Cut eggs?

If you cut the egg how do you know if the cord is twisted or not? And if it is what do you do?

I havent had a twisted cord yet and hopefully i never do. But i know theres a few videos on youtube showing what to do when you have a twisted cord. Kobylka has one and i think it might be part of his pro tips

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

If you cut the egg how do you know if the cord is twisted or not? And if it is what do you do?

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While my main worry is more regarding drowning issues due to missing egg tooth, twisted umbilicals happen too (not often but they do) and it's a little more tricky to deal with as the hatchling becomes very weak and due to this weakness will likely not make it out of the egg.


This is a good article on the subject http://www.worldofballpythons.com/fi...o/DSC_0029.jpg

Now even than it does not mean the hatchling will make it but at least as a breeder you know you have tried your best.

I never cut my eggs unless all have pipped and one hasn't. Eggs are a sealed germ free environment. If you have ever smelled eggs that have been open for a bit you find that bacteria sets in pretty quick. In the wild no one ever cuts an egg and yet they have survived just fine for millions of years, lol.

I have never had a snake that couldn't get out of his egg or drowned or caught in his cord but I have heard of several folks cutting eggs and loosing the snake or the snake coming out prematurely and not absorbing the yolk sac and having other problems.

IMO people cut because they lack patience. Once again I never cut unless someone is way behind and I have had some eggs take 7 days longer than others but I have never had an un-absorbed yolk sac.;)

Mostly I cut to help survive. If I see eggs where their siblings have pipped or even left the egg and they still have not pipped, I'll cut a small hole to give them some help. I won't deny that I am quite curious to know what each egg holds, but I try to give them a chance to do it on their own.

Yes it is true eggs dont get cut in the wild and they survive. But how many dont? In the wild they dont live in ideal conditions and they survive. Yet we spend all this time and money making sure everything is perfect. In the wild no one is there to treat for parasites and bugs yet we do in captivity. Just because a species has survived in the wild isnt the greatest argument to dictate captive tactics. Yes i agree impatience is a driving force with cutting eggs but it also stacks the odds in your favor for more good then bad outcomes. More babies die from drowning and twisted cords then they do from bacteria forming in the cut egg. Plus if you do it in day 52 to 58 they arent gonna hang out too long in there and if they stay in over 4 days then kick em out of their home. They will be just fine.

I cut as soon as the first baby pips for both curiosity and to prevent any problems.

I also cut after the first couple of eggs pip. I do want to see what I got, but also check for any issues.
Someone mentioned hatchlings emerging before they absorbed their yolk sac. This happens occasionally, but it doesn't happen only with cut eggs. Hatchlings that cut their own egg seem equally likely to make this mistake. I have never lost one yet as a result, however. I haven't seen any sign that cutting the eggs makes this more likely.

I voted do not cut for any reason.

I have never bred ball pythons (yet). But I have bred an assortment of colubrid snakes. I've never cut any of them and have no intention of changing that strategy for any other species.

Unfortunately I had to vote "Don't breed at all" but I plan on breeding in the future. I probably won't cut unless someone is far behind and the siblings have already pipped a few days prior. This is mostly just because I'm afraid I would mess something up and accidentally kill the baby :(