1.2 gram hatchling after 140+ day incubation

[mfgeckos]

So I was really expecting this gecko to be bigger then it is given the long incubation. I incubated at 69-71 degrees. The only think i can think of is maybe my incubator had to much moister in it. cause almost everytime I would do a air Exchange my eggs had some slight condition on them. But nothing i was alarmed about. The other thing that could of played a factor in this is these were the mother geckos first eggs. I'm really hoping the rest of the eggs hatch out bigger. The babys a little bigger then the tip of my finger...

My questions are what are the smallest hatchlings you've ever produced?
Is this normal?
Would it be a bad idea to hand feed this baby gecko for a month or so?


Thanks everyone

[Jaybee]

First-time laying geckos can give you some wonky results sometimes. I tend to get smaller hatchlings for first-time laying females, retained sperm babies, and out of eggs that are poorly calcified.

I would monitor the gecko for a few days... if you don't see poop after normally feeding for a week or so, consider hand-feeding, but in very small amounts. Only put food via an eyedropper along the side of the gecko's mouth, never on the nostrils, so it doesn't breathe the food in. I did have a very small hatchling I fed this way and he's a healthy adult today.

[MoonriseGeckos]

I think my smallest was 1.1 grams. Was a slow grower but ended up just fine.

[Spyral]

I've had a couple 1.0 hatchlings and one or two 0.8. They all survived but were slow growers.