Incubator question, use the fridge or the freezer?

[SlitherinSisters]

Alright, I went down to check on her while I was converting the incubator and I'm positive I'll have eggs next week!

I picked her up to put some new newspaper in, although, now I'm thinking I should get some aspen in there since all the egg pictures I've seen have been with aspen.




You can see her V shape starting! I didn't feel for eggs, because it makes me really nervous. She does feel REALLY full and heavy for not eating since Feb 9th.

[Pinoy Pythons]

I definitely see some tail sucking there! Goodluck Steph!

[rabernet]

Stephanie - when she starts to lay coiled with her tail inside her coils instead of outside - it's going to be SOON!

I used Hatchrite my first season - no light grate.

I use straight Perlite now - mixed to the same consistency as Hatchrite - no grate. No problems with either method!

In fact, watch your eggs with the Hatchrite - if they start dimpling noticeably in the first 30 days, add a teaspoon of water to two corners of the egg tub.

You want to be able to feel slight moisture on the pack of your hand when you touch the Hatchrite - you can feel it better on the back of your hand, I've found.

[SlitherinSisters]

Stephanie - when she starts to lay coiled with her tail inside her coils instead of outside - it's going to be SOON!

I used Hatchrite my first season - no light grate.

I use straight Perlite now - mixed to the same consistency as Hatchrite - no grate. No problems with either method!

In fact, watch your eggs with the Hatchrite - if they start dimpling noticeably in the first 30 days, add a teaspoon of water to two corners of the egg tub.

You want to be able to feel slight moisture on the pack of your hand when you touch the Hatchrite - you can feel it better on the back of your hand, I've found.

Thank Robin! I've been watching for her tail to be in the middle when she's coiled, but so far she's been keeping it on the outside. I can't wait to find her tail in the middle!

[Jason Bowden]

I use straight vermiculite(coarse grade from Uline.com) without the light grate and have never had a problem. In 3 seasons, I've only lost 2 eggs and they may not have been fertile(I didn't candle the eggs in that clutch---7 out of 9 eggs hatched/2 bad). My females also lay fine on news paper. I do have plans to put some or most of my snakes back on aspen though. I finally found the fine shredded aspen at a pet store. Petsmart's aspen has been of a low quality, etc for a couple of years. Their aspen hasn't been the fine shredded stuff that I used to get there.
Best of luck with your clutch!

[SlitherinSisters]

I use straight vermiculite(coarse grade from Uline.com) without the light grate and have never had a problem. In 3 seasons, I've only lost 2 eggs and they may not have been fertile(I didn't candle the eggs in that clutch---7 out of 9 eggs hatched/2 bad). My females also lay fine on news paper. I do have plans to put some or most of my snakes back on aspen though. I finally found the fine shredded aspen at a pet store. Petsmart's aspen has been of a low quality, etc for a couple of years. Their aspen hasn't been the fine shredded stuff that I used to get there.
Best of luck with your clutch!

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure if our pet stores have the fine stuff either. I know I've seen the larger pieces in one of them. Maybe I'll just try newspaper and see what happens.

[rabernet]

Stephanie - all mine last year were laid on paper, my first clutch this season was laid on paper as well!

[SlitherinSisters]

Stephanie - all mine last year were laid on paper, my first clutch this season was laid on paper as well!

Oh awesome! I won't bother with aspen then! Thanks again Robin!