how to keep it moist... (eggs)

[cvalda]

I read today if water drips on the eggs it could kill the embryo?!?

How do I keep the sand moist (that the eggs are setting in, in the incubator)? I moistened i yesterday but dripped on the eggs!

How is the best way to do it???

 

[egyptiandan]

You don't need the sand moist Kelly. Actually you want the sand dry.
Take the moist sand out and put in dry. Don't turn the eggs but place them in the dry sand in a small depression that you've made. This makes sure they don't move around.
For humidity just place and open container of water in the incubator.
Here's what the inside of my incubator looks like

Danny

 

[Redfoot NERD]

In the process of typing Danny already posted -

Kelly I don't know how humid you need to keep the incubator.. I wouldn't think too humid - even my redfoots are dry in the incubator.. since they incubate during the "dry" season - then when the "winter" rains come is when they hatch [ in the wild ].

And I use "coarse" vermiculite that is saturated with hot water and then squeezed out.. and then the eggs lay in a very shallow 'pocket' on top of the vermiculite.. with a small cup of water in the incubator that is topped off with warm water as needed.. [ it doesn't really effect the temps any ].

I turned the flash off.. so as not to 'flash' the embryo's.. ( who knows? )

Don't know how much this will relate to your Med's...

Terry

 

[cvalda]

Dang that's a lot of eggs, Terry!

Okay thanks to both of you! Will fix it up right away!!!

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Danny you'll notice that I place my eggs so that they touch.. like in the nest. You don't think that's needed? [ that's why I left my post so I could ask ]

Terry

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Dang that's a lot of eggs, Terry!

Okay thanks to both of you! Will fix it up right away!!!

"We".. Danny and I.. run more than "1" incubator at all times. That was actually the 3rd one that year.

Terry

 

[egyptiandan]

I haven't found it to be needed to get tortoise eggs to hatch. It would definately though help to synchronize the hatchlings in a clutch, having the egg next to you jostling you.
It might though get an egg from a different clutch to hatch prematurely. Have you had that happen Terry?
I do though incubate my box turtle eggs touching each other. When the first egg in the clutch starts to pip I go so far as to jiggle the other eggs for a second or two everyday until they start to hatch.
I've had some eggs that either never hatched or hatched much later than the rest of the clutch when I wasn't doing the jiggling.

Danny

 

[Redfoot NERD]

It might though get an egg from a different clutch to hatch prematurely. Have you had that happen Terry?

Can't say that I have Danny.. since they all seem to nest within a week of each other.. ( and I do 'fill the space' created by a hatched egg.. most often 2 months later ) so that hasn't seemed to be an issue.

The 9/12 egg that just hatched was touching the 8/29 eggs and the rest of the 9/12 clutch.. which isn't doing anything yet.. ???

Terry