Welcome to the world! Hatchling question

fourtorts

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Joined
Feb 5, 2022
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19
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Hi!

Yolk sac question here:
All our babies have hatched, and are doing very well. Keeping it humid, soaking and they are all eating and moving around and exploring. These two were born a bit more slowly and have a some yolk sac that has been slowly absorbed during the past several days. How are their yolk sacs looking to you? When would you say they could join the others? For now, they are living separately on moist paper towels. Any suggestions/advice.

Thanks ?
 

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Markw84

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Hi!

Yolk sac question here:
All our babies have hatched, and are doing very well. Keeping it humid, soaking and they are all eating and moving around and exploring. These two were born a bit more slowly and have a some yolk sac that has been slowly absorbed during the past several days. How are their yolk sacs looking to you? When would you say they could join the others? For now, they are living separately on moist paper towels. Any suggestions/advice.

Thanks ?
Welcome to the Forum. You have found the best place to find the most accurate and up to date info on tortoises. Please browse around and most importantly do read through the care sheet posted on the top of this forum section for Sulcatas. From what I see of these hatchlings, your care could use some tweaking.

Congratulations on hatching some baby tortoises. Your pictures are not in focus. But what I see is showing the yolk sacs are not healing properly. It shows the babies are being kept too dry and probably left on the incubation medium when the hatched for a bit. A newly hatched tortoise needs water immediately upon hatching. They need 100% humidity for the first 10 days or so, then 90%+ humidity. They need to be soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes every day. Food should be available from the first day. The yolk sac will shrink without any scabs and should leave the plastron completely smooth with no wrinkles.

Here's a picture of a 5 day old hatchling to show the way a properly started sulcata plastron should look with the yolk sac healed. This one hatched with a yolk sac about the size of a large grape.

IMG_0890.jpg

Read this post by one of our most experienced members on how he starts babies:


Come back with more questions. I would suggest you show pictures of the enclosure you are using for babies for their first few months as well. WE would be happy to make suggestions to ensure the most healthy start for your beautiful tortoises.
 

Big Ron

Active Member
Tortoise Club
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Dec 28, 2021
Messages
131
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
Hi!

Yolk sac question here:
All our babies have hatched, and are doing very well. Keeping it humid, soaking and they are all eating and moving around and exploring. These two were born a bit more slowly and have a some yolk sac that has been slowly absorbed during the past several days. How are their yolk sacs looking to you? When would you say they could join the others? For now, they are living separately on moist paper towels. Any suggestions/advice.

Thanks ?
That's a big batch of cute overload right there,and welcome to the forum glad you joined ?
 

fourtorts

New Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2022
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Welcome to the Forum. You have found the best place to find the most accurate and up to date info on tortoises. Please browse around and most importantly do read through the care sheet posted on the top of this forum section for Sulcatas. From what I see of these hatchlings, your care could use some tweaking.

Congratulations on hatching some baby tortoises. Your pictures are not in focus. But what I see is showing the yolk sacs are not healing properly. It shows the babies are being kept too dry and probably left on the incubation medium when the hatched for a bit. A newly hatched tortoise needs water immediately upon hatching. They need 100% humidity for the first 10 days or so, then 90%+ humidity. They need to be soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes every day. Food should be available from the first day. The yolk sac will shrink without any scabs and should leave the plastron completely smooth with no wrinkles.

Here's a picture of a 5 day old hatchling to show the way a properly started sulcata plastron should look with the yolk sac healed. This one hatched with a yolk sac about the size of a large grape.

View attachment 340078

Read this post by one of our most experienced members on how he starts babies:


Come back with more questions. I would suggest you show pictures of the enclosure you are using for babies for their first few months as well. WE would be happy to make suggestions to ensure the most healthy start for your beautiful tortoises.
Thank you so much for your feedback. This is my second batch of babies and all but these two are doing wonderfully which is why I’m concerned. The other babies are doing great and moved into their tort home while we build their custom enclosure. These eggs were sent to us which could have contributed to the issue. Every other baby has completely absorbed their yolk sac, except for these two. They are at 80% humidity, but I will continue to adjust it. The one baby with a ridge indent was stuck in its shell for three days (and still attached). I will continue to read through all the forums and posts! Thanks ?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Thank you so much for your feedback. This is my second batch of babies and all but these two are doing wonderfully which is why I’m concerned. The other babies are doing great and moved into their tort home while we build their custom enclosure. These eggs were sent to us which could have contributed to the issue. Every other baby has completely absorbed their yolk sac, except for these two. They are at 80% humidity, but I will continue to adjust it. The one baby with a ridge indent was stuck in its shell for three days (and still attached). I will continue to read through all the forums and posts! Thanks ?
I answered in your other thread. All sulcata hatchlings need to be in a brooder box set up for 7-10 days.

Here is what I said on the other thread:
All of the babies need to be in a brooder box set up for at least 7-10 days after hatching. Many breeders skip this important step and it is always bad news.

Also, paper towels are only good on day one. After that, they will eat it. I use flat leaves on a bare bottomed shoe box after day one.

Please read these for ideas. Their first few days and weeks are critical and mistakes can have long term consequences:

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...
tortoiseforum.org

Sudan Sulcatas (This never gets old...)

My very first clutch of true 100% pure Sudan sulcatas is now hatching. I don't care how many times I see this, it just never gets old. I dig up the eggs carefully place them in my prepared shoe boxes, watch the temperature in the incubator and tend to them for months, and then... When that...
tortoiseforum.org
 

fourtorts

New Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2022
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
New York
I answered in your other thread. All sulcata hatchlings need to be in a brooder box set up for 7-10 days.

Here is what I said on the other thread:
All of the babies need to be in a brooder box set up for at least 7-10 days after hatching. Many breeders skip this important step and it is always bad news.

Also, paper towels are only good on day one. After that, they will eat it. I use flat leaves on a bare bottomed shoe box after day one.

Please read these for ideas. Their first few days and weeks are critical and mistakes can have long term consequences:

How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings

I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...
tortoiseforum.org

Sudan Sulcatas (This never gets old...)

My very first clutch of true 100% pure Sudan sulcatas is now hatching. I don't care how many times I see this, it just never gets old. I dig up the eggs carefully place them in my prepared shoe boxes, watch the temperature in the incubator and tend to them for months, and then... When that...
tortoiseforum.org
Thank you so much! I actually popped these two back into the incubator to ensure they are getting the proper humidity. Luckily everyone else is doing great and their Yolk sacs are absorbed and plastrons are smooth. The one baby with a indent across its plastron was stuck (and still attached) to its shell for days. I was advised not to take the shell off since still attached. I think that may not have been the best advice?

These two babies are back in their incubator to ensure proper humidity. They got their daily soak and are eating a lot. Any advice on how I can now care for the one baby with the ridge indent?
Thanks!
 
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