Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What different types of techniques does everyone use? Meaning what method of incubation do you hatch your eggs.. I would like to know how everyone here likes to do it.

styrofoam coolers in an unisulated garage. I put a brick inside of them, fill water about halfway up the brick, place a plastic shoe box with no lid filled halfway with fine grain moist vermiculite on the brick, melt two holes about the width of a pencil in the lid of the styrofoam cooler, place the eggs in the vermiculite about half way in close the cooler and wait. also I like to put windows on the lid of the cooler with plexiglass and silicone adhesive, and if I incubate indoors I use an electronic thermometer and a submersable aquarium heater. my temps range between 78 and 90 degrees and I have had great hatch rates over the years. I have had more problems with comercial incubators than I would like to discuss but they aren't all bad.

In a 9 inch deli-cup, lay a one inch (or so) bed of medium and bury the eggs approx half way.
In a 10 inch deli-cup, add enough water to float the 9 inch cup and let air in through 4 small holes. Close the lid on the larger cup and check the eggs every few days.
This method assures 100% humidity but the medium can still dessicate the eggs so an occasional heavy spray of water on the inside of the lid and light spray on the eggs will balance the available moisture for the eggs.
I like to see dew on the outer container and can stack the containers is a small closet, out of the moving air with a controlled temp of 80 or so.
I've also seen eggs hatch on damp newspaper in a bucket on the floor with a sheet of glass over it.....
Jeff
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It doesn't matter who votes. What matters is who counts the votes............Josef Stalin

This is similar to the other post, with a graphic I made last year.

The aquarium heater is only required to prevent the water from getting too cold. I like to sleep cold, 72F at night, so that's why I need the heater. I like to keep my eggs on the cooler side, 75F - 82F. Also, the incubator is only good for 6 - 8 clutches and I keep it inside.

Because the incubator maintains 100% humidity, the medium used for the eggs, sphagnum moss, is damp but not wet. I use the sphagnum moss, top and bottom, to cover the eggs completely in each plastic shoebox.

Also, the temp sensor will be located next to the eggs, not in the ambient air as shown(a lesson learned from last year, thanks to the guys on this forum...thanks again everyone).

-Rusty

I use styro. incubators set at 78-80F. Individual clutches are kept in plastic containters with ~1.5" of moistened perlite in the bottom. The eggs are partially burried in the perlite. A thin layer of water is kept in the bottom of the egg tub at all times, and assures that the humidity remains high and the moisture content of the perlite remains stable while the eggs never come into contact with the water. A piece of paper towel is cut and placed over the clutch. This allows me to regulate the moisture levels in eggs at the top of the pile. It can be dampened as needed, or replaced with a dry piece if the eggs begin to sweat.

Thomas Co., NE multistrata hatching in 2007

Last year was my first year with eggs and I had good success with a makeshift incubator ... looks like I may be hooking it up again this year!

Its an old deepfreezer with about a foot of water in the bottom. Its obviously pre-insulated and a submersible aquarium heater keeps it at a constant 80 degrees no problem. Humidity is 100%, I just made sure to open it every few days for fresh air. I use fluorescent light fixture "diffuser?" for a table top surface then just throw in some boxes with moist perlite/vermiculite and set the eggs on top. The last and most important detail I think was leaning plastic on an angle overtop of the containers (which were also on angles) so that no water dripped down onto the eggs.

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Jon Wedow
Sharp Dressed Snakes

Seeing that I have stacks of these nice deli cups, I put them to work. Chuck the snake man taught me this trick: line the bottom with paper towels, moisten. Put the eggs in(most clutches will fit in the 16oz cup)covered by another moist paper towel then the lid goes on. There are air holes in the deli, dont forget this. Now for heat I simply use the same thing I use for the deli cups that my hatchlings are raised in...rope light. I have a line of cups on top of my cages with last years small hatchlings....and now a line of egg cups.
Bringing out the adults and breeding them early I have noticed cuts down on the really HOT days so no kinking to worry about. If any of the eggs start to go bad the discoloration is very noticable on white paper towels. I have had a little luck battling rotten eggs with treatment with antifungal powder and a q tip with hydrogen peroxide. I had eggs hatch that no one could have figured would still be viable.....It works for me.Jeff

I have used the aquarium incubator, the Hovabator, and a big expensive incubator by Natures Spirit now. It will hold tons of clutches. They all worked. I have produced eggs in all of them. It's all up to your preference. Dere

I use glad ware containers with a moist vermiculite/perlite mix with a little dry spagnum moss on top of the eggsto keep water drops from landing on them. No incubator for my colubrids. I keep them at room temp in my snake room but i'm in south florida so that is tough for some people.
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i'm not over weight i'm under tall

the moss goes on dry and you're misting the containers every day or two?
There's a lid on each Gladware/clutch and no water filled aquarium or container?

It's so much simpler with an 80 degree room - agreed!

My normal humidity is around 50% but I'd guess Palm Beach is closer to 75-80% normally.
Good to see you slumming with the milkheads Charlie.
Jeff
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The rich require an abundant supply of the poor. - Voltaire