I have eggs!!!!!!! (Pic heavy)

[jandsfannon]

I can't believe it after all this waiting and Margie digging and making so many test holes she finally layed her clutch. I was sure even before I excavated the lay box because she is so skinny now!!! She laid 18 eggs
So here are the pics:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/IM001458.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/IM001459.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/IM001460.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/IM001461.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/IM001462.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/IM001463.jpg

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/IM001464.jpg

Sorry there are so many pics, im just so excited! This is my first clutch, I was shaking like a leaf when I was digging them out!!
So a couple of questions:
1. Do they look fertile (I did not want to attempt to candle them)
2. Do they look ok in their placement in the incubator?
3. I now have the temp holding steady at 83.9, good?
4. Other than putting water in the incubator in cups, how do I keep the vermiculite wet?

Thanks
Sabrina

[joepythons]

Sweet congrats

[West Coast Jungle]

Yes they look fertile

Is the vermiculite damp/moistened? I would put them in a tub(with vermiculte) and seal it with Press'nSeal and put that in the incubator.. The hovabator is hard to keep air tight and the mix can dry up. I would keep them at 83 to allow for a little warm up.

The mixture should be damp but if you squeeze a handful you shouldnt be able to wring out ANY water. If water comes out when squeezed it's too wet, add more until it clumps when squeezed but no water.

Congrats on the clutch

[mischevious21]

Congrats!! And your right, she does look skinny- as I'm sure most would be after 18 eggs, what a trooper!!

[jandsfannon]

Thanks, I have moved the eggs into the tupperware containers, and everyday I look at them for signs of any going bad and still looking good and white and when I shine a flashlight on them they look pick. I am so amazed that Margies first cluch was all fertile. I know its still early but we are trying to make sure everything is perfect in the incubator so we can have little beardies by the end of sept!! Yeah my little girl went from fat to skinny, and she has been eating like a trooper! We gave her some pickies to get her calcium up, silkworms, crickets, waxworms and of course salad. She seems to be getting back to normal now.

Sabrina

[West Coast Jungle]

Very cool She may lay again in around 3 weeks. If she is hungry keep feeding her, this is the only time I would recommend feeding pinky mice to beardies because they need to replenish and make more eggs. Her appetite should be crazy. If you want the next clutch to be fertile I would keep her with the male if not separate them. She still could have some fertile eggs even if you separate them if there is any retained sperm. Beardies can have several clutches a year. I had 1 female give me 108 fertile eggs this year in 4 clutches.

[Headsy]

congrats on the clutch!