Do You NEED An Incubator?

[Bethany]

Hi all!
I'm new here, and new to leo's.
I'm not planning on breeding them anytime soon, but I was reading up on it and was wondering if to incubate the eggs you needed to buy a real incubator?
I read somewhere you could put the eggs in a plastic container with the vermiculin and then place a heat pad under it.
Would this work? (Or something like this.)
I'm wondering cause incubators seem to be expensive!

EDIT: Kind of like the one they tell you how to make here: http://www.ehow.com/how_6366279_make-homemade-incubator-leopard-geckos.html

Thanks

 

[clemsonguy1125]

You might could but you would be better off investing in a 50 dollar hova bator.
http://www.enasco.com/product/C15905J
And welcome to the forums

 

[Taquiq]

You don't necessarily NEED one. But not having one can increase the risk of temperature fluctuations which can lead to deformities. A Hova-Bator and thermostat is a great first incubator.

 

[tlbowling]

LLLReptile has the hova bator 1604N for 39.95.

 

[Retribution Reptiles]

I say yes you need an incubator. There are too many varibles that could happen for anything but an incubator. Remember you are pretty much creating a life. We are not in the business of having disposable animals so giving you animals the best start to life is to have the best tools to do so.

 

[Tony C]

The cost of an incubator is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of feeding babies...

 

[Retribution Reptiles]

The cost of an incubator is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of feeding babies...

Wow that's so the truth.

 

[Bethany]

Thanks everyone for the opinions
I'll look into that, have to find it in Canada first!

Interesting, didn't know they would ever eat that much

 

[roger]

Thanks everyone for the opinions
I'll look into that, have to find it in Canada first!

Interesting, didn't know they would ever eat that much

Look on Reptiles Canada under the classified ads.I picked up 2 hovobators for $50 each.I think I saw one today on it

 

[maggiee22195]

Thanks everyone for the opinions
I'll look into that, have to find it in Canada first!

Interesting, didn't know they would ever eat that much

You wouldn't really think babies would eat so much. They really dont eat much but over time the cost of feeding adds up. I would recommend an incubator. Especially one that isnt homemade. I am going to be a beginner at breeding next season and I bought a hova bator and I am glad that I did. I feel that the eggs will be safer and will be able to be kept at the right temps. Good luck to you when you do start to breed. I know I cant wait.

 

[KelliH]

This might be going against the grain but my first season breeding leopard geckos I hatched the eggs out on a shelf in a closet. It was Summer in Texas so temps during the day were around 80 in there and dropped to mid 70's at night.

That first year I hatched out maybe 15-20 babies that way, 100% hatch rate!

Also several years later I converted an entire walk-in closet to an incubator. I connected an oil based heater to a Helix thermostat and put up shelving. The thermostat probe was on one of the middle shelves, set at 85. The upper shelf got up to near 90, the bottom shelves stayed around 83. I had no problems hatching eggs.

 

[Bethany]

Thanks for everyones opinions
I don't know if I will be able to breed anytime soon, I'm not sure I'd be able to find homes for all of them!