea how long they may have been there or how much the turtles had moved them around in their water activities, but I carefully removed them, incubated them, and all 4 hatched within 2 months. You just never know...
 
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