# Ball Pythons > BP Breeding >  egg hatch times.... cutting... ect.

## Mike Cavanaugh

I have eggs that are a week old now.  So far, so good.  they pretty much look the same as they did when they were hatched, and i candled them last night and they all had LOTS of beautiful veins.

So, How long does it take on average for a ball python egg to hatch if kept at 87.5 - 88 degrees?   

I know I have seen lots of people on here that cut their eggs when it is time.  Why do you cut the eggs?  Is it better to do or not to do?  please explain in detail.  

Also, is my understanding correct on this?  as soon as baby snake is all the way out of the egg, you pull him out of incubator and set up in the hatchling rack.  You provide water and correct temps and leave it alone until it sheds.  Once it sheds you start offering food.  Does that all sound right?

Thanks in advance!

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## AaronP

I believe a lot of people cut at about 50-55 Days.

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## littleindiangirl

I think I read in the VPI book one legit reason why people cut open the eggs. Some do it early out of wanting to see what they got in the egg. But for those that wait until the slit's were in the egg from the snake, was to create an air bubble for the snake to retreat into to avoid drowning while they absorb their yolk.

It made sense to me, but people still do lose snakes in eggs that go to full term, and it could be either drowning ( a good reason to cut a window), or cutting and getting a vein because it was too early... or the snake popping out of the egg before he absorbs his yolk because there was a door open....

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## Stewart_Reptiles

I incubate at 88.5 - 89 and cut at day 52

I cut because I can  :Wink: 

Yes cutting has it's risks if not done properly. Yes you can lose an hatchling if not done properly so you better know what you are doing and proceed with caution when doing it.

It is really a matter of personal choice and like everything else has to do with making an informed decision.

In the event something goes wrong and I lose an hatching I am one of those people that does not want to think "what if I had cut the egg 2 or 3 days ago, could I have saved this hatchling's life?", so instead I cut at day 52 (VERY carefully)

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_Kenj620_ (02-14-2014),_se7en_ (08-09-2016)

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## stevenkeogh

Incubation temps of 89-91 make 52 days enough time for the snake to develop and cutting can be performed safely at this time.
As for your question about setting up, when the snake emerges and leaves the shell on it's own it can be safely cleaned up, popped to determine sex and set up in it's own enclosure. Keep in mind (since you did not mention it) that you will want to make sure you use paper towel as a substrate and keep it damp until the snake sheds. 
After that it becomes like any other snake in your collection, good luck with the first few feedings.
I cut because I am impatient and to suit my schedule to ensure I am available to take care of the hatchlings.
-Steven

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## frankykeno

We incubated at 89-90 degrees last year and cut on day 53 or 54 if memory serves (lost all my records when the computer failed  :Mad: ).  I like to use either those blue shop papertowels or Viva brand paper towels for the new hatchlings.  Dampen those down and they still stay strong and don't shred up when the snakes moves around.  We offer them a small hide and a water dish and leave them be until they shed.  Then about 4 days after that first shed we offer them their first meal.  

Mike you are just not going to believe how a new hatchlings feels.  It's like touching living silk.  Almost no friction on your fingertips at all at first. 

We left the hatchlings in the hatching box until they all exited their eggs.  A breeder once told me that the movement of the hatchlings already out of the eggs stimulates the others to exit their eggs so his advice was to leave them be until they are all out of all their eggs.

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## West Coast Jungle

I go 88.5 and by 55 days I usually see the first pip. I'm not a cutter, I rather wait till there out and about. Now I have cut an egg when others have already come out but otherwise I leave them be. 
Everyone one has their own way, whatever helps you sleep at night :Wink:

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## Dave763

I cut 'em on day 55 at 89f. I have seen eggs cut with razor blades that bled like crazy. Scary looking. All the babies were fine. It seems like nicking a vein is not really a big deal.
Cutting to early would be bad. Waiting till the first one pips, then cutting the rest is what quite a few people do.

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## briz

I cut at day 55 and my temp is 90 inside the egg box. I cut because years ago my first clutch of Burm. eggs had 2 babies drown in the egg. Sucks when that happens.

