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Help me PLEASE!!!!

RalphSnakeMan Aug 11, 2003 01:44 PM

My beardie just laid 15 eggs, 4 are dead, what should I do????I don't have an incubator, is there any way I can make one??? ( I wasn't expecting her to lay for a couple of weeks....) Currently I just have them in her laying box with a heat lamp over them, what temperatures do I have to keep the eggs at, my basement is about 80 degrees or so, is that warm enough???

Please help FAST!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your time,
Ralph
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2.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

Replies (14)

grimdog Aug 11, 2003 01:49 PM

I'm gonna cheat and copy and paste a post by my wife.

Eggs should be incubated at 82-85 degrees (We incubate at 84 with good results).

There is no need to buy an incubator, you can build one! I would set it up now so that it is stable for when your female lays her eggs.

Ingredients:

1 plastic cooler
1 submersible aquarium heater
3-4 plastic "shoe-boxes" with covers
1 bag of perlite
a few bricks
a nail and a lighter
a marker
thermometer (digital ones with probes are the best)

Ok, here goes. Put the bricks in the bottom of the cooler. Fill the cooler up until the water is at the level of the bricks. Fill the shoe-boxes up 1/2 way with moistened perlite. Use the nail and the lighter to put lots of holes in the plastic lid. I'd put as many of the shoeboxes, with the perlite, in the cooler as you can fit. She will most likely lay more than one clutch. Use the marker to label the boxes (we use numbers) so you can tell them apart, keep a record.

Put the aquarium heater in the water (make sure it is completely submerged). Set it to where you think it should be and let it heat up the water. Place the thermometer in one of the boxes and wait. In 6 hours come back and read the thermometer. Keep making adjustments until you get the right temp. Keep the incubator in a cool room where the temp doesn't change too much.

That should do it! This is how we incubate all of our eggs! No fancy incubator for us!! It works great! The water in the bottom keeps it nice and humid. If it gets too wet in there you can prop the top open with something to let more air in. We tend to keep ours closed all the time.

Let me know if you have questions!
Good luck with the babies!!!
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

RalphSnakeMan Aug 11, 2003 01:58 PM

My deepest apologies, I just saw that your wife posted a reply to my previous question, I have been so busy the past few days I forgot that I had even posted a question. I Will build that incubator double ASAP ...Thanks again and again and I am truly sorry I missed the post!!

Thank you,
Ralph
-----
2.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

grimdog Aug 11, 2003 02:16 PM

Not a problem. I didn't even realize it was in reply to you. I just didn't want to type it all out again.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

RalphSnakeMan Aug 11, 2003 02:06 PM

Okay great, thank you and your wife sooooooooooooooooooooooo much, I will be building this incubator IMMEDIATELY...just one question, where can I purchase a bag of perlite, and how moist should it be?

Also how long can the eggs be kept out of an incubator before they spoil, will the couple of hours it takes me to make and incubator be too long!??!

Thanks again and again, I can express how much I truly appreciate it.

God bless you and your wife!

Thank you!
Ralph
-----
2.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

grimdog Aug 11, 2003 02:14 PM

Perlite I get from home depot. Some people use vermiculite or a mixture. I mix perlite 1:1 ratio perlite:water by WEIGHT. Use warm water not hot that way it will keep the eggs warm as the incubtor warms up. This happened to us last year and everything worked out fine.

Derek
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

RalphSnakeMan Aug 11, 2003 02:16 PM

Is a screened top plastic shoe box okay or will that allow too much humidity in the eggs, becaise I have both , a plastic shoe box with holes in it, and a plastic shoe box with a screened top that i use to feed my snakes with...which one should i use?!?!

Thanks again,
Ralph
-----
2.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

grimdog Aug 11, 2003 02:18 PM

I would use one with holes. Keep it humid enough and to stop any condensations from dripping in on eggs.
-----
Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

RalphSnakeMan Aug 11, 2003 02:34 PM

Thank you again for the quick replies i will be using the one with the holes, hopfully there is enough holes in it...one last question you said to use the perlite with water by weight...so if i have one pound of perlite then i need 1lb of water correct or no?

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!

Ralph'

P.S. To the touch how moist about should the perlite be..like freshly watered top soil or like dripping wet or liek barely wet basically how does it feel?

Thank you!!!!!!
-----
2.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

grimdog Aug 11, 2003 02:44 PM

correct
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

RalphSnakeMan Aug 11, 2003 02:50 PM

How many inches of perlite do you recommend putting on the bottom of the shoe boxes and should i bury the eggs or just lay them on top of it...also is it okay to touch the eggs with my bare hands or should i use some sort of tool to move them.

Thank you!

Ralph
-----
2.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

grimdog Aug 11, 2003 03:04 PM

Usually 2 inches deep. i half bury the eggs and use bare hands.
-----
Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

RalphSnakeMan Aug 11, 2003 05:02 PM

The eggs came out leathery, will they harden up or is it a dead clutch, some of the eggs still have some wet sand on them, should I clean it off or leave it alone??

Thanks again!

Ralph
-----
2.1 Bearded Dragon
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

LizardLadyAma Aug 11, 2003 06:30 PM

Hi!

That's normal. They are like croc eggs. They may look a little dimpled and funny, but that's ok. Never throw out an egg unless it is completely rotted. You'd be surprised at the ones that will hatch! You can brush off some of the dirt, but be careful not to rotate or dent them in.

Just be gentle and try not to disturb them too much and you'll do fine.

Good Luck!!!
-----
Kelly Affonce
DeKeaff Exotics
www.dekeaffexotics.com
AIM: DekeaffGrrl

flammingcat Aug 11, 2003 01:50 PM

You need to make sure they are covered so the lamp don't bake them, they have to stay between 80 to 84 I kept mine at 83 degs, you can go buy a hovabator for like 38.00 that worked good for me. I don't really know about using a heat lamp, that seems dangerouse to me,,hopefully someone will jump on here with some idea's. Good Luck with them

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