Eggs and Oxygen

[Eddie]

Hi,
Just a quick question. I'm using a Herp Nursery II incubator for my Iberia eggs. How often would you open the door for them to get 'fresh air'?

This is only my second clutch, last year's didn't hatch but have high hopes for this clutch. 6 out of 8 have visible veins and a dark spot after 3 weeks.

I have humidity between 70-80% and temp of 31.5.

I've also read somethings about water in substrate. But I've got dry vermiculite. Should it be wet? I'm worried about moving the eggs now...

Thank you in advance

[Ozric Jonathan]

Hi Eddie I think the oxygen needs of eggs must be very low since they would normally be buried several inches at least. Also I don't think the substrate needs to be damp itself. Your air humidity sounds good to me.

I don't suggest changing anything.

[emma_mcraf]

I've used the Herp Nursery II to successfully hatch an egg and had the humidity at around 75%. I used to open the door daily for just a few seconds for air exchange and kept the vermiculite dry. I had a dish of water for the humidity but that was all.

Good luck!

[Eddie]

Thank you both for your replies. I have been opening it up briefly everyday or so.

My concern is we are also going on holiday for two weeks. Thankfully they will still only be around 49 days old when we get back. My mother in law has also offered to pop in and check on the eggs whilst away.

I don't expect any to hatch and was getting her to pop in to check humidity, top up water and let air in. We don't live that close so was only going to get her to pop in a few times during the two weeks.

Hence my worry about oxygen levels, how often can you leave it without opening it up?

[Eddie]

Wow! So Monica, my female ibera, laid her second clutch today only a few weeks after the first! Is this normal? She laid six eggs this time.

Thankfully she laid today and not whilst my 3 adults are with our friends when we are on holiday.

Regarding the oxygen and eggs. If the incubator needs to be opened daily, would it be safe to move the incubator and eggs to my mother in laws house so that she can do this daily. It is about a 40 minute drive?

Has anyone ever moved eggs before?

[Suze65]

Hi Eddie, it's absolutely normal to lay another clutch a few weeks later. It's fine to move the incubator to your mums house, I have done this with eggs, close to hatching time, I gently packed the vermiculite around the egg so it can't roll and wrapped the incubator in blankets to keep it warm, and I travelled for an hour, plug it in straight away and they should be fine. Both times I did this, they hatched succesfuly .

[Gordon]

As Suze says if you put some more vermiculite or what ever you are using it should be fine I have given eggs to people in the past who live hours away from me and they have hatched.
As for a second clutch all normal there too.

[Eddie]

Thank you. I managed to move both sets of eggs successfully. It was a really hot day, so I doubt temperatures changed much. I'm sill on holiday now but, if everything went well, then I expect first clutch to hatch a week after I get home. Middle of August.

Then the real questions will start.

[emma_mcraf]

Good news and good luck! Let us know how it all goes. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

[Suze65]

Well done, can't wait to hear how it all goes