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Old 17-06-2018, 09:39 AM   #14
sandy
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Kent UK
Posts: 12,146
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve56616 View Post
After a long time in there digging, she came out and had something to eat and then went to bed. She obviously gave up as she could feel the bottom I assume. I have now made it a lot deeper so fingers crossed for tomorrow and have incubators out of the loft ready. Well I have two. Both used to hatch and brood bird eggs. One is an incubator with a fan above and the other, a homemade incubator...polystyrene box with ceramic bulb and very accurate thermostat. Not sure what one to use (That's if I am lucky enough to get eggs that is)
Both are set at 30c . I wondered if the vibration of the van will be a problem? wasn't with duck eggs.
Anyway, your suggestions are appreciated
As Suze says tortoises are really fussy where they lay:0) As you are finding out, all perfectly normal. She will lay eventually:0)
As for incubators, I only ever used a homemade one, with a heatmat for the heat, heat controller for the mat, a polystyrene box and vermiculite to put the eggs on in a plastic container. Oh and a thermometer to check temps. This worked well for over 25yrs, I have now stopped breeding tortoises.
You could try using both incubators (if you have a normal clutch up to 5 eggs) to see which works best:0)
As long as the conditions are correct, I dont think the vibrations will affect the eggs:0)
If you set at 30c you will mostly if not all get male tortoises from the eggs. 30.5 - 31 mixed clutch and 31.5 -32 more chance of female tortoise. I used to go for the higher temps as when adult you need at least three females to one male:0)
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