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Hi,

My second clutch is on day 61 of incubation and none of the babies have pipped yet. My incubator temperature fluctuates from 86.9-90.5 should I wait a couple more days or should I at least make a little incision? I`m a little scared to cut cause my 1st clutch of the season I cut on day 52 or 53 and all 5 babies ended up dying!! 5 butters out of 5 eggs to make things worse!!

Thanks,
Isaac

why is there so much fluctuation in your temperature?

I only had 4 clutches this year and I used 2 hovabators, 2 clutches in each. the air temp in the incubator is always 86.9-88.0 and inside the egg container its usually 88.9-90.5

Have the eggs begun to break apart from one another if stuck together? Also, have they started to indent and collapse a little? If so, did it just start? This usually happens towards the end. Once they start to collapse and loose their connection to one another, it is getting close and I would probably cut them. You can tell also if you candle them. The babies will become very large towards the end and they seem not to move around because there is less room in the egg. I like to track them by candling them and watch their growth.

Im sure with the temps being about 89 but looking like you might run a little cooler a good bit of the time they may take a few more days to hatch. I am so sorry to hear about the clutch of Lessers you cut and I have a good solution for that. I have a great incubator that will hold 89 degrees without even going or - a tenth of a degree and I have never cut an egg by trying to count days as to when they should hatch. I do however cut them after the first one starts to pip and I have never lost an egg that way. I guess some people just cant contain their excitement and have to see a week ahead of natures schedual what they have. Please dont think I am downing you, Its certainly not just you doing it either, I see it all the time from the experienced guys but lets us leave the early egg cutting to them. That was a very expensive lesson you should already have learned.. Whow, slow down a bit and enjoy the little things like the surprise of what comes out of your hard work and thoughtful labors when the time comes.
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JEM from sunny AZ.

2.25 Normals
5.12 Pastels
3.7 Normal Spiders
1.1 Spiders 100% het Ghost(thanks Mark Petros)
0.2 Spiders 66% het Ghost
1.3 Orange/Butterscotch Ghosts(BallPython777 Mark Petros)
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1.0 Citrus Ghost
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1.1 BumbleBees(thanks for the AWESOME Bees Marc Bailey)
0.1 Pewter
0.1 Chocolates(Thanks Brandon of Priceless Pythons)
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0.0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
17 Tarantulas
Last but most Important 2.2 Children

With that much temp fluctuation I would definitely let them pip on their own.
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John Vandegrift

First of all I would say do not cut them. Because of your fluctuations in temps you could be as much as ten days off on your incubation period. In my experience eggs that have been incubated at 89 degrees will usually pip between day 56-58. With every degree below 89 you can add between 3-4 days onto the incubation period. So because your temps might have fluctuated to as low as 86 degrees you could be as much as 9-12 days off depending on how long they were kept at those temps. Have patience they will hatch when they are ready. Paul at Steel City Exotics.

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"Isn't that just special?"

Not sure why 5 out of 5 died from cutting on day 52 , if you did not butcher them there is no reason to blame cutting them on day 52 for them dying. If you let to much fluid drain out or didn't keep them moist enough that may have killed them BUT cutting them at day 52 didn't kill them. I have cut as early as day 48 many times before , keep in mind it's just a slice the length of your pinky nail or so but that's all it takes if you know what your looking for. I just make sure not to hit any veins by candling them with a good flashlight before I decide where to cut. I also see no harm in cutting eggs at day 61 , your temps weren't that far off and by day 61 you won't hurt anything unless your just plain cutting them wrong!

That's my opinion on the subject.

Anthony McCain

I couldnt have said it better. At 61 I would definatley be slitting eggs.
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Brian Hettinger
480 Pythons
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