Beginning of our 1st clutch ever! :'(

[RichsBallPythons]

How did you incubate. This can be helpful for preventing eggs from diminishing like that and or deformities.

[ClarkT]

They started out in a small incubator where the temp could only maintain them at 86-87.

Half way through, we got our upright freezer incubator up and going, where inside the tubs, now, it maintains 88.2-89.6.

The last one seems to be doing fine. He's just taking his time to absorb and emerge. It's day 64 now...Patience, grasshopper....

[RichsBallPythons]

How were the tubs setup.

[ClarkT]

Well, now I wonder about patience vs. actively doing something...

The last one didn't absorb the yolk and died. He pipped on day 63. We removed the top of the egg. It looked just fine. the umbilical cord was not twisted at all. It just didn't absorb.

Should I have taken it out, cut the cord, and force fed it some yolk? How would I have known it was going too long without absorbing? What do you do when they don't seem to be absorbing the yolk? How long do you give them?

Btw, it was a smokin little mojo. Had some really unique pattern on its back. No, I didn't get pics of it. I should have, but I'm just too bummed.

Heckuva first clutch. It really discourages me to keep going with it. We have another due anytime to lay. She's on day 32 from POS. Another 3 girls are still locking up and have follicles...

The tubs are substrateless. I have easter egg halves holding up the egg crate. Humidity is 90%-100%. Water never comes in contact with the eggs.

Our other 2 clutches are doing just fine. Temps are good, they have been very steady. Humidity looks great. They candle great.

[dr del]

Don't beat yourself up over this as there may very well have been nothing you could have done.

There are many developmental problems that would only be a problem when the snake reached the stage of pipping and breathing on its own.

The mention of the unique back pattern might hint that is suffered a lesser form of the problem the other one did.

Tying off the umbilical can be done successfully ( see Muddoc's threads for info on these things ) but I wouldn't have tried to force feed the yolk I don't think.


dr del