Help!!! - my first eggs - unexpected

Hanako · 24-11-2013, 04:10 PM

Hi,
My biggest girl has just laid 3 eggs. I have no experience with that and nothing ready. Can anyone advise, please.

I carefully dug them out and placed them on a bowl on damp soil in warm drying cabinet. I haven't expected it so I have nothing ready. I have ordered incubator and vermiculite. I wasn't sure if I need fine or course so I ordered both. Which one are you using?

Do you think the eggs will survive for a few days before the incubator arrives? The cabinet is pretty warm, the temperature is around 30 degrees.
When the incubator arrives (hopefully it won't be too difficult to set up), if I understand correctly I want to put the eggs onto the vermicullite and stick it in and that's it? The vermicullite - should it be wet, dry or just damp? The eggs, should they be laying on top of the vermicullite, or be half covered or fully covered? If I remember from reading the posts, I should put there a bowl with water to make it more humid? How humid it needs to be?

Why are we using vermicullite and no soil or any other substrate?
Is there anything I should know that I didn't mention? (If I didn't mention it, I probably don't know it so please advise even things that seem to you pretty obvious.) It feels so exciting, but also quite panicky. If I make mistake and the eggs don't work out, I will feel bad that poor girl has made so much effort and I have messed up.

Who would have though that 1100 grams girl can get pregnant from 250 grams boy. He is not even a quarter of her!

Not sure why but I thought that eggs are usually coming in the spring/summer/ early autumn, not this time of the year.

Thank you very much for your help!

sandy · 24-11-2013, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanako

Hi,
My biggest girl has just laid 3 eggs. I have no experience with that and nothing ready. Can anyone advise, please.

I carefully dug them out and placed them on a bowl on damp soil in warm drying cabinet. I haven't expected it so I have nothing ready. I have ordered incubator and vermiculite. I wasn't sure if I need fine or course so I ordered both. Which one are you using?

Do you think the eggs will survive for a few days before the incubator arrives? The cabinet is pretty warm, the temperature is around 30 degrees.
When the incubator arrives (hopefully it won't be too difficult to set up), if I understand correctly I want to put the eggs onto the vermicullite and stick it in and that's it? The vermicullite - should it be wet, dry or just damp? The eggs, should they be laying on top of the vermicullite, or be half covered or fully covered? If I remember from reading the posts, I should put there a bowl with water to make it more humid? How humid it needs to be?

Why are we using vermicullite and no soil or any other substrate?
Is there anything I should know that I didn't mention? (If I didn't mention it, I probably don't know it so please advise even things that seem to you pretty obvious.) It feels so exciting, but also quite panicky. If I make mistake and the eggs don't work out, I will feel bad that poor girl has made so much effort and I have messed up.

Who would have though that 1100 grams girl can get pregnant from 250 grams boy. He is not even a quarter of her!

Not sure why but I thought that eggs are usually coming in the spring/summer/ early autumn, not this time of the year.

Thank you very much for your help!

If the eggs are fertile, then yes they will be fine if they are kept warm until the incubator arrives:0)
I use dry vermiculite, it does not matter which size:0)
I only put the eggs on top of the vermiculite, I don't bury them.
Even if the eggs are not fertile, its a good experience for the next clutches which could be:0)
If you have room for some water for humidity then do so, it certainly wont hurt:0)

Hanako · 24-11-2013, 06:42 PM

Thank you.

burnt toast · 24-11-2013, 06:47 PM

Congratulations!! What species tort are they? I remember watching a clip about incubating on you tube & the poster saying to use the course bigger vermiculite - but they only had one size where I got mine from - don't think it makes much difference.

Your humidity should be around 72/75 for meds & yes water in separate container.

Hanako · 24-11-2013, 06:52 PM

They are Hermanni Hermanni from Corsica.

I added the water as advised.

I didn't even notice that she was pregnant. Does it make me a bad mother to my family of tortoises?

burnt toast · 24-11-2013, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanako

They are Hermanni Hermanni from Corsica.

I added the water as advised.

I didn't even notice that she was pregnant. Does it make me a bad mother to my family of tortoises?

No!

That's good - I haven't noticed with two of my Margies until I saw them digging a nest! My younger Herman I didn't notice at al, just happened to check & found her eggs but my old Hermans are terrors- strop round tipping each other over, climb the walls theres no mistaking they are gravid.

**egyptiandan64** · 24-11-2013, 07:18 PM

I'd switch out the damp soil for dry soil. It's too easy to get the eggs too damp and have them soak up too much water (which isn't good for a hard shelled egg).
Almost any substrate will do for incubating tortoise eggs that don't need to be on a damp substrate, vermiculite (any size), perlite, soil, sand, aspen bedding, kitchen roll and even piles of rubberbands to sit the eggs in. Mostly what your looking for in an incubation medium is something to place the eggs on so they don't/won't roll around.