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## dracovolans

One of Mike's Q  hasn't been responded and I'm very interested in the answer. When they start to pip and absorbing the last of the yolk, do you leave them in the incubator?  How long dois it takes for them to absorb it?

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## West Coast Jungle

I have left them in the incubator for several days after leaving eggs. As far as yolk goes if they have a yolk sac still attached then you can leave them in incubator untill they absorb it or put them on a damp paper towel in hatchling tub. Most that leave the egg on there own have already aborbed the sac. When you check the bellies you will either see a slit where sac was or the sac still attached.

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_dracovolans_ (04-04-2009)

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## dracovolans

Raul:  Muchas Gracias!!

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## West Coast Jungle

> Raul:  Muchas Gracias!!


De Nada

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## med

sorry to hijack, but does the egg shrinking play a role in cutting , for example a egg that is 55 days in the bator just begin to shink  or has not started yet  would it be to early to cut? Thanks

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## JimNAZ

Great questions and good advice! (Thank you)

Are there "Proper Cutting Techniques" posted anywhere? First time breeder here and not sure yet what I will do . . .

Thx

Jim

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## wilomn

As a graduate of the Chuck Norris School of Reptile Reproduction all my eggs are instructed when to hatch. Times, dates, sexes, all taken care of before hand.

If not, it's omlette time.

And having a life size poster of Chuck in full view of the incubator insures there are no miscreants hatched out.

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_Kenj620_ (02-27-2014)

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## frankykeno

> I cut 'em on day 55 at 89f. I have seen eggs cut with razor blades that bled like crazy. Scary looking. All the babies were fine. It seems like nicking a vein is not really a big deal.
> Cutting to early would be bad. Waiting till the first one pips, then cutting the rest is what quite a few people do.


I think nicking a vein is a big deal personally.  Kara from NERD gave me the best advice to avoid that.  Take the egg box into a dark room, candle each egg and make a light pencil mark where you see no or very tiny veins and no mass of the ready to hatch snake.  Come back out into the light and pinch gently at that marked area to raise it up slightly.  Make your cut there (starting small and expanding the cut as needed).  Very gently express a small amount of the egg goop through that cut.  Worked beautifully for us last year.  :Smile: 




> One of Mike's Q  hasn't been responded and I'm very interested in the answer. When they start to pip and absorbing the last of the yolk, do you leave them in the incubator?  How long dois it takes for them to absorb it?


I leave them in until they are all hatched out.  Once they are, they get their bellies checked, a gentle wash up and then they got on damp paper towels in the 6 qt hatchling rack.  I may just be lucky I guess but out of 18 hatchlings last year I didn't see any unabsorbed sacs.  It's a small sampling though to be sure, so I'm certain at some point I'll get a hatchling with a visible sac.  From what I've been told though I would just treat it the same way as any other hatchling and it will absorb the sac in the 6 qt on the damp paper towelling.

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## Lucas339

this is a great thread!!

Joanna, thanks for sharing your kara method!  that is a really good idea!

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## frankykeno

You're welcome Lucas.  Mike and I feel so blessed to have gotten through our first year with eggs with the wonderful support of both Kara from NERD and Tim and Monica Bailey from Bailey & Bailey Reptiles.  It's a bit of a nerve wracking time no matter how much you think you're ready so it was just such a gift to know I could pick up the phone and get an immediate shot of wisdom from one of those good folks.  

As busy as I'm sure they all were, they were always happy to calm my nerves (or listen to me freak out when I accidentally cut a clutch a week earlier than planned).  Learned a lesson from that to - label your hatch boxes with the dates you want to do stuff like cut, then double count your weeks again to make sure you are bang on.  It's fair to easy to get confused when you have clutches at various stages of development.

One other bit of advice I forgot from Kara.  After the eggs are cut and during the time the hatchlings are still in the egg, gently and VERY lightly mist the eggs once or twice per day.  This keeps the egg from drying out too quickly and makes it easier for the hatchling to exit from it's goopy home.  I kept a small plastic plant mister bottle right in the incubator so the misting water was not cold to them.

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_koloo921_ (08-01-2011)

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## Mike Cavanaugh

thanks for the replies!  The wait is killing me.  and my poor eggs are only a week old.   :Rolleyes2:

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