Is this embryo dead? Your thoughts.

[Midlandtortoise]

Hi guys As some of you will be aware I've had a few eggs recently and I've left them alone in the incubator. One of the first few eggs I candelled without lifting the egg I could see movement but it's day 43 but I cannot see anything. I feel the development has stopped and I fear the tortoise is dead inside. I've got the eggs at 31 degrees and humidity of 80% The other eggs appear fine and are at different stages. Im a bit nervous as these are my 1st eggs. I've attached picture for your opinions.

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[Gordon]

It's hard to tell can you see any veins in it??.
I would leave it for a while yet as I have had them slow up b4 and even go a month over their hatch date

[Midlandtortoise]

Thanks for your reply Gordon. There are veins at the opposite side of the egg from where the embryo. Now it's just a dark blob in the bottom left of the egg.

[Suze65]

Gordon is the expert on here, but in my limited experience, I would say, wait and see what happens, if you see it get bigger, then it's probably alive and growing, and if it is you might see it move.

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by Midlandtortoise

Thanks for your reply Gordon. There are veins at the opposite side of the egg from where the embryo. Now it's just a dark blob in the bottom left of the egg.

If there are veins then at the moment it's good they will quite often go up one end that exactly what my last egg did and I must admit I thought it would never hatch but at 90 something days I could see the egg had moved and when I picked it up it was doing the great escape out of the bottom.

[Midlandtortoise]

Thanks Suze, I thank you for your reply. I've check this egg 2 times a week. you could clearly see it moving. It was always moving I noticed it stop moving about 5 days ago. I've not moved the egg fearing I'd interrupt the process.

Thanks Gordon. I will let nature take its course. 90 days �� wowzers

[Midlandtortoise]

Here is another eggs at same stage. This 1 looks more promising.

[sandy]

Always leave eggs (unless they smell) until well passed hatching date.
This is for experience of looking at eggs and how they change.
I did breeding tortoises for well over 25yrs and still had problems sometimes with guessing if eggs were fertile or not.
But eggs chalking over is always a good sign. This is hard to tell until you have had a few clutches, as they change from a pinkish tone to white.
I have had eggs go well passed hatching date, cracked them open only to find a large egg sac with the hatchling. Mostly I have managed to keep them going until the sac was absorbed, but some died.
Its all a learning curve:0)

[Midlandtortoise]

thanks Sandy appreciate your input too.

[Ozric Jonathan]

I always keep the eggs in an incubator for a really long time unless they are damaged or stinking. I don't have a clue if they look fertile or not and don't like to mess with them in case I cause a problem trying to work out if they are good or not!