Panicking! Please advise! (I've got eggs)

[HannahVictoriaxo]

I just got given 9 laid this morning Hermanns tortoise eggs from a man who 'didnt know what to do with them'. I did veterinary nursing/animal welfare studies so I know a little about what to do, but I am majorly panicking here. So, I need some advice on how I incubate them, how long for, humidity, etc. I have a thermostat in there at the minute, and they're nice and warm at about 28 degrees C, which i think is right. He has a male and a female Hermanns tortoise, so I think there is a good chance these might be fertile. Is there any way of telling if they are fertile, or would I have to wait a few weeks?
Ive spent most of the afternoon running around in circles scared, but I want to give this a try. I'm calming down a little, and decided to come onto a tortoise forum where people who know their stuff are residing, and I'm sure you'll all give me some pretty damn good advice.
Both of the parents I'm told have their papers, etc etc. I don't think this mating was intentional, and despite the man telling me 'they probably arent going to come to anything', I can't just give up on them already.
Ive owned my tortoise since he was about 3, and now hes 11 this year, I know my stuff, Ive just never ever considered breeding ever. I'm trying to justify myself because its hot and im panicking but I want this to go as well as it can.

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

- Hannah.

 

[carey]

Panicking! Please advise!

You're gonna need an incubator, and you can probably find the answers to your questions online after that. Wish I could help more :/ good luck and keep us updated!


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[Greg T]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

You may already have a problem unfortunately. Tort eggs cannot be rotated around or it will kill the embryo. Thye should stay as close to the same position as when they were laid, so if he has rolled them around and stuff it my have damaged the eggs. Since they were laid this morning though, there may be hope. Don't rush, there is no hurry yet. Get a plastic container big enough to hold them in and put some sand, dirt or vermiculite (best choice from Lowes) in there and gently set the eggs in place so they won't wobble around. They can sit at room temps for a while so don't panic yet. I let mine sit in the room for a week before putting them in the incubator. If you want to try and hatch them, you should get an incubator to speed up the process. I picked up a nice styrofoam from the Tractor Supply Store for $40 or you can get them on-line also.

Decide which direction you want to go and we can certainly help you through this.

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

He told me he hasnt rotated them, and he placed them in dirt in a plastic container. I don't think its too late. Ive done everything right that i've meant to.
Thanks Greg I will do my best to find an incubator for them. How long should I incubate them? and will an incubator provide humidity too? So being left at room temperature wont harm the eggs at all for a week until I set up properly?
As much as i'd want to say "its too late anyway, lets just dispose of them", i'm not going to. I have hopes for these, and if they dont hatch then fair enough, it wasn't meant to be.

 

[Tom]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

I like to use plastic shoe boxes. I drill a couple of quarter inch holes near the top. I use vermiculite mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio by weight. So 300 grams of vermiculite and 300 grams of water. Don't let the eggs turn at all. Some people use a pencil and gently make an "X" on the top dead center of each egg. I place the eggs inside and bury them about halfway to two thirds and put the lid on. I then put the shoe box inside my Hovabator incubator after I spend a day or two making sure the temp is set and stable. I'd shoot for 86-88 degrees for these eggs.

 

[RGB]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

29-30'F temp is ideal
70-80% humidity (eggs not on wet substrate or they absorb water, swell, and crack)
Don't rotate (fine if they rotate for first little while after delivery until they 'chalk')

To check fertility: hold bright light to side of egg and after a few days, Usually during first week, there will be an expanding band noted, this corresponds to an area that turns white when viewing the egg ( called chalking)
In days /weeks to come, vessels become apparent when egg is illuminated. Eventually egg will appear dark Inside (or even empty if the internal membranes pull away from shell-which is fine) as embryo grows.

It is best not to disturb eggs too much.
Will usually hatch around 60 days.

I've attempted to attach pics of what early development looks like if you illuminate egg from the side with a small bright light.

Gd luck!
Bob

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Sorry,
Previous post above should read

29-30' Celcius not Fahrenheit

Big difference!!!
Bob

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

29-30'F temp is ideal
70-80% humidity (eggs not on wet substrate or they absorb water, swell, and crack)
Don't rotate (fine if they rotate for first little while after delivery until they 'chalk')

To check fertility: hold bright light to side of egg and after a few days, Usually during first week, there will be an expanding band noted, this corresponds to an area that turns white when viewing the egg ( called chalking)
In days /weeks to come, vessels become apparent when egg is illuminated. Eventually egg will appear dark Inside (or even empty if the internal membranes pull away from shell-which is fine) as embryo grows.

It is best not to disturb eggs too much.
Will usually hatch around 60 days.

I've attempted to attach pics of what early development looks like if you illuminate egg from the side with a small bright light.

Gd luck!
Bob

---

Sorry,
Previous post above should read

29-30' Celcius not Fahrenheit

Big difference!!!
Bob

---

Thank you very much!! Yep, it's Celsius! They're at about 28 degrees now, but it's remaining steady. How would you recommend I keep it at the right humidity? I'm thinking about purchasing my own incubator anyway, but for now their temperature is being regulated via me and a heat mat and the good old trusty sun, I'm never letting it go past 31.5 degrees Celcius. At this stage I'm really really hoping some are fertile. I find it all fascinating. I wish I had a breeding pair myself, but as inexperienced as I am, that's not a good idea. Maybe in the future.

