Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am having a problem with my redfoot eggs.They are in a hoverbator incubator where the temp is kept at 88 degrees (based on two thermometers)and the humidity is kept between 70 and 80 percent (harder to regulate). Recently several eggs have developed cracks horizontally About half way up the egg wich then weep clear fluid mixed with a little blood. To make matters worse they also attracted small white worms (Maggots)feeding on this fluid. I cracked open the first two to see what was going on and found two almost, but not quite ready to hatch tortoises sitting on large yolk sacs. They didnt appear to be alive (no odor) but no movement was seen either. I dicovered another one cracked today and removed it from the incubator and washed it well with warm water to rid it of the parasites but Im not sure what to do. This is my third year trying to incubate eggs and so far the most successful until now. Please help me with any information or advice on what I believe are my main two problems.
1) How do I keep the eggs from cracking?
2) How do I get rid of the worms without damaging the rest of the eggs?
I and my 5 year old daughter(partner in tortoising) thank everyone in advance for their help.
Paul and Marne' Quigg

This is a common problem among tortoise breeders. When the humidity is too high it seems the eggs absorb too much water and eventually explode.

It is always better to keep the eggs too dry than too moist.

I've gotten into the habit of moistening the substrate to 2 : 1 by weight substrate to water and then not adding any water after the initial moistening.

On the worms... I've never had any luck with cracked eggs unless the tortoise was developed enough to survive outside the egg to begin with or the inner membrane has not been compromised.

>>I am having a problem with my redfoot eggs.They are in a hoverbator incubator where the temp is kept at 88 degrees (based on two thermometers)and the humidity is kept between 70 and 80 percent (harder to regulate). Recently several eggs have developed cracks horizontally About half way up the egg wich then weep clear fluid mixed with a little blood. To make matters worse they also attracted small white worms (Maggots)feeding on this fluid. I cracked open the first two to see what was going on and found two almost, but not quite ready to hatch tortoises sitting on large yolk sacs. They didnt appear to be alive (no odor) but no movement was seen either. I dicovered another one cracked today and removed it from the incubator and washed it well with warm water to rid it of the parasites but Im not sure what to do. This is my third year trying to incubate eggs and so far the most successful until now. Please help me with any information or advice on what I believe are my main two problems.
>>1) How do I keep the eggs from cracking?
>>2) How do I get rid of the worms without damaging the rest of the eggs?
>>I and my 5 year old daughter(partner in tortoising) thank everyone in advance for their help.
>>Paul and Marne' Quigg
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I don't have experience with this myself, but my good friend and breeder of my redfoots has successfully fixed cracked eggs with white candle wax, that he melted over the cracks.
Now I can't tell, if his cracks were lesser or worse than yours, but it might be worth trying, if you feel you are going to loose them otherwise.
Apart from that you should also try of course to correct the incubation conditions as Ed already suggested.

Good luck,
Gaby

LIQUID BAND AIDS...works very well in egg repair. try it.
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Michael Enriquez

Two things you might try.
First, drop your temps back down to around 85 to 86 degrees--84 to 85 is even better. Your incubation temperature is a little too high for redfoots.
Second, when full term eggs begin to split it is usually because they are being kept too wet or that they have suddenly had a big change in the humidity level. For instance, they had become on the dry side and then were heavily misted or soaked.

If an egg does split, the flies will appear from seemingly nowhere....no matter how 'clean' your house is. However, they can be saved sometimes by cleaning the crack with alcohol and then using Superglue to fix the crack. Unlike wax which can be hot and doesn't hold up well, or silicone cement that takes a long time to set and smells bad as it cures, Superglue dries almost instantly and really holds.

Has this actually worked for you? I had one egg where I used candle wax and it hatched but I've had others where wax or any kind of glue did not work.

With superglue I'd be affraid that the chemical would effect the hatchling but I guess there is nothing to loose.

I haven't had this problem in many years but I'm sure it'll happen again.

>> If an egg does split, the flies will appear from seemingly nowhere....no matter how 'clean' your house is. However, they can be saved sometimes by cleaning the crack with alcohol and then using Superglue to fix the crack. Unlike wax which can be hot and doesn't hold up well, or silicone cement that takes a long time to set and smells bad as it cures, Superglue dries almost instantly and really holds.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

Ed,
I used Superglue on a clutch of eggs that I had been misting too heavily and that had split. There were three in the clutch and one had died outright but the two I used the Superglue on did hatch.
They were 'glued' on 2/13. Then one hatched on 3/18 and the other on 3/27.
Someone had told me that doctors in emergency rooms sometimes use Superglue on cuts. In any event, it dries right away and does not have a chemical smell like silicone cement.
Wax sounds like it would work as Gaby's friend has used it but I would be afraid of the hot wax causing more harm. Then again, it probably cools immediatedly too.

I know there's a surgical grade (which is probably the same stuff from kmart in a $300 bottle) but I know it gives off a nasty vapor befor curing.

It sounds like you had great results and it's a great idea. I'll file that info for future reference.

Thanks.

>>Ed,
>> I used Superglue on a clutch of eggs that I had been misting too heavily and that had split. There were three in the clutch and one had died outright but the two I used the Superglue on did hatch.
>> They were 'glued' on 2/13. Then one hatched on 3/18 and the other on 3/27.
>> Someone had told me that doctors in emergency rooms sometimes use Superglue on cuts. In any event, it dries right away and does not have a chemical smell like silicone cement.
>> Wax sounds like it would work as Gaby's friend has used it but I would be afraid of the hot wax causing more harm. Then again, it probably cools immediatedly too.
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I would like to thank everyone for their help. It is very much appreciated.