Egg Laid Outside of Laybox

[Neon Aurora]

So my female just laid her first egg(My first egg too!) but she laid it outside her laybox. I candled it and it's definitely fertile. But I'm worried it dried out over night because it's all dented. Should I add more water to my incubator?

Also, she only laid one. Is that normal for first time females?

 

[staceyleigh]

One of my females (first season) laid only 1 egg in her 2nd clutch. 2 of my females also laid eggs outside the lay box, then laid in the lay box, next time. Both 1st years, and probably just getting the hang of things?

 

[Neon Aurora]

That's what I figured, Will the egg be okay, though? She laid it right on top of the heatpad and it's dented.

 

[tb144050]

Always incubate the eggs until they are molded and definitely not viable. I've read 100's of stories of dented/dried/"other" eggs that made it and produced healthy leos. Putting it in the NORMALLY high-level of humidity in your container in the incubator may perk it back up.

And yeah, 1-eggs are common.

 

[Neon Aurora]

Okay, thanks for the replies. I feel better now.

I'm wondering, though. I live in a desert and it's very dry. I have a closed container but I'm worried too much moisture escapes when I open the lid for air exchange because of how dry it is here. Should I be lightly spraying the medium every once in a while to make sure there's enough moisture?

 

[Neon Aurora]

Also, when should I expect her to start eating again? I offered food this morning after I removed the egg but she didn't bite.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I have a couple of females that didn't eat until after their second clutch but they were the vast minority. Most eat within 48 hours of laying and devour everything in sight for a week or two until they get ready to lay again. I usually look at my eggs and "poke" them with my finger every now and again. If they start feeling less rubbery and a bit stiffer I'll add a spray of water. A better method would be to weigh your substrate and container when it is at the right water ratio and then with the eggs inside. The eggs will gain a bit of weight as they grow but as long as the container and the eggs are within a gram or two of where they all started out they should be fine.

 

[Neon Aurora]

Thanks for the reply. My scale doesn't register high enough to account for the weight of the container, medium, and water. I had to do the measurements separately. I'm sure I got it right though.

I've been checking on the egg every few hours today, and it seems like the denting is getting worse. How long should it take to plump back up? There's definitely a fair amount of moisture in there because there's condensation on the lid and sides, but it just seems to keep deflating. I know it's fertile, I saw the bulls-eye very clearly at the top when I candled it.