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HELP.....Babies are dying right out of their eggs...

skmcwilliams May 28, 2003 09:13 AM

My neighbors bearded dragon had eggs. He owes me some money so decided to pay me in half the clutch of eggs. Yesterday I had one of them hatch and he emerged completely out of the egg but he was still connected to the egg sac in the egg. I have had this happen before so I left him alone to suck it up. Instead he just laid there until he died. Last night two more came out and this morning they are both dead also, the same thing they were emerged but connected to the egg. My neighbor just called and I walked over and he has had two babies do the same thing in his incubator. Is there anything that can be done at this point to save the rest of the ones coming out or are they destined to die. Please any ideas would be welcome.

Replies (7)

lynns dragons May 28, 2003 10:15 AM

First thing I need to know is what temp are you keeping the eggs? Sounds like the temp is to high. I keep mine at 81.9 to 82 degrees. If they are hatched out at a higher temp they don't absorb their egg sack and they need it to survive. Next thing that could cause the problem is to much moisture and the babies can drown. I would say it is to high of temp. You did right by leaving the baby in the incubator . In most cases they do absorb the sack unless there is alot of yellow because of hatching to early.
http://www.lynnsbeardeddragons.com

skmcwilliams May 28, 2003 10:58 AM

Hi Lynn. I kept the eggs at 83 degrees. I don't think the temp was to high because last week in the same incubator I hatched out some of my own eggs. The moisture seemed pretty good in mine and I hat checked my neigbors a couple of days ago and it didn't seem to moist either. I am completely stumped on this.

lynns dragons May 28, 2003 11:12 AM

WOW, Ya got me hanging. Has his dragons produced before?

B22 May 28, 2003 05:15 PM

Hi
i agree with her i also think temp to high.
then the babies hatch to fast and have no time to eat the yolksack.
what youre incubation temp ??
byeeeeeee

CheriS May 28, 2003 01:33 PM

How old was the mother of these babies and whats her general health?
How long where they in the incubator?

Since this is happening in two different incubators, but the same thing to the same eggs, I would think this is either genetic to the eggs or possibly viral from the parent. Thats why I asked about the general health of the mother

And also what area are you in?

skmcwilliams May 28, 2003 04:52 PM

Actually I don't know anything about the parents. My neighbor got them from his friends brother. His friend told him that his brother had eggs and he just put them in a container and left them in his garage. So my neighbor saved them about 2 days after they were laid. There were a little dry at first but they recovered fast and the eggs grew and looked healthy. I have no idea if the parents were to young, possibly siblings, or their health status. I just know we have 13 eggs left and I would hate to go through watching them all die. I live in Orlando, Florida

CheriS May 28, 2003 06:22 PM

if this is a genetic problem or possibly the eggs picking up something from the mother when passing through the cloacal.

All I can suggest is wait and see what happens to the remaining babies..... not a choice option, but like I said earlier, this is happening in two different incubators in two different home, that in itself says there is most likely a problem with the eggs or genetics.... but after what you described, it could be the care the first few days and the moving of them after that also.

You can always have one necropsied. If that is not a cost viable option to you, should any of these babies survive, you should think about giving them to good homes and those people aware there was a problem at hatchling should it be viral or genetic in them.

Early hatching, failing to breathe and dying in the egg or shortly after hatching is symptoms of viral infections from the mother passed to the egg when laid, the babies are too weak to survive as they carry the virus in developing and if that is a possibility, it is more merciful to let nature take its course. Usually if that is the case, there will also be babies with defects.

As a safety precaution to your other dragons, do not handle these babies or eggs and handle your other dragons. Wash really well between them and DO NOT mix any that might survive hatching with other eggs or babies. Better safe than sorry, I have seen entire colonies wiped out from viral infected eggs.

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