Incubation question...

I have been raising colubrids for a number of year and recently acquired some ball pythons to add them to the production. I have not used an incubator with the colubrids, I simply set the eggs in Vermiculite in an egg box close it and set it on a shelf until it hatches 65-80 days later. Everything I read on Ball Pythons keeps referring to incubators. Are they a necessity for python eggs to hatch?

eh you can do it your way, and you can let the female incubate but it is highly recommended you use a incubator for maximum hatch rate

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Originally Posted by Dragonboy

I have been raising colubrids for a number of year and recently acquired some ball pythons to add them to the production. I have not used an incubator with the colubrids, I simply set the eggs in Vermiculite in an egg box close it and set it on a shelf until it hatches 65-80 days later. Everything I read on Ball Pythons keeps referring to incubators. Are they a necessity for python eggs to hatch?

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Unless you keep the room in the 90 range you will need a incubator.When i was breeding ball pythons and corn snakes i used the hovabators and had zero problems.

Agreed. I've been using the hova bators as well, and have not had many problems thus far.

people that use hovibators, do you use a thermostat with them as well

I built a mini fridge incubator.
Mini fridges can be had off craigslist for free to $25 all the time.
Repti-temp 500R @$28 delivered(upgrading this year, lol) and heat tape, a fan, simple and cheap.
Holds temps within 1 degree or less(mostly within 2/10ths of a degree)
It will hold 4-5 clutches and at under $75 for the whole thing a bargain(IMO)

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Originally Posted by reptidude1

people that use hovibators, do you use a thermostat with them as well

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It has its own t-stat :gj:.Once you get your temp set it normaly stays in that range maybe +1 or -1 degree.

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Originally Posted by reptidude1

people that use hovibators, do you use a thermostat with them as well

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Yeah, they come with their own Thermostat, I've got one and have used it through the years for various things. It's really not THAT reliable, but it works in a pinch. A couple of years ago I cooked an entire clutch of Burm eggs in mine. It's best to have it set up WAY ahead of time WITH the egg box you'll be using in it just to make sure it's working okay. They do tend to fluctuate when you first set them up.

The reason I asked is I am expecting about 80-90 clutches of colubrids (corns, kings, rats, milks, bulls and gophers) this coming year and about 15-18 clutches of ball pythons. I guess I need to find an old refrigerator to convert into a incubator if I am going to incubate all these eggs. The temps in my snake room run from 80-95 depending on the part of the summer we are in. Last year most eggs took 77 days (we had a cool year) the summer before they took about 64 days.
I am also going to look at some of the professional incubators out there since I am not all that mechanically inclined.
thanks for the input.