Massive Egg Dimpling...Can We Save This Clutch? Please Help

[hotelvoodoo]

Moved about a week ago from PA to NC and built a makeshift incubator for this clutch of eggs on the trip down.

Long story short, the moving truck was several days late and the eggs have still been in the makeshift incubator. It is holding temperature beautifully and the eggs are press n' sealed, so we hadn't thought to bother them.

Our regular incubator finally arrived, and we decided it was time to check on the clutch.

They are massively dimpled and folded, shrunken up like crazy and desert dry (probably from the fan installed in the makeshift incubator)

I candled the eggs and they are all still veiny and alive. They were due to hatch on the 7th of September. I don't know if there is even room for a hatchling to grow inside of these things. I re-wet the vermiculite and partially buried the eggs.

What else can I do?

Are the eggs lost at this point?

Should I move them back to the home incubator, or keep working with the temporary one?

[Kibbleswhites]

Those are pretty bad. I had a clutch this year with that problem. I lost 4 babies (DOA in egg), 1 baby with kinks that is doing fine, and one hatch at 17 grams with one small eye and a short lower jaw (who is also doing okay). My clutch was not quite as deflated as yours. You could put a bottle of sterile saline in the incubator with them for a while then inject each egg with the sterile water until full then put a band-aid over the hole. I would use a very small gauge needle attached to a 60 mL syringe. Be sure to pinch the egg shell when putting the needle in so you do not inject the baby. This is probably the only thing you can do other than leave them alone and hope for the best.

[hotelvoodoo]

Thank you for the advice. I am broken hearted. What saline solution or saline recipe would you recommend using?

[bcr229]

Thank you for the advice. I am broken hearted. What saline solution or saline recipe would you recommend using?

I think the sterile saline like for contact lenses would work.

[Kibbleswhites]

Yup just plain ole sterile saline from the drug store.

[Albert Clark]

IDK about injecting them bc they are deflating due to the approaching hatch date. I would try to improve on my humidity delivery system and nix the injection. IMO only. I just hatched out a clutch on Aug3 that severely dimpled and deflated. All the hatchlings emerged on their own and all healthy. Try to boost your humidity to 100%. There is no mold on these eggs and they are not discolored or rotting in any way. Be careful whatever you decide and good luck. Also, imo, next time I would use a diffuser for my eggs.