For all we know they might eat enough better after maternal incubation for physiological or psychological reasons to compensate for the continued fast of maternal incubation. I'm not saying it's likely I'm just saying we don't really know. The one time I've tried maternal incubation so far she ate very well after hatching (but then so do most of the ones I've taken eggs away from) and she laid again the following year. It would be interesting to some day do a large-scale study to see if it really makes much difference either way. I suspect the main objection to maternal incubation is the human desire for the extra control that artificial incubation provides. It's hard to turn over the important job of incubation to mom but my limited experience and what I've read of the few others who have tried it sounds like even with our captive conditions the females can do a very good job.

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