Danny

Hanako · 24-11-2013, 08:12 PM

Thank you, Dan. I switched the soil for dry substrate. I hope I didn't harm them by being in wet soil for several hours. How quickly they can soak up the water?

The eggs are so fragile and so small. They are nearly see through whereas I imagined them a bit like normal eggs- white and firmer. (Mine are not soft, well at least I haven't tried to squeeze them, but they do feel so thin and fragile).

Is there anything I can do for the tortoise mother? Some special food to get her strength back? Or vitamins? Extra calcium? A bath for a week to help her to relax and recover? Or just leave her alone to get on with it?

**egyptiandan64** · 24-11-2013, 08:26 PM

They will be fine as a couple of hours isn't long enough to cause a problem.

That's what fresh laid tortoise eggs look like until the embryo starts growing.

Just good food and extra calcium for her

Danny

Hanako · 24-11-2013, 08:38 PM

A very stupid question - are the eggs going to grow slightly, or are the tortoises going to be so tiny when they hatch? The eggs are only 20-25 millimeters. I don't think I have ever seen such a tiny tortoise.

24-11-2013, 04:10 PM	#1
Hanako Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 690	Help!!! - my first eggs - unexpected Hi, My biggest girl has just laid 3 eggs. I have no experience with that and nothing ready. Can anyone advise, please. I carefully dug them out and placed them on a bowl on damp soil in warm drying cabinet. I haven't expected it so I have nothing ready. I have ordered incubator and vermiculite. I wasn't sure if I need fine or course so I ordered both. Which one are you using? Do you think the eggs will survive for a few days before the incubator arrives? The cabinet is pretty warm, the temperature is around 30 degrees. When the incubator arrives (hopefully it won't be too difficult to set up), if I understand correctly I want to put the eggs onto the vermicullite and stick it in and that's it? The vermicullite - should it be wet, dry or just damp? The eggs, should they be laying on top of the vermicullite, or be half covered or fully covered? If I remember from reading the posts, I should put there a bowl with water to make it more humid? How humid it needs to be? Why are we using vermicullite and no soil or any other substrate? Is there anything I should know that I didn't mention? (If I didn't mention it, I probably don't know it so please advise even things that seem to you pretty obvious.) It feels so exciting, but also quite panicky. If I make mistake and the eggs don't work out, I will feel bad that poor girl has made so much effort and I have messed up. Who would have though that 1100 grams girl can get pregnant from 250 grams boy. He is not even a quarter of her! Not sure why but I thought that eggs are usually coming in the spring/summer/ early autumn, not this time of the year. Thank you very much for your help!

24-11-2013, 07:18 PM	#7
egyptiandan64 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: USA Posts: 14,171	I'd switch out the damp soil for dry soil. It's too easy to get the eggs too damp and have them soak up too much water (which isn't good for a hard shelled egg). Almost any substrate will do for incubating tortoise eggs that don't need to be on a damp substrate, vermiculite (any size), perlite, soil, sand, aspen bedding, kitchen roll and even piles of rubberbands to sit the eggs in. Mostly what your looking for in an incubation medium is something to place the eggs on so they don't/won't roll around. Danny __________________

24-11-2013, 08:12 PM	#8
Hanako Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 690	Thank you, Dan. I switched the soil for dry substrate. I hope I didn't harm them by being in wet soil for several hours. How quickly they can soak up the water? The eggs are so fragile and so small. They are nearly see through whereas I imagined them a bit like normal eggs- white and firmer. (Mine are not soft, well at least I haven't tried to squeeze them, but they do feel so thin and fragile). Is there anything I can do for the tortoise mother? Some special food to get her strength back? Or vitamins? Extra calcium? A bath for a week to help her to relax and recover? Or just leave her alone to get on with it? Last edited by Hanako; 24-11-2013 at 08:15 PM.

24-11-2013, 08:26 PM	#9
egyptiandan64 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: USA Posts: 14,171	They will be fine as a couple of hours isn't long enough to cause a problem. That's what fresh laid tortoise eggs look like until the embryo starts growing. Just good food and extra calcium for her Danny __________________

24-11-2013, 06:42 PM	#3
Hanako Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 690	Thank you.

24-11-2013, 06:47 PM	#4
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,245	Congratulations!! What species tort are they? I remember watching a clip about incubating on you tube & the poster saying to use the course bigger vermiculite - but they only had one size where I got mine from - don't think it makes much difference. Your humidity should be around 72/75 for meds & yes water in separate container.

24-11-2013, 06:52 PM	#5
Hanako Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 690	They are Hermanni Hermanni from Corsica. I added the water as advised. I didn't even notice that she was pregnant. Does it make me a bad mother to my family of tortoises?

24-11-2013, 08:38 PM	#10
Hanako Member Hatchling Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 690	A very stupid question - are the eggs going to grow slightly, or are the tortoises going to be so tiny when they hatch? The eggs are only 20-25 millimeters. I don't think I have ever seen such a tiny tortoise.

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