To cut, or not to cut. Help appreciated!

[JeffD]

Please keep us posted on progress..thanks

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[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I had one 2 years ago that had me worried. It was basically flat. That egg had a very thin and almost translucent shell. It had dimpled so much that I wondered how the baby had any room in there but like usual, that clutch (8 eggs) began to pip at 54-55 days and I cut them all. That baby was normal size and fine.

I imagine it was glad to be out of that cramped egg though!

I'm not sure why mine always pip so early compared to some others but I've never had a clutch go the full 60 days. Not from any female. I incubate in a large igloo cooler with bulbs mounted inside PVC pipe drilled full of large holes which snakes in a figure 8 from one end to the other. A computer fan mounted behind each bulb to push the heat throughout. Then an additional fan in the center to keep heat even in the incubator. All below a raised grate that my sealed egg boxes sit on which are set up with substrateless method to keep humidity close to 100%. Temp maintained at 98 degrees using a herpstat. It's a fairly controlled environment and I've never had any fluctuations. I replace fans and bulbs seasonly and they are very inexpensive.

Maybe this has something to do with my early pippers.

[SlitherinSisters]

I cut mine around day 52-54 without having any issues. I just feel better knowing that they aren't going to drown, and the cut eggs are really easy to care for. I keep a water bottle to mist the eggs once or twice a day to keep them wet and clean the gunk out.

[Matt K]

Please keep us posted on progress..thanks

sent from my EVO , with Tapatalk

I definitely will. Thanks for the interest!

I had one 2 years ago that had me worried. It was basically flat. That egg had a very thin and almost translucent shell. It had dimpled so much that I wondered how the baby had any room in there but like usual, that clutch (8 eggs) began to pip at 54-55 days and I cut them all. That baby was normal size and fine.

I imagine it was glad to be out of that cramped egg though!

I'm not sure why mine always pip so early compared to some others but I've never had a clutch go the full 60 days. Not from any female. I incubate in a large igloo cooler with bulbs mounted inside PVC pipe drilled full of large holes which snakes in a figure 8 from one end to the other. A computer fan mounted behind each bulb to push the heat throughout. Then an additional fan in the center to keep heat even in the incubator. All below a raised grate that my sealed egg boxes sit on which are set up with substrateless method to keep humidity close to 100%. Temp maintained at 98 degrees using a herpstat. It's a fairly controlled environment and I've never had any fluctuations. I replace fans and bulbs seasonly and they are very inexpensive.

Maybe this has something to do with my early pippers.

Sounds like a unique incubator setup--I'd love to see it! Just to clarify, do you mean 89 degrees?? It is funny how some people seem to have clutches go consistently long, and others consistently short, even at the same temperatures. I wonder if there's something to it? I wonder if the photoperiod the eggs see through the glass doors of fridge-incubators affect how long the snakes stay in there. No idea.

I cut mine around day 52-54 without having any issues. I just feel better knowing that they aren't going to drown, and the cut eggs are really easy to care for. I keep a water bottle to mist the eggs once or twice a day to keep them wet and clean the gunk out.

I managed to leave them alone today. Tomorrow is day 59. If I don't cut tomorrow, I might as well just leave them be. Cutting tomorrow would mean I have 2 full days before my trip to see how the eggs do. I'm just praying they pip. It seems like a lot of clutches that pip themselves are out and about in the following day or two. *twitch*

Haha, anywho, thanks again everyone! As I've said already the support and input is very much appreciated. Hopefully I'll wake up tomorrow morning to a nose or two, and if not, I might just have to break out the scissors. Hrmmmmmmm. Is patience a good or a bad thing in this case, that's the real dilemma. I have plenty of patience, I'm just not sure if I should use it here .

Cheers,
-Matt

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Ha! Yes I meant 89 not 98!

My incubator does have a fairly large window cut in the front. Plexiglass set in it and sealed with clear caulk. A light mounted inside with a switch on the outside so I can turn it on and see my boxes and eggs without opening the incubator. The whole thing is pretty cool.

[Matt K]

I woke up to a nose poking this morning!!!! I'm so excited! I'll keep everyone updated!


Cheers,
-Matt

[Matt K]

No Pieds, but still pretty good odds! I got two normals, a Pastel, and two Super Pastels! The normals both have really pronounced head spots, and from what I can tell, the Supers are really nice looking. I'll be posting a thread about it tomorrow!! Jeez, the whole thing is just SO COOL!!!


Cheers,
-Matt

[John1982]

Congratulations, it is supercool!

[mattchibi]

No Pieds, but still pretty good odds! I got two normals, a Pastel, and two Super Pastels! The normals both have really pronounced head spots, and from what I can tell, the Supers are really nice looking. I'll be posting a thread about it tomorrow!! Jeez, the whole thing is just SO COOL!!!


Cheers,
-Matt

Awesome to follow this thread and finally see hatchling results! Cant wait to see those pictuhas

[Matt K]

Finally got some pictures up! Thanks again everyone!

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...26#post1701926

Cheers,
-Matt