Incubation Methods....

[topknot20]

Hey Everyone,
I was just wondering what everyone who's breeding right now has been using for incubation.Things like the materials, heating methods, whats worked what hasnt. Ive got 80 veiled eggs incubating in the little rubbermaid dishes with vermiculite. They are in a foam lunch box with a thermostat controled heat emitter set a 78F for 12 hrs and 76F for 12 hrs. I seems for me that keeping the humidity in a good range has been the toughest part. I dont want them to be soaked and they certianly dont want to be too dry. What Ive done to keep to keep the humidity I just to gently drip a few drops of water into the vermiculite when it starts to get a little dry. This has worked for me before but I was just wondering whats out there that may work better and how others are doing it.

Thanks

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

I hope I am not hijacking but have some questions that maybe you and others can help with on the same subject.

Where do you get your vermiculite? I found some at Lowe's but wasn't;t sure if it was the fine stuff. didn't say course. So you use the course vermiculite?

Is hatch right any good?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Get vermiculite at a greenhouse or nursery ... don't buy it from Home Depot or Lowes.

How old are your veiled eggs?
I have mine at just under 70 degrees f. right now [66 to 68 degrees f.] ... they are almost 4 months old, in a month or so I will start raising the temps slightly.... no higher than 74 to 76 degrees for the final few months.

-Brad

 

[topknot20]

Ryan, I got my vermiculite at a greenhouse I never really looked at HD or Lowes. Ive only ever used vermiculite and clutches ive hatched before only had a few that didnt make it. I dont know if it was due to the medium or something else.

Brad, my first clutch is going on five months and the second is about a month or so now. Ive heard quite a few different ranges that people use some higher some lower.... is the gradual increase to mimick more natural condtions in the wild??? More in line with seasonal hatching conditions?

 

[Julirs]

Hey Ryan-I used the Home Depot fine Vermiculite and hatched all 69 of those Veiled eggs! I did order the larger stuff from LLL-you get a pretty huge bag for about $8.00 and that is what I have been hatching pyglets with for awhile, and hopefully what I will be putting Nosy eggs in in a few weeks here! I suggest go with the larger-it seems a little better for the whole process.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Ive heard quite a few different ranges that people use some higher some lower.... is the gradual increase to mimick more natural condtions in the wild??? More in line with seasonal hatching conditions?

To some degree, yes.
I am also wanting them to incubate for the maximum time.
I have read of people keeping veiled eggs very warm and having hatches at 6 months or earlier ... often with developmental problems.
It makes sense to me that buried as deep as they would be in a natural situation ... the eggs would be cool and insulated ... keeping the temp pretty stable. During the summer in Yemen it gets quite hot and it makes sense to me that the ground would warm up a few degrees.
My plan is to reach 74 to 76 degrees by month 5. December 4th the eggs will be 5 months old.
From now till 12/04 I will be gradually warming them.
It's all speculation for me at this point.

-Brad

 

[jhappe]

what kind of thermometer is best? I saw some infrared ones but are they neccesary?

 

[spearsre]

Is it best to incubate in an incubator or just in tupperware like containers? I would assume a reptile incubator would be the best. Is this correct and what brands are recommended?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Is it best to incubate in an incubator or just in tupperware like containers? I would assume a reptile incubator would be the best. Is this correct and what brands are recommended?

I am not using an incubator.

-Brad

 

[sandrachameleon]

Is it best to incubate in an incubator or just in tupperware like containers? I would assume a reptile incubator would be the best. Is this correct and what brands are recommended?

Ive never used anything but a covered plastic container and vermiculite for panther eggs. For the first batch of eggs, I lived in a very cool house so the container would get cold at night too. For later eggs and current, My home stays between 64F /17.5C (night) and 75F /24C (day) and thus so did the container. I didnt measure humidity except to touch - if it felt damp, good (and it always did).

 

[topknot20]

sandrachameleon, intersesting It kinda sounds like most people are keeping them a bit cooler than I am. How was your hatch rate, how did the babys turn out??

Brad, that approach makes sense, that they would certianly stay cooler in the ground and have some variation throuhg the seasons. Would you be interested in contrasting our hatch results to compare the techniques??? Being that our clutches are close in age and that we are both in Colorado. We could set up a little empirical experiment. How about the medium what are you using and how about the humidity???

 

[sandrachameleon]

sandrachameleon, intersesting It kinda sounds like most people are keeping them a bit cooler than I am. How was your hatch rate, how did the babys turn out??

I should say I dont necessarily recommend my method, just reporting what I've done. And in truth I didnt realize all the trouble other people go through until well after I'd done my own thing - since I've been on this forum reading what others do, I may do things differently next time. The batch hatched in the cold house took 13 months - way longer than those hatched in the warmer house. In all cases, 100% hatch rate, regardless of incubation temps. All were healthy from the cold house batch. All healthy from the warm house batches, with only two exceptions: one died within the first two weeks, and one (different batch) never grew-up well, a runt. Within the first few months a vet found she had eye-sight issues (and thus hunting trouble) and after I started hand feeding she plumped up. A few days ago Runty died young though, while her sister and brothers remain happy and thriving.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Brad, that approach makes sense, that they would certianly stay cooler in the ground and have some variation throuhg the seasons. Would you be interested in contrasting our hatch results to compare the techniques??? Being that our clutches are close in age and that we are both in Colorado. We could set up a little empirical experiment. How about the medium what are you using and how about the humidity???

Sure.
Lets keep decent records and see what happens.
I am using a finer vermiculite and not really monitoring the humidity other than pinching the medium occasionally to see that it is still somewhat moist.
I drip water around the eggs when I feel like it has become too dry (twice so far)

-Brad

 

[Eyal]

how often is it necessary to moist , when you got a lid on ?

 

[ciafardo 4]

ive hatched countless clutches of cham eggs using a incubator for veileds i incubate at a steady 77 78 f and always have had great sucess i guess its a matter of preferance

 

[ciafardo 4]

I should say I dont necessarily recommend my method, just reporting what I've done. And in truth I didnt realize all the trouble other people go through until well after I'd done my own thing - since I've been on this forum reading what others do, I may do things differently next time. The batch hatched in the cold house took 13 months - way longer than those hatched in the warmer house. In all cases, 100% hatch rate, regardless of incubation temps. All were healthy from the cold house batch. All healthy from the warm house batches, with only two exceptions: one died within the first two weeks, and one (different batch) never grew-up well, a runt. Within the first few months a vet found she had eye-sight issues (and thus hunting trouble) and after I started hand feeding she plumped up. A few days ago Runty died young though, while her sister and brothers remain happy and thriving.

sandra i dont live next to the cat people anymore so i cant confess it was an accident i felt really bad but it was a cat had no problems sleeping at night cats they make em every day sorry if my story offended you

 

[sandrachameleon]

sandra i dont live next to the cat people anymore so i cant confess it was an accident i felt really bad but it was a cat had no problems sleeping at night cats they make em every day sorry if my story offended you

Not offended- I get that our value systems probably differ and I do believe you are sorry - and I hear you that its too late to do anything - and I get not everyone is the same as I am (which is probably a good thing!). Everyone makes mistakes and learns, eh?