Incubation issues

[trmatejcek]

HI. I am new to incubating eggs and am having some problems that I hope you can help with.

My female laid two eggs on Mother's Day. I found them within a few hours and they were nice and plump and warm. I marked the tops and placed them in a couple of inches of moistened vermiculite in my incubator along with a cup of water for humidity. Within a day or so, they were indented and started to mildew. The vermic was only damp enough to make a "snowball". They continued to mildew more and more until they were black and I threw them out.

She presented me with two more around June 16. This time I put them in a couple of inches of moist vermic in a plastic container and put a lid on it and placed this in the incubator. It has been set on 81 since May. They are doing basically the same thing. They are indented and mildewing. I'm torn because I thought the indentions were telling me that there was not enough moisture, but the mildew tells me there is too much moisture.

She looks like she is about ready to lay more eggs and I would really like to get this right. I don't know anything about candling but maybe this is what I need to do. Maybe the eggs aren't fertile to begin with. She is living full time with my male and I have seen them mate. Suggestions????? Please!!!
Terry

 

[acpart]

Go here: http://www.albeysreptiles.com/incubate-eggs.htm

Follow the instructions using perlite. It is definitely possible to incubate with vermiculite, but this is easy and it works, so why not start this way and see if it works out any better?

Aliza

 

[lillith]

It might also be that your vermiculite has latent mildew in it already.

Either buy some new vermiculite, or perlite. I use perlite, it works for me! And definitely click the link above.:main_thumbsup:

 

[trmatejcek]

Thanks. Do you think the eggs are fertile. I read somewhere that the first couple of clutches can be duds. Terry

 

[Khrysty]

Its possible they weren't fertile to begin with. Candle the next clutch. If you see pink a bullseye (a ring with a dot in the middle) on the top or one of the sides, then it's definitely fertile. If you don't, there's still a chance that it's fertile, though.

 

[ElapidSVT]

first season females tend to have a larger percentage of duds.
keep working at it, you'll get it!

good luck
rob

 

[aznguyen837]

Wow I am really lucky so far.... My first timer female laid her first clutch and one of the eggs seems fertile it now glows pink and has been incubating for 30 days at 87 degrees F.