two eggs dying

[wwmjkd]

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the "advanced husbandry" forum, but here goes.

My kingpin laid eight good eggs last Friday, and unfortunately it looks like two of them did not prove viable after all. These two have started to die and decay, mold has started to form on them, and the smell of rot is faintly discernible upon opening the egg box. This is my first clutch, so I am really at a loss as to what I should do, especially since they won't even pip until late June/early July. I have gathered that keeping all the eggs intact is the best course of action, and that leaving any dying/dead eggs attached is preferable to separating the clutch if they're stuck together (which they are). However, given then fact that this is my first clutch, I don't have any experience to draw on, and I would really appreciate any input that could help allay my concerns of losing the whole damn lot.

Thanks in advance.

[SlitherinSisters]

I had the same thing happen my first year. The rest of the eggs will be fine if you can't take the bad eggs out. The bad eggs will not "infect" good eggs. What do the veins in the rest of the eggs look like and is your verm plenty wet? I would soak that stuff since your eggs aren't sitting in it.

[wwmjkd]

I had the same thing happen my first year. The rest of the eggs will be fine if you can't take the bad eggs out. The bad eggs will not "infect" good eggs. What do the veins in the rest of the eggs look like and is your verm plenty wet? I would soak that stuff since your eggs aren't sitting in it.

Thanks for the response. I was actually worried the humidity might be too high. I mixed the vermiculite with the standard "just enough water so that it clumps but doesn't drip" standard. I can spray it down further if that might help arrest any further decay.

Also, the rest of the eggs still candle with good veins.

[Skilla6000]

In your egg box you can have 100% humidity so I can't see that being too high.

[GPreptiles]

I would still separate them (last year I had that happen), it's pretty easy to do and you won't have to smell it everytime you open the eggbox. But if you don't want to, the rest should do fine.

[Annarose15]

With how wrinkled your eggs look, I would agree that the humidity is probably a little low. The "clumps but doesn't drip" rule of thumb applies mainly to placing the eggs directly in the substrate. Don't spray them, just pour some water into one corner to beef the humidity up a little. I would attempt to remove the bad eggs if they feel like they will peel off easily, but leave them if they still feel pretty stuck.

[SlitherinSisters]

I would soak your verm just to play it safe. I like having it super wet so I don't have to wonder if my perlite is drying out if I don't check on it for a week or so. This is what my perlite looks like throughout incubation, very very wet.

[RichieBoo]

I know your tub is open and your humidity is reading 51 .....What are u keeping the humidity at. I have the same set up I put Gatorade caps in the vermiculite and then the grate on top of them so the bottom of the eggs are on top of the grate and not getting wet.. my humidity is 99..just thought I would share.

[joebad976]

Substrate looks pretty dry to me. I suggest adding some water.