# Ball Pythons > BP Breeding >  Moldy Egg - When to Cut.

## BHReptiles

So some of you know I have an egg that I've been fighting mold on since about day 7 of incubation. Today, the egg is at day 52. Even though I plan on letting the rest of the clutch pip on it's own, I do agree with those who suggested that I cut the egg. The problem is I'm not sure if I should cut it today...or wait until day 54 or 55. I've been taking the egg out of the incubator for about 5 min every 3 days or so to wipe off mold. I'm not sure if that's pertinent information, but I thought I would include that as well. My biggest worry is cutting it too early and risking getting gunk in the egg that may kill the baby. On the other hand, I worry about not cutting soon enough and the baby dying because it couldn't get out on it's own.

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## joebad976

I would cut when the others pip at least this way it is hopefully as far along as the others.

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## Ladybugzcrunch

I would be super worried about the mold getting into the egg.  What were the incubation temps?  My last clutch did not start pipping until day 68 and the last one did not pip until day 72.  You could have a ways to go. 20 days is a long time to sit with the egg open and mold all around.

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## BHReptiles

> I would cut when the others pip at least this way it is hopefully as far along as the others.


I was considering this and leaning towards it. I'm just feeling a lot of pressure to go ahead and cut it today. I just don't feel right about cutting it today. If the clutch doesn't pip till day 60...day 52 is really early to cut!

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> I would be super worried about the mold getting into the egg.  What were the incubation temps?  My last clutch did not start pipping until day 68 and the last one did not pip until day 72.  You could have a ways to go. 20 days is a long time to sit with the egg open and mold all around.



Bah! I forgot the most important piece of information! They have been incubated at a steady 88.5* the whole time.

And yes...I'm VERY worried about mold getting into the egg.

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## loonunit

Can you post a picture?

My first year, all 5 of my eggs had mold, and all 5 came out healthy. This year, not one single egg that molded survived. 

I would wait. You can't actually save a baby from a moldy egg by cutting. At this point, they're going to survive or they're not, but their best chance is in the egg.

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Badgemash (09-26-2013)

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## Tribal

Just be patient and wait for the others to pip. I personally would rather lose it that way versus it being because I cut it early.

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## BHReptiles

> Can you post a picture?
> 
> My first year, all 5 of my eggs had mold, and all 5 came out healthy. This year, not one single egg that molded survived. 
> 
> I would wait. You can't actually save a baby from a moldy egg by cutting. At this point, they're going to survive or they're not, but their best chance is in the egg.


I will get you a picture as soon as I'm home! I actually expected this egg to die a long time ago. It looks AWFUL.

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## loonunit

Well, I found out this year that the baby can be dead inside, but the egg may take a week or more to figure it out.  :Sad:

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## Archimedes

I'm another vote for the waiting game. Either it'll be ok or it won't, and adding mold to the environment sure as shootin' can't help the baby's chances. Wait til your first pipper, and then take the chance.  :Hug:

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## BHReptiles

Here is a picture of the moldy egg. It looks HORRIBLE so viewer discretion is advised. The white stuff is just some anti-fungal powder goo stuff. And no, it doesn't smell. I'm amazed. The mold has stopped growing the last week or so...not sure why it suddenly stopped, but it did.

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## BlckPhntm

Ive cut plenty of eggs on day 52. Sometimes day 50 if its bad. Never had an egg go bad from cutting, they are hardier than you think. Use sterilized instruments and you will be fine.

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## BHReptiles

> Ive cut plenty of eggs on day 52. Sometimes day 50 if its bad. Never had an egg go bad from cutting, they are hardier than you think. Use sterilized instruments and you will be fine.


I've got BRAND NEW scissors (never used) and lots of isopropyl alcohol and boiling water to sterilize with. I'm more concerned about the mold getting into the egg than the cutting causing the baby to die.

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## CD CONSTRICTORS

When you cut the egg, if you do it very carefully there will still be a membrane around the baby. If any mold falls in, it will not touch the baby until he pips out of the egg on his own.

If I recall you have applied glue to this egg? That will make it more difficult to pip out of the egg on his own.

I'm obviously for cutting at any time now....

