First baby is out, do I leave him in or take him out?

[Lana's_mom]

Well the only baby to pip its head out so far crawled out of the egg this morning. So my question is do I leave it in the incubator until the other 2 come out or do I take him out and put him in a tub? The tubs are set up, do the paper towels need to be damp or do I leave them dry?

One other question, is there a point when people reach in the egg and get the baby's head out? I have NOT done this, but am wondering about the other 2 babies since they have not pipped. They both appear to be bigger than the little one who came out on its own today. Today is day 61 and the have been incubated at 88-89 degrees.

[TheSnakeEye]

You can take him out or leave him in there, it really doesn't matter. If you're using the grate be careful! If not he'll be fine in there. Also, if you're worried about the other two and it's day 61, why don't you cut the eggs yourself?

[TJ_Burton]

I generally leave them all together until they are all finished hatching. Once they are all out, I'd move them into a clean bin with damp substrate and place them back into the incubator until they are all done their first shed. At that point I'd move them into individual bins, give them a few days, and offer them their first meals.

[Don]

I remove the egg as they come out and put in a small water bowl. Once they all come out, I put them in a new clean 6 qt container with a damp paper towel in the bottom (with the water bowl). Then they go back into the incubator and stay there until their first shed. After their first shed, I move them to the baby rack.

[Slowcountry Balls]

I take them out of the incubator after they have come out of the egg. I used 6 qt shoe boxes in the incubator 6 quart shoe boxes in my hatchling rack. I keep up to 3 hatchlings in a 6 qt shoe box with paper towel substrate, a water bowl, and a hide until they have had their first shed. After their first shed, I move them each into their own 6 qt shoe box. As for the other 2 eggs, I would suggest cutting the eggs open. I waited for the first egg to pip in a clutch, then cut all the other eggs in that clutch open (with the exception of my first clutch and my 9th clutch, I was too impatient and cut them on day 50). Out of all my clutches, I did not loose any by cutting them (the only one I lost was in clutch #4, due to a twisted umbilical chord, it was dead by the time the first egg in that clutch pipped). So if you are on day 61, you should be fine to cut the eggs open. The hatchlings will most likely stick their heads out of the eggs within a day or 2 of you cutting the eggs.

[aalomon]

One other question, is there a point when people reach in the egg and get the baby's head out?

No. Its hard, but babies being a couple days apart isnt terribly unusual. Just let them be. The only reason to forcibly remove a baby is if there is a twisted umbilicus. Right now they sound fine. Its also hard, but try not to keep poking them to see if they are moving.

[Lana's_mom]

Thank you for all the advice. I moved the baby who is out to a bin in the rack with a water bowl and a hide on damp paper towels. The remaining eggs have been moved to a tub with wet paper towels with the grate and back into the incubator. I will do my best to leave them alone. Its hard, but I will try to only check on them in the morning and at night and not poke at them. At what point if they don't come out of the eggs do I do something? I cut the eggs on day 56.

[snakesRkewl]

Make sure the paper towels are very damp, not just damp but soaking wet damp.
I add water until there is too much, then drain it out of the corner of the tub until the excess is gone.

We pull them out of the egg tubs and into their own tubs as they emerge.
Occasionally when we have more hatchlings than single 6qt tubs we place a whole clutch into a 28qt tub until they shed and then they get their own tubs.