OMG Roxy has laid eggs

[Catwoman63]

She had been acting strangely all week, bullying the other females and had dug a shallow hole with her back legs in the week, then today I came home lunchtime from work and she was starting to lay..... Unfortunalty I broke one of the eggs as the soil was rock hard to try and dig with my fingers, I found 2 more and searched deep enough for others but couldn't find them, she had dug the hole back over when I came home from work so I assume she had finished laying, I have placed the 2 eggs inbetween paper towel and put in my airing cupboard for now as I need to set up the incubator that's in the loft, I wasn't expecting this and these are my first eggs and I'm excited but nervous, advice please, will the eggs be ok in the warm airing cupboard until tomorrow, to give me a chance to get the incubator set up and running to temperature, I know they are incubated at 32c but what should the humidty be and do I clean the mud off the eggs, they feel quite heavy

[Catwoman63]

[alley cat]

How exciting Bev!!!
The eggs would b fine just left in a container on the worktop for a day or two until you get the incubator setup and stabilised. I have broken a couple of eggs before when trying to extract from the ground so don't feel too bad, you get better at it the more you get to practice!
If you decide to wash the eggs be very careful as they are extremely slippery when wet.

[Daryn]

ohhhh brilliant good luck

[Catwoman63]

Hi alley, thankyou, this is totally unexpected as Spart hasnt been near the girls this year at all or last year in fact (as far as I know) if they cover the eggs back over that does mean she is finished? There are only 3 eggs as far as I could find, I'm glad the eggs will be ok until tomorrow as I'm supposed to be going round my sons tonight, and was panicking a bit lol. Roxy has had a lovely long warm bath and is now happily eating a calcium dusted romaine lettuce. Will she be ok to put back in the shed for bed as her cloaca looks a bit stretched and I don't want dirt getting in......I'm a Torty grandmama well that's if the eggs are fertile lol

I will be asking more advice, what should the humidty be alley, and do you clean the eggs or are they best left alone?

I was annoyed to break one of the eggs but the soil was really hard to dig into with my finger nails, I broke all my nails lol x

[sandy]

Originally Posted by Catwoman63

I have incubated eggs in the airing cupboard twice before. Although its less stressful with an incubator:0)
Fingers crossed for the eggs:0)

[Catwoman63]

Thankyou sandy, I can't believe it really, she was starting to lay at lunchtime when I came home from work, then I couldn't concentrate in work until I left and when I got home the hole was covered over and she was a few feet away looking exhausted lol

[Suze65]

OMG Bev, I'm excited for you ( scream of delight ) as Alley said they will be fine at room temp until you get the setup stable. Eeeek so exciting, you will be a tort grandma 😊

[Catwoman63]

Aw thanks suze, I'm so nervous and excited, my Roxy did well, packed the bloody hole well down I can tell you, phew they will stay in the airing cupboard until the morning then, I wanted to concentrate on exhausted Roxy first lol

I had a feeling something was up as she had been in a mood all well bothering the other girls and climbing and digging and up before lights on and up late in the evening. She pre dug the hole in the week and obviously liked the nest sight as she laid the eggs in there today x

[Suze65]

They do pack the soil back down really well, I've been watching Jemima do it for about 25 years and I never get bored of watching the whole process, they do get very focused ( moody ) I suppose a bit like us lol you know that feeling when you just want to get that baby OUT 😂 and she stomps around for days after too . Exciting times keep us posted.