Reptile & Amphibian Forums

2 days ago a clutch was laid. I procrastinated and never set up the incubator.
Finally today it is tweaked and running at steady temps.
Do I move the eggs since it has been 2 days instead of right away or let them be with the mother and just keep checking temps and keeping the humidity up?

I only had one clutch last year and was going to let the mother incubate, but changed my mind and moved them after a week with no problems at all. Just make sure you move thm as a group if they are stuck together, and do not rotate them. Some people mark the top with a small "x" with a pencil prior to moving just to make sure they are placed into the incubator in the same position.

It is extremely hard to keep humidity up high enough for the mother to incubate the eggs without making it too damp and wet for the mother or eggs to do well.

Moving them is not that big a deal anyway. For my first clutch, I couldn't buy an incubator for the first week, and they did just fine being moved. They did better in the incubator than in the cage - they stopped dimpling and even filled back out a little once they were in the nice humid incubator.

It'll be easier on your female if you incubate the eggs in the 'bator, as well.

~jenny
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