incubation methods

[jwhite]

Hi all first let me introduce myself I have been lurking for awhile reading all the good info. My name is Jon I currently have a 2.3 group and a lot of eggs.
My question is for the russian breeders here my group has so far laid 14 eggs since the beginning of Feb. I have had no luck with them yet. My big female just laid 5 more about an hour ago. I was hoping someone here would be able to help me with my incubation set-up.
I am using a hovabator my temp is at about 88 f. I am using slightly damp perlite with a water dish in the incubator.
Thanks for reading this and glad to meet all of you.

Jon

 

[egyptiandan]

Hi Jon,
You say you've had no luck, but what exactly is going on. Do they start to develop and than stop? Not develop at all? Do you know if any of the eggs have been fertile?
Your incubator set-up sounds fine (though I don't use a damp medium to hatch my Russian eggs)

Danny

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jon:

to the forum!!

 

[jwhite]

Dan as far as I can tell they haven't been fertile but I haven't cut any open yet. I have candled them did not see anything. I haven't got any of the obvious fertile signs with the eggs. the oldest ones are now about 7 weeks old. Dan if you don't use damp perlite do you use it dry or do you use something else. Thanks Jon

 

[egyptiandan]

Yes at 7 weeks you should be able to see veins. If your eggs are infertile, I'd look into whether your group is compatible.
I use dry vermiculite or dry aspen bedding.

Danny

 

[jwhite]

Danny what do you mean by compatible? This is the first year any of these girls have been bred could that have something to do with them not being fertile?

Jon

 

[egyptiandan]

It could, but not always. Is this their first time or their first time with you? I've had first clutches be all infertile, all fertile and everywhere inbetween. So no you can't tell much from first clutches. But if your getting second clutches that are all infertile, than something is wrong.

Danny

 

[jwhite]

Danny this is the first time for all three. I am just getting second clutches so i guess i'll find out soon. How soon before i should see something. Thanks again for all the help

Jon

 

[egyptiandan]

Fertile eggs will usually start to "chalk" by 7 days. It usually starts with a white patch on the top of the egg. Once that happens 10 to 14 days later you should see the "ring of life". It's a blood vessel ring that the embryo develops within. You should be able to see proper veins about 3 to 4 weeks after the ring.
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9385
http://www.shelledwarriors.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=3614

Danny

 

[ChiKat]

Great pics Danny!

 

[jwhite]

Danny thanks for the pics and the info. it is greatly appreciated. I think I have everything set up pretty good I am going to switch out the medium I have my eggs in tomorrow. Here's keepimg my fingers crossed will let you know how things go.

Jon

 

[-ryan-]

7 weeks is typically when I start seeing them hatch. At this point if I candle them it just looks dark on the lower side of the egg and light on top (so if you candle from below you don't really see much of anything).

I had similar problems for the past three years. Over that time my 1.2 group laid several dozen eggs (I estimate about a dozen a year per female), and I only got one to hatch in that time. Danny says not to use a damp substrate when you incubate them, but I disagree with that just based on my personal experience. That was the one thing that I changed in my incubation process that immediately resulted in a nearly 100% hatch rate (only have had to throw away one egg since then so far). What I do is mix dry vermiculite with equal parts water by weight, and then once the eggs are in the container I weigh it and write down that weight (in grams). Then every week I add water with an eye dropper to the substrate to get them back to the same weight at which they started. Before all of my eggs were just dehydrating (except for one lucky one).

Right now with my 1.3 group I have dug up 2-4 eggs every week for the past month, so if my incubation techniques do continue to work I am going to have a lot more little tortoises to sell over the coming months. I saw one of the females digging a nest yesterday. It seems like they don't stop!

 

[jwhite]

Just wanted to drop a quick thank you to Danny for helping with my incubation method. I candled my last three eggs today ond the two that were laid 2 weeks ago have definite veining and the third that was laid on tax day is chalked and I think I see a nice black spot in the egg.

Jon