Dealing with the unexpected...(Hatchlings)

Hello Everyone,

I thought it would be a great idea to have a thread dedicated to all the unforeseen events you've all come across when hatching out new ball pythons or any snake for that matter. What was the problem? How did you deal with it? Did it work? What would you do differently if it occurred again?

I can think of a few threads I can see in here, such as Tim's experience with Grace; more recently Loft Lizard's pastel difficulties.

These threads IMO are some of the most informative and interesting things I've read on this site. It's a shame for them to be buried along with the rest. If you would like to participate please post your experience and/or the original thread you created to discuss it. If there is enough information here perhaps one of the mods/admin will sticky it to the advanced husbandry or breeding forum.

No clutches yet from me so its up to you folks to share the knowledge! :D

Rich,
You know me. I'm all about sharing my experiences. As soon as we have a problem this year (I hope we don't, but with so many eggs, something is bound to happen), I will be sure to come back to this thread.

p.s. I also love to hear about the problems and solutions. If everything always went right, we wouldn't learn a thing.

Thanks Tim,

I hope you don't mind, but I included links to your threads about Grace.

Initial Thread (Graphic Images)
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=53378

Update #1
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=54968

Update #2
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56124

I think this thread is a FABULOUS idea. The only thing I would add is when links are posted to other thread, add a one or two sentence summary, so someone looking here can know if it might apply to their situation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by muddoc

You know me. I'm all about sharing my experiences. As soon as we have a problem this year (I hope we don't, but with so many eggs, something is bound to happen), I will be sure to come back to this thread.

---

But you have had issues this year! Not with hatchlings, but with eggs, and IMHO that belongs in this thread or one like it. A torn egg that was leaking, and power loss resulting in a dip in incubation temps. BTW, I think you said at least some of the eggs that had the temp drop had hatched out ok, but I don't remember seeing any update on the leaky egg. Can you update us on those please (or give me the link if I've missed it)?
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=67199

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kc261

I think this thread is a FABULOUS idea. The only thing I would add is when links are posted to other thread, add a one or two sentence summary, so someone looking here can know if it might apply to their situation.



But you have had issues this year! Not with hatchlings, but with eggs, and IMHO that belongs in this thread or one like it. A torn egg that was leaking, and power loss resulting in a dip in incubation temps. BTW, I think you said at least some of the eggs that had the temp drop had hatched out ok, but I don't remember seeing any update on the leaky egg. Can you update us on those please (or give me the link if I've missed it)?
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=67199

---

Casey,
My apologies for no updates on the torn egg. The egg sealed up after 1 day, and filled out fine. We just cut that clutch of eggs yesterday, and all of the babies look great. I think the torn egg contains an Enchi. When they crawl out, I'll post pics of the hatchlings.

As for the dip, we have hatched out 7 clutches so far that were involved in the temp drop. Out of over 40 eggs, only one snake died in the egg after we cut it, and I don't attribute it to the power failure, as the other 7 eggs hatched fine. Probably was just a developemental issue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by muddoc

As for the dip, we have hatched out 7 clutches so far that were involved in the temp drop. Out of over 40 eggs, only one snake died in the egg after we cut it, and I don't attribute it to the power failure, as the other 7 eggs hatched fine. Probably was just a developemental issue.

---

Post it anyways Tim. More to learn.

While it was not hatched by us we did have an issue with a hatchling we purchased at a reptile show. Should have known better than to buy hatchlings before they took their first meal, but two lesser sibling females from a lesser that came straight from the original platty daddy at $40.00 for both was too tempting considering each has 50% chance of having the hidden gene!

Well one ate just fine for us, but the other had not eaten since birth 3 months ago and was starting to drop weight (a couple of grams a week.) We had started attempting assist feed about a week ago every two or three days and was not having any luck. Today we figured we had to go more drastic as she had dropped below 35 grams. We did our first force feed with a pinky mouse. It was a little hairy trying to make sure we got it down far enough that she would not be able to readily spit it up! We got it to the point that the tail tip was just able to stick out of the corner of the mouth and then let the snake do the rest. So far we are 8 hours later and the little lump of the pinky seems to be gone which we figure means the pinky is down to the center of the snake. Checked her enclosure and no signs of regurgitation. I just hope we don't have to do this again, but from what I have heard you have to do it a couple of times normally.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gloryhound

While it was not hatched by us we did have an issue with a hatchling we purchased at a reptile show. Should have known better than to buy hatchlings before they took their first meal, but two lesser sibling females from a lesser that came straight from the original platty daddy at $40.00 for both was too tempting considering each has 50% chance of having the hidden gene!

