iHerp Answers: Eggs Going Bad!!!

iHerp Answers!

Problem?

Search Create an Account, It's Free!

Home > iHerp Answers > Eggs Going Bad!!!

Eggs Going Bad!!!

Posted By:

Joseph Jenkins

Alright, so i recieved a beardie that was gravid, it layed, and i ended up with 27 eggs.
They all went straight to the incubator. They have been incubated for 2 weeks and i have already pulled 8. They aren't molding. One day they will be fine, the next, one turns brown or begins to rot. This is my first clutch of bearded dragons. The temps are good, and so is the moisture. 85F and moist vermiculite.

Please help
Thanks


Points:	250
Topics:	Incubation
Tags:	Bearded, Breeding, Dragon, Eggs, Incubation
Species:	Lizards > Lizards > Pogona vitticeps
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Member Comment

11/10/2008 12:47:07 AM

FyreFocks

I dont know how it works with vermiculite, but when you use moss, sometimes the egg stains. It doesnt always mean that they have gone bad. Although this may not be the same thing...im not too familiar with vermiculite. I also dont breed beardies. I think it would help if maybe you could explain the set up a bit better. How do you have everything set up inside the incubator?

Accepted Answer

11/10/2008 8:40:43 AM

bwaffa

I'm with Nate, Joseph. Some more details would be really helpful. The wetness of the vermiculite doesn't always reflect that of the air around it. What's the ambient humidity? What type of an incubator are you using? I'm not a lizard guy, but the conventional wisdom with snakes is to never remove bad eggs. Granted snakes frequently lay an egg mass that can be easily broken trying to do that (whereas beardies may lay them individually? I don't know...), but I'd advise you not to toss anything unless it dimples and goes flat. I've heard of more than one instance where people have left a moldy egg alone, only to have it hatch the pick of the litter! As disgusting as it looks, a bad egg rarely compromises the healthy eggs. They're not sneezing in there, so if they're all unhappy it's probably something inherent in the clutch or, more likely, a simple environmental factor that needs to be tweaked. Also, have you been sure not to roll the eggs? Again, I'm clueless about lizards, but with snakes and chelonians it's important that the eggs incubate on the original axis on which they're laid.

Member Comment

11/10/2008 10:17:35 AM

aaron

Did you candle them? Are they fertile?

Member Comment

11/10/2008 3:58:15 PM

Melmo

I'm with aaron and would question whether they are even fertile eggs?

Author Comment

11/10/2008 6:42:49 PM

Joseph Jenkins

I have them half-buried in the vermiculite, Im using a chicken Incubator from TSC, they are pretty much the same as a hova-bator.
Some have dimpled, the others have rotted to the point of no return. But the rest look fine.

What do i need/do to candle an egg.?
Can u tell at only 2 weeks?

Thanks

Member Comment

11/10/2008 6:55:30 PM

magsj387

Yes you should be able to tell...look for a dark spot in the egg The best way to do this is to go in a DARK room get a small decently bright light and pick the egg up with out rotating it and hold it up so its between you and the light. Heres a leopard gecko sight but it covers it very well and im sure there is little to no difference... http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vmsherp.com/images/LearningCenter/LeopardEggCandling.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.vmsherp.com/LCBreedingLeopards.htm&h=360&w=480&sz=32&hl=en&start=3&sig2=Xxhgxhl5HKOdBZcR226eBQ&um=1&usg=__QJARWkd0wxU81PP1js3WhWWQcfc=&tbnid=hq3fYl-mZSFiSM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=129&ei=2sgYSYDkBYea9QTT7o3yCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcandling%2Beggs%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1C1GGLS_enUS291%26sa%3DN On the matter of the eggs, ive had a bit of trouble getting things just right for beardies but leave the eggs be unless they are heavily molding and starting to spread to other eggs...u might find that if these eggs are actually fertile and some make it and hatch, you might have been throwing out eggs that could have still been good. If they are molding really bad it sounds like your humidity might be too high...find a hydrometer that can measure the ambient humidity in the incubator.

Author Comment

11/10/2008 7:34:19 PM

Joseph Jenkins

I candled one and it is definitely fertile, i can see the viens, it is awesome, thanks
i won't pull anymore unless they r extremely bad

Author Comment

11/10/2008 7:50:44 PM

Joseph Jenkins

Where can i get a hydrometer?

Author Comment

11/26/2008 9:43:57 AM

Joseph Jenkins

Follow-up:
They stopped dying and r looking good, i had it to humid, i think.

You are not logged in. If you would like to participate (it's free!), you must log in, or Become a Member!