Help please! Eggs pipped, but they aren't coming out!

[CandiceM]

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are first time breeders. We wanted to start with some regular ball pythons to see how we did.

To avoid verifying obvious info, our process was as follows;
- Both male and female were appropriate weight to start
- We successfully produced a clutch of 5 fertile eggs, no slugs
- We took them from the female and placed in moist vermiculite substrate, buried about ½ way
- We did not shake, role, flip or otherwise disrupt the contents
- We have kept them in an incubator at 88°F
- After 56 days, we were advised it was okay to cut the eggs, but we waited until day 58 (none had pipped on their own, which was a concern, but we had also read that it was dangerous to let them go over 60 days)
- Without removing the eggs from their substrate, we gently cut a section about the size of a toonie off each, careful not to tear the amniotic sac or veins
- Then we waited for them to emerge
- We have continued keeping them in the incubator (it circulates air from the room, so no, they are not being deprived of oxygen)

We have now been waiting 5 days. We can see that they are alive (moving in their eggs) but none are coming out. The amniotic fluid is becoming cloudy and starting to smell. We decided to sacrifice one and try helping him out. We rinsed him but did not cut the umbilical cord from the yolk sac and placed him in a small container with a moist paper towel. He died. We have spoken to a friend who breeds hundreds and says he has never had this problem. I am afraid they might all die if they don’t soon come out on their own.

Has anyone else had this happen? We are open to any advice people might have. I am going to be very sad if we lose them all!

[llovelace]

Leave them alone!!!!!! they will come out once they absorb their yolk, they are fine.

[llovelace]

just add some saline solution to the coudy eggs, just make sure it's the same temp as the eggs.

[llovelace]

btw Welcome to BP.net
Now that you are here and patiently waitiing for your babies to emerge, I suggest reading through the breeding forum, you will finds tons of helpful info.

[zoomin31]

I cut mine on day 52 and the last one didn't leave the egg until day 61. I incubated at 89 though not sure if the one degree could push them back a few more days. I am sure the more experienced will chime in soon. Good luck

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[angllady2]

I went through the same thing with mine.

What I did was to keep flushing the eggs with purified water daily. This keeps bacterial growth down and gives the babies time to finish developing. If yours are already starting to smell, this means that bacteria is already taking over.

Fill an empty needle-less syringe with purified water or Ringer's Lactate if you can find it. Flush each egg gently with the solution. Once you have rinsed out each egg, gently make a small nick in the membrane and let the fluid begin to drain. The babies won't start to metabolize their yolk until they start breathing air.

Place the clean eggs on wet paper towels in a clean container and place it back in the incubator. Twice a day, use the syringe to gently moisten the eggs and babies, being careful not to fill the eggs too full or too suddenly so you don't accidentally drown a baby. The eggs must stay moist. Change the paper towels and wash the container every two days.

In a few short days, the babies will metabolize their yolks and hatch. I did this exact thing, and have 5 healthy babies now.

Gale

[adamjeffery]

Ball pythons will stay in the egg another 5-10 days after slitting. just leave them alone and they will emerge. dont ever remove a baby from the egg as you have found out, they can die.
adam jeffery

[Don]

I went through the same thing with mine.

What I did was to keep flushing the eggs with purified water daily. This keeps bacterial growth down and gives the babies time to finish developing. If yours are already starting to smell, this means that bacteria is already taking over.

Fill an empty needle-less syringe with purified water or Ringer's Lactate if you can find it. Flush each egg gently with the solution. Once you have rinsed out each egg, gently make a small nick in the membrane and let the fluid begin to drain. The babies won't start to metabolize their yolk until they start breathing air.

Place the clean eggs on wet paper towels in a clean container and place it back in the incubator. Twice a day, use the syringe to gently moisten the eggs and babies, being careful not to fill the eggs too full or too suddenly so you don't accidentally drown a baby. The eggs must stay moist. Change the paper towels and wash the container every two days.

In a few short days, the babies will metabolize their yolks and hatch. I did this exact thing, and have 5 healthy babies now.

Gale

Good advice!

[CandiceM]

Thanks everyone for the advice, much appreciated!

We will definately go ahead and rinse them then, I was scared it would hurt them!

Looking forward to chatting and learning more in the forums

[pamby13]

thanks everyone for the advice, much appreciated!

We will definately go ahead and rinse them then, i was scared it would hurt them!

Looking forward to chatting and learning more in the forums

i am going through this same thing! Great advice everyone!