denting eggs

[ingrid76]

Hi,

Ik have a problem with incubating the eggs of my crested gecko's.
a week or two before they have to hatch the egg starts denting. (hope this is good english). And the little one inside dies. Ik have openend an egg after this happenend and the hatchling inside is fully grown. Does anybody know about this problem???

Ingrid

[Lumpynutz]

I know you should never open a egg!! whether you think the egg is bad or not!

[infernal_star]

If an egg is denting, it usually means that it's dehydrated. My guess is you're not keeping your moisture right. Also if you open an egg, it's like severing your brain stem, the animal dies whether it was already dead or not.

[Haroldo]

If an egg is denting, it usually means that it's dehydrated. My guess is you're not keeping your moisture right. Also if you open an egg, it's like severing your brain stem, the animal dies whether it was already dead or not.

Not true! Ever heard of manually piping an egg? It's perfectly safe to do so around the hatch time of the egg--meaning it would be dangerous to do it before the approximate hatch date, but much less so if you are experienced and it is around the approximate hatch date. I do agree that a dented egg could mean dehydration, but it can also mean a dead embryo. I'd watch the dented egg to make sure it doesn't go bad.

[ingrid76]

I think don't think they are dehydrated. Cause the humitity level in the incubator is high. Maybe to high, I don't know. I am new at this and it is very frustrated to see the little ones die inside the egg.
It is always in the last couple of weeks that is goes wrong.
The eggs dent severly, that it is obvious the gecko inside is dead.
Maybe I keep the eggs to warm, it is in the incubator 80 degrees fahrenheit. I hope someone knows the answer to my problem.

:( :( Ingrid

[RangerGrrl]

Try keeping the eggs between 72-78 degrees F, that is plenty warm for crested eggs. They don't have to be at the exact same temp all the time either, some fluctuation is OK.

[crestedjunkie]

:cry: I have had a similar problem with several eggs and I narrowed the cause to two options; the first one being that my day time temps were reaching the upper 78-80 range which others have also had similar problems with I've read . The other is - the eggs came from a female I had purchased as gravid and I think she was not supplemented with enough calcium to prepare for being bred . Since I have had her each set of eggs has improved however I have had 4 hatchlings make it to pip but not come out of the eggs, it is heartbreaking to wait for so long to have it keep happening. I have also heard of over supplementing of calcium making the eggshell to hard for the babies to hatch... so it could be any number of things on top of moisture,temp.,ect. Do the eggs look normal? what temp are they at?How do you maintain moisture ? I'm sure if you give us more details we can help you out.
Sincerly Crestedjunkie

[ingrid76]

Hi thanks for your reaction to my problem.
I keep the egss in an simple incubator. There is water in it, and that is heated by an aquarium heater. So there is a lot of moisture. The eggs are in vermiculite.
The temperature in de incubator is always 80 degrees.
The parents are well fedd, and get calcium/magnesium in fluid.
Ik spray that mixed with half a litre of water every night in the terrarium, so maybe it is to much calcium? My female crested gecko had layed 12 eggs this year and each egg is the same, normal looking and white. No dents, the shell feels strong. Only two eggs hatched. So I am really doing somehting wrong. And that is very frustrated, cause the little once that hatched are very cute.
Hope this is enough information.

Ingrid

[Flip]

It could of been that you had touched the egg by accident, you should never touch an egg with a naked hand because the slightly acidic oilds on your hands can cause denting also.

[Sanskrit]

80 degrees is high for crested gecko eggs. Try dropping the temp to 72-75 degrees and you'll have better luck. The highest temp that I've heard of people getting reliable hatches from is around 78 but never higher.

[crestedjunkie]

Hi Ingrid from what you've told us the only thing I can think is like Sanskirt says lower your temps just a few degrees and keep us updated. Best Wishes , Crestedjunkie

[ris9911]

iv never breed before but am absorbing all the info i possibly can for the time when i do but 12 eggs in one year sounds like a bit much to me ...... also the humidity should be 80% right and the temp should be 75 right? and when you take the eggs out you should take them out with a latex glove on? sry dident mean to take over the thread

[BadAssHerps]

Ok I just figured I'de contribute to this one because I have about a 99% hatch rate. I just take a large plastic dish put about 1 inch of perlite, moisten it to where it feels damp but not real wet, and bury the eggs exactlly the way I found them to where only about half of the egg is exposed. I keep them at 74-78 degrees and keep the lid on tight. Only opening it up every now and then to prevent the air from becoming to stagnant. That's it, it is so easy guys.
-Eli

[ingrid76]

Thanks for all the comments,
Next year she will start laying eggs again and then I will try a cooler temp.
Hope it works then, think it can't go wrong again.

Ingrid