I just don't see a need in cutting eggs. Over the years (many, many, many years) I have hatched out thousands of reptile eggs.

I let nature take it's cource. I've seen and heard to many horror stories of people not having patiance, cutting eggs at 55 days, 50 days, 45 days. That's nuts.

I won't metion any names....... but I have a friend that lost a complete clutch because he just couldn't wait for the babies to hatch on their own. With in two days, all five babies (in a five egg clutch) had died. Fully deveopled, fully formed, but he believes he cut to deep, cutting the blood vessels in the eggs.

For me, the only reason I would even suggest cutting an egg, is: You have a clutch, and maybe one egg hasn't hatched after all the others have, one, two days later, I gently pick it up, and tear the outer shed. Look for movement, and if I do see movement, I place it back down. If not, then I complete the opening, and look inside. Some babies are just a little slower in hatching then others.

ANOTHER experinmet I did, I took an egg from one clutch that was about five days from hatching, and put it into a clutch that was hatching. It to began to hatch. I BELIEVE, the movement of the other hatchlings caused this baby to also want to hatch.

It came out completely on it's own. I was going to try that again this year, and kind of forgot about it, until I started writing this post.

I like to exeperiment with my animals. Try to learn from them.

No harm, but to see what exactly is going on, so much to learn....

In closing.... Put the sissors away! Let the babies hatch when they feel they are ready to.
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Ron Billingsley

www.ronbillingsleyreptiles.com

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