i know this doesn't answer your questions, but i tried maternal incubation from out of the female to the 36day mark....then chickened out and pull the eggs.

when i had did it i used coconut coir and had the water bowl in the hot side to produce the humidity.

i'm sure the eggs would have hatched out fine...i just chickened out for go full term.

i checked the tubs every day by pulling it out to have a visual and to allow air exchange. keep in mind i did this in a melamine rack....not an open air (metal) rack.

with you having 8 yrs in the hobby...i'm sure all would be ok.

Pitoon


>>I have decided that after 8 years of breeding and being pretty much shackled to my breeders through the summer, that this is THE year that I have decided to not let my laying females schedule when and for how long I go on vacation. So, I have decided to throw caution to the wind and allow my females to take care of their own eggs until I decide to return.
>>That said,
>>I have read a few sites that touch on maternal incubation but most of them are for (and by) the hobbyist who doesn't have the type of set-up that many medium/large scale breeders run.
>>My questions:
>>1. Brooding female can increase both the temperature and humidity to maintain perfect conditions for their eggs, but cannot lower either. If this is the case, what type of modifications would I need to do to a rack-type enclosure to ensure that the female is working with a good base:
>>Rubbermaid #2221 (16"X6"X23" bin
>>large water dish (3 quarts/6 liters)
>>Unprinted newspaper bedding
>>90 degree (temp-gunned) warm side
>>80-82 (also temp-gunned) cool side
>>60-65% relative humidity
>>Adequate air circulation
>>
>>Would I need to modify any of these husbandry issues to allow the female to do her job for the week or two that I will be absent?
>>Any insights would be appreciated as the literature I've found was lacking.
>>Thanks in advance.
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