 

[RGB]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

Yes, it will b tricky to manage temps with your set up and certainly raises risk of the eggs not making it to term if they are fertile. I own a zoo med reptibator incubator which keeps steady temps. Then I keep water dishes in it that maintain 60% humidity. I will occasionally spray a few drops of water in the dish that I keep eggs on vermiculite, but not right by the eggs. U want them to experience humidity not wetness! I Keep a humidity guage with eggs and aim for about 80%. I've cracked an egg before from too much water when i incubated on perlite (hard to know how wet a piece if volcanic rock is inside!) Temps are far more impt than humidity. But it can't be ignored.

U should know soon if they are fertile. If so and you really want to have a good chance at hatching them, it would be worth a better set up.
Bob

 

[Greg T]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

It sounds like you may possibly have fertile eggs there, so don't give up. Follow Tom's advice. Get a hovabator, or I think mine is a Little Giant type, styrofoam incubator. They aren't too expensive and work well. You can get them on-line or also at local farm supply places because people use them for hatching chicken eggs too. Simply set up the desired temperature, put some water in the incubator and the eggs, then wait. The warmer temps will speed up the hatching process some. Nothing else to do but check water/humidity and watch for the first pip.

What other questions do you have?

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

I'm looking into getting a incubator now. it just seems a waste, if they don't hatch, I've just spent over £58 of my money on something I will probably never use again.

 

[Beck]

Re: Panicking! Please advise!

Can you try to keep it clean and then return it? :angel:

Yes, I'm sometimes a bad person.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

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Or more honestly, you could sell it used.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

Can you try to keep it clean and then return it? :angel:

Yes, I'm sometimes a bad person.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

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Or more honestly, you could sell it used.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

---

I'm ordering it over the Internet, via EBay, not sure if there's a return policy. ill look into it.

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

Will the Eggs be okay kept warm on a mat what I'm doing now until the incubator gets here? Obviously this was all thrust upon me so I wasn't in any way prepared. It's been warm in their tub, etc. about 28-30 degrees constant I've managed to keep it at. I'm just worried now that if there was any hope of them being fertilised I've ruined it but its not like I could see into the future, therefore I'm trying not to feel too bad as I think there could still be hope.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Panicking! Please advise!

I made one out of a wine cooler I got from home depo it's got a glass front on it . It has a outside and a inside thermamiter . It has a 3 dollar air pump and a heat pad with thermastate and I put a tray of water with a large sponge in it

 

[RGB]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

I'd say u have done a great job given your circumstances... Their are lots of people who have used used homemade contraptions with heat pads or light bulbs etc. they just all run greater risks of failure or poor temp control.

I personally love the idea of buying a reptile incubator, keeping it clean and returning it!! That was a genius idea! You only need it for a couple months...

Like I said, u will know within a week with almost certainty whether they are fertile or not if you illuminate them and check for chalking.

Keep us posted!! Eager to hear news!
Bob

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

I'd say u have done a great job given your circumstances... Their are lots of people who have used used homemade contraptions with heat pads or light bulbs etc. they just all run greater risks of failure or poor temp control.

I personally love the idea of buying a reptile incubator, keeping it clean and returning it!! That was a genius idea! You only need it for a couple months...

Like I said, u will know within a week with almost certainty whether they are fertile or not if you illuminate them and check for chalking.

Keep us posted!! Eager to hear news!
Bob

Thank you! I will try and keep everyone posted a week from now. I'm really hoping at least one is fertilised! But you never know! Ill be super disappointed if they aren't

 

[arbrod13]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

For the incubator, you could always resell it on eBay after you are done using it. It should hold it's value since it will be barely used. Just keep all the boxes and stuff.

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

Well, I thought I owe you all an explanation.
It's been a week since lay. I didn't hold out much hope. I illuminated all eggs one by one and checked for any signs of life. All but one look empty. One of them Is showing a little black circle... Does this mean it is fertile? I'm not going to get too excited yet as it is early days and the others might also mature slower so I'm keeping them incubated just in case but this one egg looks promising. I could try and upload a photo later if anyone wants to see one.

 

[RGB]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

A small dark circle shadow on top center of egg would be a very positive sign!
Don't move the eggs (don't rotate!)
The darker circle should expand and the egg will look white (chalked) over the dark area. Don't give up on the others yet!

I would love to see a pic!
Bob

 

[HannahVictoriaxo]

RE: Panicking! Please advise!

A small dark circle shadow on top center of egg would be a very positive sign!
Don't move the eggs (don't rotate!)
The darker circle should expand and the egg will look white (chalked) over the dark area. Don't give up on the others yet!

I would love to see a pic!
Bob

I will try and get a picture up by tonight! So excited even if there is just one that could possibly hatch! I must have been doing something right if its starting to show signs that its fertile?! I almost cried when I saw the dark circle! Haha!