First clutch, so many newbie mistakes!

[Insane]

So to make a long story short, here's the highlights of my newbie mistakes that may have doomed my first clutch:

-Gave up looking for eggs 2 months after the last pairing, found 8 eggs 2 weeks later. Hadn't checked female for about 4 days.
-Did not have the incubator set up, took a day to set up and a checked temps for 1 day before putting eggs in.
-put holes in my egg box (from instructions I found online)
-did not check humidity, didn't want to be messing up temps by opening the incubator too much. Figured it was good if condensation was on the sides of the tub.
-had 2 power outages that I knew of lasting over 2 hours each.

Ended up losing 2 eggs early on, was pretty much losing hope these eggs would make it. Well yesterday was day 45 that they had been in the incubator and there was one that was extremely caved in. From top and bottom. I candled it and saw some veins but because of how pinched it was I couldn't get a good look. I was sure the baby had passed at some point which was why it was caved so severely. Figured I'd cut it open to take a peek. Made sure to watch veins and cut shallow. Looked in and the liquid looked cloudy and didn't see any movement, so I just chock it up to having passed. Put it back in the incubator with a damp paper towel over it because I knew my husband would want to see.

Well a few hours later I pull the egg out to show my husband and I see the head! It wasn't there before so it either shifted when the egg opened up or it was still alive. So we put it back in the tub and put the damp paper towel back over. Look in this morning and see this:


So as I mentioned before, I dont know exactly when this clutch was laid, but I cut this egg at day 45 after I found them. Can you tell by the picture if he might make it? I'm worried that he looks a little under developed, but I also plan to cut a slit in the rest of the clutch closer to time because the eggs feel pretty tough from low humidity and I'm afraid the babies won't be able to break through on their own?


Bonus story:
4 months after the last pairing and I'm sure that the other 2 aren't Gravid. Well I noticed my Albino Clown had pushed her hide forward and was hanging out on the warm side. Not unlike her so I leave her be. A few days later I pull her tub out to do a spot check and find this:

Needless to say I'm checking the 3rd girl twice a day now

[ElliotNess]

My wife said "Every breeder doesn't check their snakes every day"... I told her good ones do and the ones with 1000+ snakes pay people to do it. Make sure you peek your head in daily. Good luck with them...

[JodanOrNoDan]

My wife said "Every breeder doesn't check their snakes every day"... I told her good ones do and the ones with 1000+ snakes pay people to do it. Make sure you peek your head in daily. Good luck with them...

LOL. My gravid girls are checked on at least four times a day as they begin to reach critical mass. It is always the very first thing I do in the morning immediately followed by checking to see if any clutches have piped. Even my kids look to see if there are eggs yet.

OP... Congrats. Leave the one in the egg that you cut, it should come out on it's own. If the egg starts to stink (they will if they are open to long), PM me and I will explain what to do.

[ElliotNess]

LOL. My gravid girls are checked on at least four times a day as they begin to reach critical mass. It is always the very first thing I do in the morning immediately followed by checking to see if any clutches have piped. Even my kids look to see if there are eggs yet.

I don't have any gravid but I check daily. Would you let your dog sit in a bowl of crap or urine. I am not in this for the worlds 1st or to make money, I love snakes and want them to live in the best conditions possible. So whether or not the wife thinks I need to do it daily, I do it daily, sometimes 3 times... shhhhhh she doesn't see those.

[AbsoluteApril]

Aww that's a shame the one egg was cut so early. Hopefully the baby makes it. I don't advise cutting anything until you see others pip.
I hope the other clutch does okay as well!
I've only had one BP clutch so far but the entire process took much longer than I was expecting. Definitely a learning experience. At least you know for next season to expect the unexpected!
good luck

[JodanOrNoDan]

I don't have any gravid but I check daily. Would you let your dog sit in a bowl of crap or urine. I am not in this for the worlds 1st or to make money, I love snakes and want them to live in the best conditions possible. So whether or not the wife thinks I need to do it daily, I do it daily, sometimes 3 times... shhhhhh she doesn't see those.

Yeah, I hear you. All of mine are checked daily and cleaned when there is something to clean. Gravid girls and hatchlings are special though. I like to separate my eggs which is next to impossible if the clutch sits too long. Hatchlings are handled for a few minutes daily.

[Insane]

Well I care for my snakes solo, and I was checking them multiple times a day for 6 months specifically looking for eggs or checking follicles. As i said i only slacked off when i assumed there just weren't going to be any eggs laid. Sorry I guess for not knowing what to look for?

I mean I get it, I made mistakes. This is my first time and all the reading and research isn't going to make someone an expert. I'll be more diligent in the future, but berating me without even giving any actual input on the questions posted isn't really helping anyone.

[JodanOrNoDan]

Well I care for my snakes solo, and I was checking them multiple times a day for 6 months specifically looking for eggs or checking follicles. As i said i only slacked off when i assumed there just weren't going to be any eggs laid. Sorry I guess for not knowing what to look for?

I mean I get it, I made mistakes. This is my first time and all the reading and research isn't going to make someone an expert. I'll be more diligent in the future, but berating me without even giving any actual input on the questions posted isn't really helping anyone.

Nah, you did good. No one is giving you a hard time. Most people would have probably lost that first clutch. We are making fun of our own obsessions, and in my case my entire family has the same obsession.

[Insane]

Nah, you did good. No one is giving you a hard time. Most people would have probably lost that first clutch. We are making fun of our own obsessions, and in my case my entire family has the same obsession.

Thanks for clarifying, I took it as more of a "you should have been checking them multiple times the whole time" accusation. The first clutch was really just bad timing. I check all my snakes daily, but sometimes it's a look through the tub and if the paper is clean I don't bother getting hands on. When that clutch was laid I had salmon fever so I was out on the river most of the time trying to get the freezer filled for Winter. I went longer than i usually do with just the peek through the tub spot cleaning.

As for the clown she was so tightly wrapped around hers I didn't notice them. As you can see her paper is still clean so I never had a reason to move her and it had been so long since her last pairing I was sure she wasn't Gravid. Every time I held her I never felt any eggs and she didn't look any bigger than usual.

[JodanOrNoDan]

Thanks for clarifying, I took it as more of a "you should have been checking them multiple times the whole time" accusation. The first clutch was really just bad timing. I check all my snakes daily, but sometimes it's a look through the tub and if the paper is clean I don't bother getting hands on. When that clutch was laid I had salmon fever so I was out on the river most of the time trying to get the freezer filled for Winter. I went longer than i usually do with just the peek through the tub spot cleaning.

As for the clown she was so tightly wrapped around hers I didn't notice them. As you can see her paper is still clean so I never had a reason to move her and it had been so long since her last pairing I was sure she wasn't Gravid. Every time I held her I never felt any eggs and she didn't look any bigger than usual.

Well, you have learned a couple things for next season. Keeping balls in Alaska must be tough. I had my fill of cold years ago. I haven't ventured north of the mason-dixon for a long time.