Another first timer

[MonkeyBean]

Hey everyone--well my girl Josephine had her first go at laying on Sunday night (hehe, on Mothers Day, so exciting!). I wasn't so much expecting it as I was pretty sure I had a hot female and a cool male. He had been courting her a little bit recently, but I'm still not sure if copulation actually took place. Anywho, the one little egg is incubating at 80 F and despite my reservations I have my fingers crossed. The egg looks good to me (though this is my first egg, haha). It's white and firm. I tried very quickly candling it just a short while ago, and was unable to really make a call either way. I only candled it at the off chance I could see the "bulls-eye" at this stage, but I'll try again in a bit over a week and I'll be hoping for some pink (as from what I can tell it is either almost entirely or entirely yellow when candled at the moment). ANYWHO!! On with my question if I still have anyones attention, haha. I was wondering typically if an egg is infertile, how long it will take to dent or visibly go bad. I've read it can take months, but after reading a lot on the boards, it seems a lot of infertiles (especially from first timers like Josephine) are laid as slugs, or dent and go soft in just a day or two. I'm clearly impatient, and I have to fight my own urges to fidget with the egg too much, haha. Again, I have my reservations about the egg being fertile, I have strong doubts over it, but I reallllly hope it is. It would be such an awesome coincidence that it was laid on Mothers Day! Thanks for your help ahead of time, it's greatly appreciated, and I look forward to updating you guys and girls with more on this and other eggs laid this season!

Cheers,
-Matt

 

[acpart]

I hate to say it but it can take anywhere from a day to 9 weeks or more. Try to restrain yourself from handling it, don't take the candling too seriously and keep the egg till it either hatches or turns completely shriveled and moldy. Yesterday I had an egg that had been dented for weeks hatch out a fat and active baby. I will say that at 80 degrees you're looking at a 9 week incubation and the temperature is very close to the minimum for good chance of hatching. I recommend you very slowly over a few days turn the temp up to about 82. It's not like you're doing the wrong thing if you keep the temp at 80, but you may get more reliable (still female) results a little bit sooner. At 82 it's taking between 7 1/2 and 8 weeks for hatching.

Aliza

 

[MonkeyBean]

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely do that. And scratch the not copulating thing, I caught them twice tonight (not to be gross but got it on camera too, which is neat). I separated them now and I guess I'll be looking forward to more eggs in a couple weeks. Right after doing it she ate, it was kind of funny, haha. Again, thanks for the help, it's much appreciated!

Cheers,
-Matt

 

[acpart]

It's even funnier when the female is eating while doing it.

Aliza