Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey i posted a while back about my ball laying a suprise clutch it day 45 and the eggs are starting to collapse but when i candle them there is no sign of movement and the arent that big what should i do wait till day 50 and cut them open or cut them know? any help would be much appreciated thanks alot

Leave them alone!

Make sure the humidity is fine and that is it. The are supposed to dimple at this time to get the eggs ready for hatching. leave them alone and stop panicking. they hatched for a million years without help. I am sure they will keep on doing so long after us humans are gone.

Mike

You probably won't be able to see much movement at this stage (at least I couldn't). I think it's because the babies pretty much fill up the egg so they don't have much room to move. They're probably fine. This was my first season and I worried about my clutches, too, when I couldn't see them move but they were fine. I wouldn't cut them yet. I think 45 days seems way to early.

Good luck!
Shelly

and found a problem, what then would you do?

Leave them alone. I usually slit the eggs at day 56 (this is the day the Barkers recommend in their book), if they have not previously pipped-but not before. At day 45 it is likely you could irreparably harm a neonate.
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Brad Chambers

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

ihavent opened any of them. just candled, thanks for all the help and i will let you guys know if the fo haatch in a week thanks again for the help this is my first clutch so i was just a little worried.

Brad is exactely right imho. I would wait another 10- 11 days to cut them. They dont move when they are further along. Maybe they are further along than you think, but wait until day one pips or day 56 to cut them. Many people are not cutting at all these days, I believe? Unless all the others pip and one egg is way late...

Be patient, it really wont make any difference at this point anyway. They are going to make it or not at this point.

Make sure your temp and humidity are good and let them do their thing. 99.999999% of the time, they don't need our help. I have cut one egg this year and that was only because it was day 60 and the rest of the clutch had pipped. That one probably didn't need my help.

All of our clutches this year started pipping on day 57-58, but I just had a clutch hatch that didn't start pipping until day 60. They all hatched just fine without my help or interference.
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Louis Kirkland
Cornerstone Reptiles

Patience is your worst enemy.
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You all talk Balls,I talk Royals ;0)
www.alpharoyals.co.uk