Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone,
Recently I experienced something weird about my Hogs eggs, I found several eggs starting to collapse from the surface but they are not dead and didn't see mold growing on it, first I thought maybe it is getting dry up of the substrate, so I added some water in the box, it seem stable, doesn't look better or worst..
Couple people told me that it is normal when the eggs ready to hatch before 10-14 days, it should be ok, but some of the sunken they were laid only a month ago, I am not sure if they are ready to hath soon.
Another interesting thing is once I open the incubation box for few mins, the eggs will back to normal shape !!
Anyone here have the same experienced and know what happening may give me some advised, I really appreciate your help and information.
Thanks,

Wai

What are you incubating in? What are the temps? What are you using as a substrate? Is the container air tight? What is the humidity level?

Gregg, I have a clutch of albino conda X conda het albino, I use vermiculite/perlite 50/50, I have four small holes on the side, and 5 small holes on the lid, and I keep a small deli cup with water inside the incubation box,
I incubate my eggs at 80, ratio of water 100g substrate with 40g water.
Thanks,
Wai

Sounds way too dry to me. Your low water to substrate ratio and all the holes in the container are drying out those eggs. Also, what kind of incubator are you using?

Actually, what hes doing is another version of SIM. My son has been using dry perlite, with a cup of water in sweater boxes for a few years now. He works with small torts and it works a bit magical. Have a crazy story of one egg that appeared infertile, half full of clear liquid, until after all the clutch had hatched. He left it in the box in the incubator. A couple months later, he was putting another clutch in the incubator and that dang egg had hatched.
I have a few colubrid clutches in there now, I am not using dry perlite, more like what this poster used. So far, so good.
He may have too much ventilation. I would "think" with substrate on the dry side, you would want to limit ventilation.

I have used the same method that you are using for the last 3 years except I use less water and only one toothpick sized hole in the lid. I do experience dimpled eggs and fogged up containers about 10 days before hatch time. Same thing happens. I open the lid and they inflate. I do agree with Gregg. It seems that all those extra holes probably dried your eggs out a little. 30 days is too early for dimples.

Interestingly, in the early sixties, we, others and I, hatched eggs in clear plastic bags, with moist sphagnum and completely tied off, no ventilation. put them in a closet shelf. The eggs hatched. I would not do that now, but it worked.