Turning on the incubator prep.

When should you turn on the incubator? And when do you set up egg tubs with the vermiculite?

I turn mine on a few weeks before I'm expecting eggs from a gravid female. I set up my egg boxes with sponges and a light diffuser, I get the temps up to 89F, and wait for eggs.

It's always best to get all the kinks out of the incubator and be prepared so you don't run into any issues, in my opinion.

:)

If you are using vermiculite I turn the incubator on a week or two before with dry vermiculite in the tubs then add the water when the eggs are layed. I add luke warm water.

I turn mine on 2 weeks after the first pre-lay shed of the season, it allows me to make sure it works and get it stable and where it should be when the first eggs are laid.

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

I usually turn mine on once I have females getting closer to ovulation. Plenty of time to work out any kinks. :) I use either substrateless or hatchrite, and I just get the tub set up when I find the female laying her clutch.

Okay, another question... just because I am VERY unsure. I feel horrible about this, that I have no clue what I am doing, despite reading any article and watching multiple youtube videos for research purposes...

Do females take longer to shed for their pre-lay shed? I am very sure that one of my females are pregnant, but she has been in shed for about 15 days now. This also links to my question because I do not know if this is a pre-lay shed. I never saw an Ovulation but I also went on vacation for 2 weeks with the family so i could have missed it during that time. So should I turn on the incubator a week or so after she sheds?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SSS

Okay, another question... just because I am VERY unsure. I feel horrible about this, that I have no clue what I am doing, despite reading any article and watching multiple youtube videos for research purposes...

Do females take longer to shed for their pre-lay shed? I am very sure that one of my females are pregnant, but she has been in shed for about 15 days now. This also links to my question because I do not know if this is a pre-lay shed. I never saw an Ovulation but I also went on vacation for 2 weeks with the family so i could have missed it during that time. So should I turn on the incubator a week or so after she sheds?

---

Pre-lay is just like any other shed.

Where is your female located in her enclosure?

Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

She goes back and forth to the cold and hot side. Right now she is kind of coiled up between the heated side and the water bowl on the cool side. Closer to the heat pad... kind of. I'd take a picture but no camera.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SSS

She goes back and forth to the cold and hot side. Right now she is kind of coiled up between the heated side and the water bowl on the cool side. Closer to the heat pad... kind of. I'd take a picture but no camera.

---

Not having followed the animal in person and her progression I obviously cannot say whether the animal had an ovy and is in pre-lay, however if she used to be on the cool side, has shown several signs such as building and glow and is now seeking heat it is possible that you have missed the ovy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Not having followed the animal in person and her progression I obviously cannot say whether the animal had an ovy and is in pre-lay, however if she used to be on the cool side, has shown several signs such as building and glow and is now seeking heat it is possible that you have missed the ovy.

---

Right now, she is getting fatter despite refusing food for three months. I am unsure about the glow. I never noticed, but with a couple other females I have seen the "glow"... some of them are super noticeable, others not so much. Well, I only have three females that are for sure gravid. One of them as grown so light in color, you could not even tell she is the same BP. While she bowl wrapped I noticed she had a lumpy spine.