First Time Cutting Eggs

[frankykeno]

Well today is day 52 for our first clutch (Ardra's clutch) and our first time experiencing cutting BP eggs. Mike and I have grown pretty confident with most aspects of our daily work with the snakes but let me tell you, today I'm nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

We've got our brand new small curved blade cuticle scissors, we've got eggs ready to be cut....now I just have to stop worrying and hearing the voice in my head yelling "I don't know nuthin bout birthin no snakes!"

Wish us luck. I'll try to remember to take pictures. If you have any words of wisdom from your own experience cutting eggs, feel free to share.

P.S. This is a clutch of 6 eggs, 4 are perfect eggs, 1 window egg, 1 boob egg.

[MATTI]

Don't hit any veins..check the other topic!
Just take your time.

[JASBALLS]

Well today is day 52 for our first clutch (Ardra's clutch) and our first time experiencing cutting BP eggs. Mike and I have grown pretty confident with most aspects of our daily work with the snakes but let me tell you, today I'm nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

We've got our brand new small curved blade cuticle scissors, we've got eggs ready to be cut....now I just have to stop worrying and hearing the voice in my head yelling "I don't know nuthin bout birthin no snakes!"

Wish us luck. I'll try to remember to take pictures. If you have any words of wisdom from your own experience cutting eggs, feel free to share.

P.S. This is a clutch of 6 eggs, 4 are perfect eggs, 1 window egg, 1 boob egg.

If your nervous why not wait till there due date? Day 56...

[frankykeno]

Alrighty that's done thank gawd! What a terrifying first experience!

Here's the clutch the day it went into the incubator.....


Here it is after our egg cutting today....


I cut tiny holes but I was just too nervous to do some of the big openings I've seen some of you post LOL.

From what I can see we have 4 live snakes. The boob egg I just can't visualize a hatchling in there - just goo and a bit of blood. I always got veins in this egg, there is no smell of decomp when I cut into it nor was there every any mold on this egg so I guess it's just a wait and see what comes out situation with the boob egg.

Of the 4 snakes I can see, two appear darker than the other two. We were not sure who sired this clutch. It could be Becky's lemon pastel male and/or our yellowbelly male depending on the issue of sperm retention over a couple of months. Should be fun to see these babies when they decide to come see the world.

[muddoc]

Congrats Jo. Now that you got your first experience out of the way, you can start cutting doors on them. I am sure the boob one is fine, especially if it doesn't stink. I am pretty sure you would be able to tell a Pastel, even through tose small holes, so my guess would be that there are a couple YBs in them eggs.

Congrats. You should probably see some heads in about 4 days (depending on incubating temps).

[frankykeno]

Thanks Tim! I've been sitting here going "is it too early to phone Tim on a Sunday morning?" LOL I'm really glad to get this first experience out of the way though having to stop while I calmed my nerves and stopped my hands shaking was a whole lotta fun LOL.

Now the time is just going to drag until I see a head out of an egg isn't it.

[wilomn]

One thing about tiny holes, though yours do look big enough, is that ball python heads are so wide they can poke their heads out but not get them back in if the holes are too small possibly leading to choking and stress.

I always cut a V shape so there is no problem with them withdrawing their heads when they want to.

Cool stuff, just a few more days now.

[frankykeno]

Oh I never thought of that Wes! I will go back and do a bit of trimming to make those more into a V shape. Thanks so much for all your support folks. This was admittedly the scariest thing I've had to deal with yet. For some reason all my confidence disappeared when I was facing a live snake in there with a pair of scissors in my hand....silly I guess but I'm honest enough to say it scared the willies out of me for a moment there.

[tigerlily]

OMG, is it already time for those babies to be hatching? WOW! I can't wait to see what you end up with.

[Halfdawg]

It feels like just the other day Jo was saying look my girl laid eggs and Now they are hatching. I can not wait to see them either.

Richard