---

sorry to burst your bubble here but neither of them will have the hidden gene....the normal clutchmates of the lesser(from the platty) will have the hidden gene but the lessers in the clutch wont...a clutch from a platty you get lessers and hidden gene normals, the lessers arer not carrying the hidden gene or they would be plattys.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by veedubz

sorry to burst your bubble here but neither of them will have the hidden gene....the normal clutchmates of the lesser(from the platty) will have the hidden gene but the lessers in the clutch wont...a clutch from a platty you get lessers and hidden gene normals, the lessers arer not carrying the hidden gene or they would be plattys.

---

The thread is not about genetics, but the hidden gene is believed at this time to be dependent recessive. The lesser gene is co-dom. If a pastel albino is bred to a normal 50% of offspring should be pastel and all the offspring will be het for albino. Only difference here is that inorder to become visual not only do both parents have to be hets, but a second gene has to be pressent such as the lesser or butter gene.

Well, I suppose it was trouble with a good outcome... Here are the threads on my rescued pastel male BP 'SunSpot':

Original thread:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=57337

Follow up thread:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=57559

He's doing GREAT now! A major pig who hasn't missed a single meal with me yet, weighs in at over 260g, and seems to be keeping his color! He just snuck in a shed on me this morning and is still as bright as ever. :)

My other rescue BP, Hera, from the Vicks idiot upstairs, is doing quite well so far. She shed a few days ago, in pieces of course, and had to be soaked but she ended up getting it all off. Her eye caps still look bad...but I think that'll take a few more sheds to clear up.

i LOVE this thread!!!

Last season, I had 3 hatchlings(2 pastels and a normal, I think) that didn't want to shed. They ate, did everything normally, just no shedding. After a month went by, they started to shed, but there was excess fluid in between the old skin and the new skin. It made their eyes bulgy, and the new skin was very friable(easily broken). I had to hand shed them all, and their new skin was a bit flaky. They all shed fine the next go around, and none of the other hatchlings had any problems. I kept them all the same, on moist paper towels.

Why can't they all just read the book?

Last year, I had too much condensation inside of my egg boxes. I melted some holes into the egg boxes with a soldering iron. The temps and humidity in the boxes are, and were, spot-on and I hatched my eggs with a 100% hatch rate. The probes for my thermostat and thermometers/hygrometers are inside the boxes though, not just inside of the incubator, so everything stays just fine.

How about how to deal with unexpected eggs? LOL

Thats what happened to me, and with some major help from a friend, i got a Cooler type incubator set up with a herpstat T-stat and doing a great job. 3 weeks left!

Best thing to do in that situation is to make sure the temps in moms enclosure are appropriate for egg hatching, and she will do the rest while you get your stuff together for an incubator.

i dont know anything about breeding but i have a question,why get an incubator why not just let mom do her thing and hatch her babies herself?

sorry if thats a dumb question...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by crystal

i dont know anything about breeding but i have a question,why get an incubator why not just let mom do her thing and hatch her babies herself?

sorry if thats a dumb question...

---

Nah, I dont think its a dumb question- I asked the same thing just a few months or so ago. Its because after laying the eggs, mom is pretty small and looking.. Not so good- so most people wan to get them back on feed as quick;y as possible to recover faster.

Thats what I was told :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by crystal

i dont know anything about breeding but i have a question,why get an incubator why not just let mom do her thing and hatch her babies herself?

sorry if thats a dumb question...

---

The mothers health is one reason and another reason is a higher success ratio with the hatching of eggs when an incubator is used. Mom doing the work gets between a 60 to 70 percent success ratio while the incubator gives a 90+ percent. These are of course rough numbers given to me by a breeder since we are still awaiting our first eggs. We got started late and while the girl has grown follicles and no more locks are occurring, we have not witnessed ovulation, but she has recently shed!

I just wanted to link this thread here because not only am I very thankful Susan (daaang) shared the experience with us, but Tim also had some good info about pairings which resulted in deformed hatchlings.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=71260

Thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences in this thread.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Last season, I had 3 hatchlings(2 pastels and a normal, I think) that didn't want to shed. They ate, did everything normally, just no shedding. After a month went by, they started to shed, but there was excess fluid in between the old skin and the new skin. It made their eyes bulgy, and the new skin was very friable(easily broken). I had to hand shed them all, and their new skin was a bit flaky. They all shed fine the next go around, and none of the other hatchlings had any problems. I kept them all the same, on moist paper towels.

Why can't they all just read the book?

---

I have 3 that are doing that too me now - they hatched 3 weeks ago. It's 2 normals and a pastel (that's wierd!) I'm gonna set them up separately and feed them... Maybe I'll get a warm wet towel and see if I can gently get them started....