Post 2,000 and I need help now more then ever!!!

Was hoping to post pics of my new hatchlings with my 2,000th post, but you get this instead.

My eggs are on day 55. Friday is day 56.

The eggs are still deflating a little each day. One of them has defated so much that it has a big crease on the top. There is also a few new black spots on two of the eggs... just little spots, but they are there. One of the black spots looks like a black "line" in the egg... almost like the snake tried to cut out but didn't make it all the way thru.

They have been incubating at 88.5 degrees in near 100% humidity using the substrateless method. They started to heat up on I believe Sunday... because that is when I first noticed the condensation on the side of the tub.

I candled them last night. two of them responded to the light and moved a tiny bit, but none of them moved nearly as much as they normally do.

What do I do? Should I cut just to be safe?? or should I leave them alone just to be safe?? what way is safe?!!!

If I should cut them, can someone PLEASE give me step by step directions on how to do so.

Thanks for all your help guys. These dam things better live!!!!!

Yeah cut them...Pinch the top of the egg together and cut the fold straight across about an inch.

If you are really that stress about it, I say cut.

A little tip before cutting candle your eggs and try to see where the veins are (you can mark them with a pencil if you want to) than proceed to cut slowly and carefully.

http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/ma...tting_eggs.asp

Go ahead and cut them if you want. Not too much, maybe just slit an inch or two long, doesn't really take much. When I cut eggs, I use a mustache scissors (small and sharp) and I cut with the edge of the scissors rather then poking the point into them. Cut real shallow so you don't cut any veins.

From what I have seen id cut check this video he doesnt explain, but its a good view!!!

YouTube - Henry Piorun views Lesser/enchi/sugar X Banded Female Ball Python clutch

he has a few more that show also ralph davis

I always worry about the texture of the eggs, like if they are soft enough for the babies to slit... But I'm always worried about everything! LOL :oops:

I'm pretty sure that at day 52 it's real safe to cut, but I know it all depends on temps...
*Someone please correct me if I'm wrong*

I had 3 out of 6 pip last week on day 52... so I slit the last 3. I just gently pinched the top of the egg to make a fold, and made a tiny cut with cuticle scissors on the fold... that was it! I'm sure everything will work out great! BREATHE! :hug:!

Mike these are the exact instructions shared with me by a major breeder. I did this last year and every one of the snakes came out beautifully with no excessive bleeding from the cut egg and with fully absorbed yolks.

Take the eggs in the egg box into a dark area, candle them and put a light pencil line on an area where you see no major veins and the snake is out of the way.

Return to a well lit area, find your pencil line, pinch it slightly to raise it up. Cut carefully using small curved cuticle scissors creating a V. Enlarge as needed then cut off the bottom of the V creating a nice neat triangular opening. Very gently squeeze the egg to express a small amount of the liquid out of the egg. Gently wipe away any egg goop that comes out with a paper towel.

Replace the egg in the egg box in it's original position.

Once the eggs are cut and until all the snakes are fully out of their eggs, open the egg box and gently mist the eggs once or twice daily. I kept a small mister bottle right in the incubator so the temps of that water matched the incubator temps.

Hope this helped. :)

P.S. I was literally shaking and terrified the first time I cut into an egg. It does get way easier with practise.

Heh,

I dropped one of mine and kicked it under the table carrying it from the incubator to the table I was going to cut it on. :oops: :slamhead:

Luckily the lil spud forgave me. :cool:

I don't recommend that by the way.


dr del

I no nothing about eggs so sorry for the silly questions. But when he does that, why dont they start moving around? Does anyone have a site that explains a snake from first layed eggs to when they are ready to pip? Im curious as to how they grow, and the veins/blood he was talking about. Thanks

Hi,

Mine moved when I prodded them in the egg.

I got a bit caried away when I was cutting mine (first time for practice ) so there is a good shot of the veins through the sunroof I installed.


The one glaring at me is the one I dropped. :oops:

http://satanswombat.googlepages.com/eggcutting3.jpg

And you can see the veins in this one quite well;

http://satanswombat.googlepages.com/eggcutting2.jpg

Next time I will be just making the small slits everyone sensible recommends. :rolleyes:


dr del

Last year I seemed to notice that the snakes started moving a lot less in the last few days before they hatched, than in the weeks prior to that. I'd agree with everyone else and say to go ahead and lop those tops off if you are done playing the waiting game, but I'd also add that they are probably perfectly fine in there, and not to let the lack of movement worry you too much.

I will probably cut them tonight when I get home from work (10:30 pm eastern time).

50% is genuine concern for the current state of the eggs (the black spots, the continuing deflating, the creasing, the lack of movement). The other 50% I must admit is me just me not being able to stand it any more, and honestly believing from what I have read over the last 2 years that it won't hurt at this stage.

I noticed that some recomend just a straight cut, and others recomend more of a V cut. The link provided to Ralph Davis's eggs show pictures of both techniques. Any thoughts on what way is better and why??? I am assuming it is just personal preference, but curious to know if there is more to it.

Thank you SOOOO much for all your usefull replies!!!!

Hi,

I think it is as simple as a slit letting the snakes out fine but a V making it easier for the owner to examine the snake in the egg.

But I also think it would be easier to make the slit too short than it would be to make a V shaped cut too tight. I'm sure I read apost saying something about that somewhere, I will try to find it for you.


dr del

thanks for your help del! I have been searching this subject all day long and haven't found much... not very good at searching these forums tho.

Good lord,

That was a painful search - I finally had to resort to google. :rolleyes:

It was a post by Wilomn I had read it in;

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wilomn

One thing about tiny holes, though yours do look big enough, is that ball python heads are so wide they can poke their heads out but not get them back in if the holes are too small possibly leading to choking and stress.

I always cut a V shape so there is no problem with them withdrawing their heads when they want to.

Cool stuff, just a few more days now.

---

dr del

Here's the two different cuts.

http://www.metalmonkeyexotics.com/images/linecut.jpg

http://www.metalmonkeyexotics.com/images/vcut.jpg

And an egghead saying hello! :D

http://www.metalmonkeyexotics.com/images/snorkle.jpg

I cut mine last season on day 55 and they had not deflated any at all. My wife nearly had a cow when all that clear jelly came pouring out. But they were out and about in two days.Best of luck with the snipping.

Good luck Mike! Keep us posted.

Did you cut them last night? If so any pics of the babies inside?