Eggs all stuck together - problem?

As you can see in the photo I have six eggs stuck together. I really didn't try to pull them apart and just put the whole clump in the tub. Is this a problem? Should I try to pull them apart?

Thanks.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...c/IMAG0247.jpg

No leave them. They stick together naturally so they do not roll.

They will be fine the only worry people should have is when you have several of them on the top of the other which would create an issue has the hatchlings at the bottom could pip in the egg above and could risk drowning if not caught on time, in that case I recommend separation either before starting to incubate on in the last days of incubation.

Given the position of your you will be good.

Leave them. Also, looking at the right side of your picture I can not tell if the egg is touching the side of the container. If it is, move it away just a little. You don't want condensation settling on the egg where it touches the side of the egg box. Good luck!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Don

Leave them. Also, looking at the right side of your picture I can not tell if the egg is touching the side of the container. If it is, move it away just a little. You don't want condensation settling on the egg where it touches the side of the egg box. Good luck!

---

There is space all the way around.

Speaking of condensation, I tested the incubator with tubs for several months and I noticed that the water evaporated with just the lids on. The lids do not form a tight seal and the vermiculite dried out.

Would it be better to add press 'n seal for several weeks or just carefully add water every other week? The eggs are not touching water or vermiculite.

You can do either. I use the regular lids, unless the clutch is large and would touch the lid, then I use press and seal. If it is a really big clutch, I use a 12 qt tub rather than a 6qt. If you use the lids, just check on them every once in a while and wipe the condensation off the bottom of the lid. Water dripping off the lid can ruin an egg.

The best thing about your method of incubation is that you can add water by pouring it in the corner (be careful not to get the eggs wet) of the egg box.

I always pull the eggs apart before putting them into the tub. Less chance of cross contamination with any infertile eggs that start to rot/mold. Also, better chance that you get equal humidity/temp to all the eggs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JayCee

I always pull the eggs apart before putting them into the tub. Less chance of cross contamination with any infertile eggs that start to rot/mold. Also, better chance that you get equal humidity/temp to all the eggs.

---

You don't need to worry about either of the concerns you've raised. An infertile egg cannot harm a fertile egg, and the humidity in the container is evenly distributed within the tub so each egg is surrounded by pretty much the exact same humidity.

After thinking about it I decided to use the press 'n seal on the egg tubs. I know from testing that the water in the tubs will evaporate and the humidity in the incubator will not stay at 100%. So rather than monitoring the tubs and having to add water I just sealed them up until day 50.

Thanks for the input. Hopefully they will hatch without any issues.

about how long does it take for the eggs to adhere to one another? is there any way of getting the eggs out before this happens or does it happen instantly? soory for posting on your thread

It happens VERY quickly--the first eggs will be adhered before the last are laid, and you don't want to disturb the female during the process.

I would leave them. I always leave them to incubate, and only remove slugs, or bad eggs as they show up. On the last couple of days of incubation, when the eggs begin to dimple and sweat, their texture changes, and they are usually easier to safely separate at that time--they seem, to me, to come apart much easier at that time, so that's when I pull the eggs out from underneath so the babies won't pip into other eggs.

There is a small risk that the roughened spots where the eggs are pulled apart could compromise the bacterial/mold barrier, so I prefer not to do it. With bad eggs, it seems there's also a point at which most of them are easier to separate from the others, though not always.