Bad season, or did I screw something up?

[Darkbird]

I realize bad seasons happen, but geez this is only my second year breeding. Last year I kind of chalked it up to my inexperience, since I only got one clutch. So this year I was a lot more diligent about the pairings and tracking and such. Well, all my girls have either layed really late or not at all, and of those clutches I've gotten so far, more than half have been mostly slugs, with only a single or a couple good eggs. Only 2 clutches out of I think 7 have been good, 5 good with 2 slugs and 9 good with 2 slugs. Now here's where it gets bad and I think I may have been the one who screwed thing up. I had issues last year with keeping humidity, so I went to sealed containers this year. I was venting them at least once a week, if not a little more, and the eggs looked great. Now I'm in the middle of moving, had a clutch hatch during the move, and forgot to vent the container when I noticed heads poking out. Stupid mistake on my part, and it cost me 2 or 3 hatchlings. I have also apparently lost a bunch that died just prior to hatching in different clutches. Looked like some may have had the umbilicus wrapped around them, but a lot never even pipped. The clutch of 9 had one die in the egg a few days before it was due, and lost 4 more that never pipped, even though I cut the remainder of the clutch as soon as the first two pipped. There are two left that seemed to be behind and are still alive, but I have no idea if they'll make it now. Only explanation I can come up with is a lack of sufficient oxygen towards the end. Or did I make some other obvious error?

[Albert Clark]

Sorry for your losses DB. It is always a work in progress to continue and go forward after something like this. But yeah, I would just say bad year and start over. There is always next season and the thing is to stay positive and keep moving forward. Your results can only improve going forward. Peace.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Dude that really sucks.
Just my thought would be to work on sealing the bator up better so you dont have to seal the tubs.
We all learn one season at a time.
I am an OCD with paper and a friend of mine doesnt track anything. He opens a tub and is all "oh I got eggs".....

[SamO]

Sorry to hear about your loss, have you considered this incubator design? It might solve your fresh air problem. I have an egg this year that smells bad but candles good. I worry about it, I think I'll start burping it more frequently.

[Darkbird]

This is the first time with this incubator. Converted commercial cooler, but yes I am going to do something different with the setup next year. It doesn't need much sealing, more like better heat setup and seal off the last couple holes from the refrigeration parts. I think I'll also go back to less sealed containers. Was more work last year but perfect hatch rate. Definitely not giving up, but it has been rough. So thanks for the encouragement.

[PitOnTheProwl]

How are you heating it?

[bondo]

This is the first time with this incubator. Converted commercial cooler, but yes I am going to do something different with the setup next year. It doesn't need much sealing, more like better heat setup and seal off the last couple holes from the refrigeration parts. I think I'll also go back to less sealed containers. Was more work last year but perfect hatch rate. Definitely not giving up, but it has been rough. So thanks for the encouragement.

Think of the incubator as a heat source only. The humidity it holds and heat mean absolutely nothing other then getting to the correct temperature. What matters are the tubs and the eggs. Sealed tubs are the only way period. What did you use for incubating? Vermiculite, perlite, diffuser, etc....? What were your temps and were they consistent or did they fluctuate? Did you take temps of the eggs? Incubator temp and egg temps are different.

What temps did you keep your snakes at during the breeding season?

[Darkbird]

Currently using the heating element from the modified hovabator I used for last year's clutch, with a herpstat1 basic for control. Temps inside were stable between 89.5-90°. Computer fan for air circulation to keep the temps even top to bottom. And no I didnt take separate egg temps this year, mostly because they were always within a half degree inside the egg tubs last year. I did have to move the whole setup about ten miles. The egg tubs were packed into a foam cooler, it was in the 80s that day, and they were only out of the incubator for less than 2 hours. And yes they were kept level the whole time. The eggs tubs were I believe Rubbermaid 2qt storage containers ( think Tupperware style, not throw away) with hatchrite for the media. Even though they never saw any temps lower than 85 during the move, which I got from the thermometer I had in the transport cooler with them, I'm staring to suspect that the move didn't help any, since the first clutch to hatch would have been fine were it not for my mistake, and the trouble has been with the rest of the clutches that got moved.
As for my snakes, they are in assorted racks, 90° hotspots and 80° cool end. Room is pretty much kept at 50% humidity, and I haven't tried doing any cooling period yet.

[PitOnTheProwl]

I have 5 or 6 feet of 12 inch flex a watt in mine with a VE200

[SamO]

Just a thought, I reread your first post, and it seems you still have the Press & Seal on at time of birth? Forgive me if I misread that. Maybe my technique is wrong but I remove the Press & Seal about a week before I expect them to pip. I keep the humidity in the incubator at 70%+ and the egg boxes, of course, have more due to water underneath the egg crate. I use a substrateless method.