Just how much patience is required?

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GTPfan

Just how much patience is required?

Lead

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Posts: 403

(05/09/08 07:26:30)

MVF Post Breeder

Stats
23 eggs laid, March 18
3 eggs go bad and are removed, leaving 20 that go full term
Day 50: May 7 (Monday) - nothing happens, pretty much expected this
Day 52: 3 pip, one emerges
Day 53: 1 more pips, 2 more emerge (the first to pip has not emerged yet)
Day 54: (today) 1 more pips, no more emerge

I was under the impression that when the first one pips, the rest should follow within about 48 hrs. Last year when I hatched my first clutch, the only ones (3) left in the eggs after the 48hr window were dead. I am a little concerned that this result will repeat itself if I don't see any more soon.

Questions
What's the longest hatch period some of you have seen from the time that the first one emerges to the last?
I see scratches from inside of about 5 more eggs that have not been cut through. Is it common for the babies to scratch the eggs from moving around but they are not ready to hatch yet?

Ben Evans
www.iherp.com/benevans

Armed with a sharpie, adding black to my green snakes one scale at a time

KEVIN KOPF

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Posts: 75

(05/09/08 07:30:14)

MVF Post Breeder

I would pip the ones with the scratches (IMO)

Andrew Kelley

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Posts: 282

(05/09/08 07:34:54)

MVFonator

Ben,

I would pip them all, the scratches are them trying to get out many times you can see many until they finally make the slit that they will stick their head out of. I always cut all the eggs open after I see first pip - then sometimes it takes 3 to 4 days for all the babies to come out.

Andrew

Last Edited By: Andrew Kelley 05/09/08 07:37:17. Edited 1 times.

Colorado Riverboy

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Posts: 584

(05/09/08 07:35:47)

MVFonator

Personally, I pip the remainder, even the ones without scratches. I've seen it take up to four days for all to emerge from the first pip.

Jason Stevens
www.coloradochondros.com

davidnj

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Posts: 930

(05/09/08 07:38:54)

Forum Ultra Chondro!

I believe it is standard practice (by those that subscribe to pipping) to pip the remaining eggs that have not pipped 24 hours after the first baby has self-pipped. It is noted in the More Complete Chondro that Greg observed scratch marks on the inside of eggs from where babies were unable to pip through and ended up drowning.

David

John Romano

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Posts: 1902

(05/09/08 07:47:11)

Forum super duper Ultra Chondro!

Ben,
My first clutch which I did not pip took 72 hours from the first pip to the last pip and five days from the first pip to the last one to fully emerge from the egg.

If you see scratches I would pip the eggs, that seems like a solid signal that they are ready to come out but failed.
j

Live every week like it's shark week.

aaron florian

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Posts: 2671

(05/09/08 08:49:09)

Forum super duper Ultra Chondro!

Pip and Poke!

I've had it go 4 days, the ones that didn't make it out on their own I pulled out, and they were all messed up. In my experience, when I have stragglers, there's usually something wrong. Unless you have some weird hotspot / coldspot causing temp differences in your incubator which would explain a delay.

Pip and Poke.

===============================================================
230 (c)(1) ... it's what's for breakfast

bigsnakes

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Posts: 310

(05/09/08 12:05:31)

MVFonator

My first clutch had a seven day difference between neonates emerging despite manual pipping all eggs after the first few self pipped. My incubator version 1.0 had a slight temperature shift due to sub-optimal fan placement. It took me a while to figure out that the babies in one egg box emerged sooner than the other. Duh!

GTPfan

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Posts: 404

(05/10/08 00:23:27)

MVF Post Breeder

Well, I ended up pipping the rest shortly after this post yesterday. I was able to "save" a few more babies, but far from a successful hatch. The final results are 5 reds, 2 yellows, for a total of 7 babies out of 20.

I cut open the remaining eggs completely to find 13 fully fomred dead babies. It appeared as if 5 of them had noticable scratches on the inside where they were trying to get out. These particular eggs were heavily calcified which probably led to the babies having such a hard time pipping. I think I've learned my lesson here and will be cutting open all future clutches.

This is actually a further disappointment as I lost the female 3 weeks after she laid these eggs. She had developed an RI that I didn't diagnose until removing her from her eggs. I got her started on meds but she never got better. I was hoping for a decent hatch here to offset the loss of this girl. I'm pretty bummed. But at least I'll be setting up some new hatchling tubs later today. I'll take pics once they are in their tubs.

Pip and poke, right Aaron?

Ben Evans
www.iherp.com/benevans

Armed with a sharpie, adding black to my green snakes one scale at a time

Last Edited By: GTPfan 05/10/08 05:54:36. Edited 1 times.

smooothmac

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