cutting eggs

Does everybody "cut" the eggs, or are there folks who wait until they come out on their own? Is there a problem with letting them come out on their own?

Some cut, some wait for the first to pip, then cut, and some let them all pip on their own

So what exactly are the pros and cons of cutting vs waiting?

there are times, when a baby snake cannot pip on it's own & will drown in the egg.

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Originally Posted by J-Jabba

So what exactly are the pros and cons of cutting vs waiting?

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People cut because they're impatient...me included. I usually wait until the first one pips, then cut. Some people cut at day 30...:O IMHO once they hit day 56 you're good to go to cut...

And no, there's no problem waiting for them to all come out on their own...that's how nature planned it...:gj:

I do not cut because I am impatient if it was the case I would cut on day 30 or so :rolleyes:, if I can wait through 52 days I can assure you I can wait a few more I cut on day 52 to prevent possible drowning.

To me breeding animals means putting all the chances on my side and doing everything I can to ensure successful hatch. (it goes from incubating using an incubator to cutting)

I do not recommend cutting if you do not know what you are doing because like with everything else there are risks.

We have been allowing all of the clutches to pip first and then cut, after my partner lost a clutch to cutting early I will never again, there is no reason to cut early except impatience.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

We have been allowing all of the clutches to pip first and then cut, after my partner lost a clutch to cutting early I will never again, there is no reason to cut early except impatience.

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Yeah, this is my big fear. I'm super impatient, but I'm getting such a wide range of answer in the "natural" hatch date, that I worry I'd cut a 64-day clutch at day 52 and lose half the babies:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ght=hatch+date

But I've also read plenty of stories about babies not pipping and drowning in the last day of incubation. Once in a while they aren't born with an egg tooth, or they get wrapped up in their umbilicus, and you won't know they need help unless you cut. (Now, some people argue that snakes without egg teeth should be allowed to die, because they would die in nature... but what if it's the only lavender albino in the clutch? But that a whole other argument.)

Anyway, I like the "cut after first pip" compromise.

It has been a long time since I cut an egg. This season I went low and slow (87F and 63+ day incubation). I've had two clutches hatch and four more to go, and I doubt I'll cut any of them.