3 deformed pastels, any ideas why?

Well this is my first year breeding and I got a nice clutch of 9 eggs. One got moldy and the rest seemed fine. They hatched last week (I cut most of them after the first pipped). Well there are 4 pastels and 4 normals. All the normals were fine but only one of the pastels was fine. 3 of the pastels came out dead or deformed. All had deformities in the mouth and 2 of them were kinked badly. As far as I know the temperatures during incubation never changed drastically always staying between 87-90 and humidity was constantly above 90%. Could this just be genetic from the father pastel? If I breed him again next year you think the same thing will happen?

It sounds like an incubator issue. Deformed babies usually come from egg problems, so you may want to take a very close look at your incubation techniques.

I'm using a hova bator with a tub filled vermiculite. Their were no large temp swings that I am aware of, that's why it surprises me. I checked the temp and humidity most days and it never changed too much. I don't know whats up.

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Originally Posted by slither9192

I'm using a hova bator with a tub filled vermiculite. Their were no large temp swings that I am aware of, that's why it surprises me. I checked the temp and humidity most days and it never changed too much. I don't know whats up.

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Ive heard those hovabators are bad news. Next year I would go with something else.

Normally I would say incubator.. but you said the normals were fine. Were they all one clutch? Were the normals on one side, or any way that they would get different conditions?

....sometimes it just happens unfortunately.

I would point fingers at the incubator or incubation technique if they all hatched deformed, but seeings this was not the case....

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Originally Posted by JasonG

Ive heard those hovabators are bad news. Next year I would go with something else.

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Not always :colbert:.I used them and never had a single problem.To the OP sadly it happens sometimes the babies dont complete the development :(

Sorry about your clutch. :( If you have more than ONE badly kinked PASTEL in a clutch -- it is almost surely to be a HIGH TEMP problem (95+ degrees for more than 48 hrs.)

I would not trust what your temps are telling you -- your clutch is telling you something different. I would advise going wih a more substantial cooker next season. My 2 cents. Best of luck. :)

Hovabators are ok if you use a tub with a lid inside and a good thermostat.

Having said that I might mention I have never used one except for the last few days of incubation when sometimes I will put them on cam and do live streaming, letting people see them hatching online.

A friend just produced 4 normals and 3 mojave. All three mojave had kinked tails. 2 are being sold as pets as it's only minor. the other one had to be put to sleep :(

Beautiful animals. it was a sin. I had heard from some people that sometimes genes just don't agree.
Try the same pairing next year. if you get the same problem than you can prove it to be a genetics issue between mommy and daddy? But I found very little info to back this theory.