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## BHReptiles

> When you cut the egg, if you do it very carefully there will still be a membrane around the baby. If any mold falls in, it will not touch the baby until he pips out of the egg on his own.
> 
> If I recall you have applied glue to this egg? That will make it more difficult to pip out of the egg on his own.
> 
> I'm obviously for cutting at any time now....



You are correct. I put a layer of glue and then another layer of glue + anti-fungal powder. I know that baby can't pip on it's own...it's just trying to figure out when to cut to ensure that it can get out.

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## MootWorm

That thing is nasty!! Looks like an old potato lol. I'm shocked and pleasantly surprised that little fighter is still hanging on. I vote wait until the others pip. Or at the very least, 3 more days or so.

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## BHReptiles

> That thing is nasty!! Looks like an old potato lol. I'm shocked and pleasantly surprised that little fighter is still hanging on. I vote wait until the others pip. Or at the very least, 3 more days or so.


I expected it to die a LONG time ago. Truthfully, I'm not expecting a living baby in that egg.

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## loonunit

Yeah, I seriously doubt the baby is still alive in there. Are there still veins when you candle?

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## BHReptiles

> Yeah, I seriously doubt the baby is still alive in there. Are there still veins when you candle?


Never could see veins because it looked so gnarly.

I decided to cut the clutch...the WHOLE clutch. 

The female was bred to a black pastel from October to December, a lesser from February - Ovulation, and then a pewter was thrown in a few times with no observed locks. I was banking on the lesser male nailing these eggs and I was just praying for ONE black pastel female...It looks like 8 black pastels and 2 normals...but I'm awful at identifying morphs. I will post pictures of two black pastels as well as pictures of the normal. I've been told by a couple of people that it looks pastelish...but I still think it's normal. Also below is a picture of the black pastel dad and what I discovered in the moldy egg.

Here is the black pastel dad: 





Here are the supposed black pastel babies:





Here's the "normal": 

 

And here is what I found in the moldy egg:



It had the consistency of a hard-boiled egg. There hasn't been a baby in there in a LONG time.

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## loonunit

Congrats on the possibly-black-pastels! They're not normal, that's for sure.

Yeah, that's about what I expected from that moldy egg. I had two eggs that looked better than that, and the babies probably made it 3/4 of the way, but by the time the rest of the clutch pipped, the babies had both died and the yolks were turning solid. And one of the moldy eggs contained an albino, the only one in the clutch.  :Sad:

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## BHReptiles

> Congrats on the possibly-black-pastels! They're not normal, that's for sure.
> 
> Yeah, that's about what I expected from that moldy egg. I had two eggs that looked better than that, and the babies probably made it 3/4 of the way, but by the time the rest of the clutch pipped, the babies had both died and the yolks were turning solid. And one of the moldy eggs contained an albino, the only one in the clutch.


That sucks...hardcore!

I'm really surprised with the outcome of this clutch! I really wanted some lessers! But...I have a lot of black pastels or cinnamons (but they have the same granity pattern as the black pastel male she was bred to) to pick my holdback from!

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## Archimedes

Kind of a bummer you had to spend so much time and energy worrying about that one moldy egg... But those are some pretty, clean babies! And smooth cutting, I know I'm going to be paranoid if/when I ever have to cut. That inside membrane is so delicate...

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## BHReptiles

> Kind of a bummer you had to spend so much time and energy worrying about that one moldy egg... But those are some pretty, clean babies! And smooth cutting, I know I'm going to be paranoid if/when I ever have to cut. That inside membrane is so delicate...


I was a little bit nervous about the cutting...but I didn't snip any veins so for that I'm happy.  :Very Happy:

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## Alicia

Woot -- probable baby black pastels! Looking forward to pics of little noses  :Smile:  Sorry about the moldy egg, though. That's too bad.

(On a side note, pairing after ovulation, even if a female ever does let a male lock with her, won't result in babies. The eggs are actually being fertilized as they move into the oviducts, so the female was already gravid when the pewter was introduced.)

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## BHReptiles

The pewter was introduced before  ovy about 4 times. Sorry that wasn't clear . I did not pair her post ovy

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## Alicia

Gotcha!  :Good Job:  Read it a couple times, but it was a long night -- I probably just missed the details  :Embarassed:

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