EGG FERTILITY PERCENTAGES THIS YEAR, WHATS YOURS?...

[terrific tortoises]

Although my tortoises have laid a large amount of eggs/clutches this year, the fertility rate is quite low, I do not have the percentages as yet because there are more eggs in the incubator, but at a guess, it will be approx. 30% fertility.

It would be interesting to hear from the other keepers/breeders (on this forum) just what their fertility percentages are for this season???.

Of course, its always great to see pics of hatchlings being born (something I enjoy too) especially from other keepers torts, to compare colouration/markings/size/weight etc.
But it is not always a success story, therefore I would like to post this photo of some of the non-fertile eggs that were discarded recently ...T.T. 8)

These non-fertile eggs are from several torts/clutches, they were all candled numerous times, and incubated for some time, before being discarded.

[piglet]

Pul good topic

Unfortunately not many keepers who breed actually advertise there success on here never mind there failure.

Anyway here is a rough estimate including tropicals

Redfoots 61 eggs laid 58 hatched 1 infertile two had setts of twins which both lots died

Yellowfoots 18 eggs laid 5 hatched so far 2 infetile 2 died in incubation, 1 split open (died) 8 still incubating.

Stars 11 eggs laid 2 infertile 1 died late incubation 8 hatched.

Hermans 18 eggs laid 10 infertile 8 fertile but all died early incubation , possibly due to elderly animals.

Iberas 84 eggs laid 40 eggs purposely destroyed,25 hatched 2 still incubating 17 infetile

Tgg 6 eggs laid 2 infertile 4 purposly destroyed as female ran with Ibera male

Whitei 12 eggs laid 4 broken (scatter laid) 8 infertile.

Horsfields 3 eggs laid 3 eggs hatched.

Think thats it Paul but season isn't over yet so will see what else turns up ,reds and star eggs started early this season with clutches now in incubator, possible Ibera eggs still to come and maybe late hermans eggs .

D

[egyptiandan64]

Paul a great topic. We could go even further with hatch rates as well. My fertility rate so far this year has been 77%. My hatch rate so far has been good with one dead in shell Hermanns and 2 Hermanns eggs that went bad early on. I'm still though sitting on 2 ibera eggs from May that seem to be growing, I know they are alive as I can watch the little guys move, but they are going very slow. Not sure they will make it.

Danny

[egyptiandan64]

Darren your fertility rate is 73% if the 10 incubating eggs are good it will jump to 74.5%

Danny

I had an incubator failure this year - I was gutted. But from the other incubator I had 100% hatch rate for Aphrodites first clutch (hermanni) 95% for her second, 100% success for Buttercup, 50% for old Tilly (80+ years) and nothing for three legged Herbie who laid odd ones all over the garden throughout the summer (she was induced last year prior to hibernation - so not sure if this bears any relevance) Next year they are having a resting period.

[egyptiandan64]

My hatch rate so far this year is 78%, but if all the rest of my fertile eggs hatch it will jump to 90%.

Danny

[sandy]

Ibera five out of six hatched.
Graeca eight out of 14 hatched.