Genetic? (Warning: Graphic Image Inside)

[Jay_Bunny]

This past season I only bred one female, Sadis. I bred her to my 100% het pied normal male, Xefaud. Sadis laid 3 fertile eggs and 1 slug. Incubation for these eggs was near perfect. Day 60 was 8/29. I incubated at 88.0-88.3 and I cut on day 61. Once I cut the eggs, I found one of the eggs to hold a very tiny baby. I was concerned but left the egg alone. On 9/2 a healthy, 66g female normal hatched. That same day I checked on the small hatchling. I nudged it gently with my finger and there was no response. Fearing the worst, I cut the egg open further and found the baby had a twisted umbilicus. I removed the baby from the egg. The baby was severely kinked. I tied off the umbilicus and cut it. During this entire process, the baby was limp and not very responsive. He weighed only 27g. After weighing him, he had gone completely limp and not responsive. I put him in the freezer after taking a picture.

The third baby to hatch out has a small kink near her tail and one of her eyes looks small, but other than that she appears healthy. Now I'm wondering if the father of this clutch may have something genetically wrong with him. I've only bred him once before to a different female. That female laid 6 eggs. During incubation, all but two died off. The remaining two went to term, but one died before hatching. It had severe kinking and was missing one eye. The last hatchling had a kink in his neck and was never able to eat. He died 3 months later. Xefaud actually passed away in February from unknown causes.

Of the two remaining hatchings we pan on keeping the kinked one and rehoming the other with the condition she not be bred. The kinked one we are keeping will not be bred either.

With all this bad luck with his hatchlings and his death this year, I have to wonder if this may be some kind of genetic defect he had.

[Don]

It could be that your thermostat had the wrong reading or was inaccurate. Did you have other thermometers to test the temps?

[Jay_Bunny]

I had an accurite thermometer with the probe inside the egg box.

[Kaorte]

Since it happened twice, and the sire passed away for seemingly no reason, it leads me to believe it is genetic.

I'm very sorry for your loss It seems like everyone has been having crappy luck this year. Maybe just more people are breeding and posting about their birth defects then they have in recent years.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Here's to next year being better.

By the way, I hate to have to mention it, but freezing is not a humane method of euthanasia for reptiles. They do not lose consciousness when it gets cold.

[I-KandyReptiles]

Here's to next year being better.

By the way, I hate to have to mention it, but freezing is not a humane method of euthanasia for reptiles. They do not lose consciousness when it gets cold.

By the way he worded it, I'm pretty sure the snake was dead before it was put in the freezer.

If not, then yes, freezing a reptile is in humane.

Sorry to hear about your babies. This will be my first year and after seeing all the incubation issues and twisted umbilicus, I'm a bit nervous.

Hope everything goes well for you this year

[Jay_Bunny]

The baby was absolutely lifeless by the time I put him in the freezer.

There's no reason to be nervous. Things happen. It comes with breeding any animal. Just make sure your breeding animals are healthy and your incubator holds a steady temp and the rest is up to nature. Even though I had one baby from this clutch die, I have two healthy ones.

[seeya205]

Sorry for your loss! Your sire must of had an internal defect. I agree with you, I also believe something genetic was being passed on. Get a nice male from a well known breeder and best of luck next year!

[angllady2]

I am sorry for your loss. Goodness knows I had my share of hard times this season, and it's only my second breeding.

But believe me when I say, as bad as the heartbreak can be, the joy from hatching a perfect baby makes it worthwhile.

I am also of the opinion something must have been wrong with the male that you just could not see. Here is to next season being better for us all.

Gale