What happens with eggs that are shrinking?

[skybird]

My eggs are sort of shrinking. They are still white and got laid at 0:30 AM this night. Is there something to do with the humidity in my incubator?
I'm usin vermiculite, 24 deg Celsius (75,2 Farenheit) in the incubator.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I keep my eggs between 72-74 degrees. I use the closet method and try to keep the temps as close to 72 as possible. When you say they are shrinking are the eggs collapsing or are you thinking they are just getting smaller but still retaining their original shape? You do know that some of the eggs are going to be a bit larger than others. Just because they are smaller they can still be viable. Dont discard any eggs unless they turn yellow and start to mold.

 

[skybird]

They have lost their smoth shape, (sort of collapsing alittle like our skin if it's been in water for too long) but ar still white. Could it be the vermiculite that is to wet? The humidity in the incubator is 92% now. I removed the eggs from the wet vermiculite, and put in som fresh dry vermiculite instead. The incubator is monitoring the humidity and wil not let the humidity drop under 80%.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Ive never had any viable/fertile eggs do that for me. One of my females laid 4 clutches from a single mating the 3rd retained clutch consisted of almost all non-viable eggs/slugs. Those eggs did yellow and then collapse in on themselves. If your eggs are viable its got to be the humidity. Because your temps arent that much higher than mine and ive never seen that. When you squeeze the vermiculite make sure its not soaking wet. You want it just wet enuff to clump together and when squeezed hard you should get just barely a drop of water. You can always add more water if your vermiculite drys out but as your witnessing its hard to remove the excess water once youve got to much.

 

[skybird]

My eggs are not misscoloured yet, so i'll have 80% on the incubator and see. From early this night it was aboute 94%

 

[skybird]

I keep my eggs between 72-74 degrees. I use the closet method and try to keep the temps as close to 72 as possible.

Is this the ideell temperature? You are talking aboute 22-23 celsius here

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I tend to use the methods I was taught many many yrs ago. We didnt even use incubators back in the mid 90's for cham eggs. So i choose not to use them today. I feel that I get a better hatch rate by not using an incubator. It may take my clutches a month or two longer to hatch than someone thats using an incubator but I also dont have to stress over a possible incub failure or a temp gauge on the incubator being off. That seems to occur quite often. Where people have their incubator set and then they see weird stuff happen and a recheck of temps with a diff thermometer shows that the incubator is off by several degrees. To me its not worth the risk. Find a dark closet or cabinet that stays cool & dark. Then spend a few days taking temp readings to see if its a good place then your good to go. Again, its just my method. Im old school and it works for me. Just had a faly hatch this week from my closet incubator. It was 9 months almost to the day incubation time.

I use the temps I was given many yrs ago by my mentor/vet. He was a breeder also and he gave me his tips he used. He preferred lower temps for incubation. 72 he felt was about ideal. So I shoot for that. If my cabinet temps rise I find a cooler dark spot like under a bed where temps stay cooler during summer months.

 

[skybird]

Very usefull information there. I have calibrated with a celsius drop as from now on 22,7 deg Celsius.

Very wize man that vet As you now its her first clutch so, in a month i will try to breed them again after she has gained a few grams he he he

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Good luck with the project. I got a clutch hatching now. And two female falys that are gravid. One should lay this week I hope and the other about 10 days later.

 

[skybird]

Congratulation You are up for a very tight schedual then Good luck!

It's a very interesting hobby i must admit.
I was used to keep aquariums with malawi cichlids for over 20 years, but this is mutch more fun.

I'm working on the egglaying video in HD, so i will post it on the tube, once i finished editing

Let us know how it goes

 

[pssh]

It's easier to control when you break the diapause when you can control the temps. It seems to affect the babies in more ways than one.

 

[suzi]

It's easier to control when you break the diapause when you can control the temps. It seems to affect the babies in more ways than one.

I was told to do 69 for the first 2 months then bump up to 72 for 2 months then 74 for last 2 months and they should hatch at 6 months. Would that be considered breaking diapause?

 

[Texas Panther Man]

It's easier to control when you break the diapause when you can control the temps. It seems to affect the babies in more ways than one.

I dont disagree that using an incubator can be useful. And I may experiment with them in the future. But for now I feel comfortable using my "old school method". I havent lost any clutches and Im not trying to speed up hatch times.

What other ways does it affect the babies other than shortening incubation?