Re: How do you know if your eggs are good?

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Posted by Rick on June 18, 2001 at 12:37:52:

In Reply to: How do you know if your eggs are good? posted by CA Racer on June 14, 2001 at 16:22:08:

: My California striped female laid four eggs. I am rather inexperienced in snake breeding. I have put them in wet vermiculite, but what do I look for to tell if they go bad.
Rick:: The eggs should be very White when laid, any yellow eggs should be discarded. Eggs that fail to develop will become discolored or have fungal growth within a week or two, these should be discarded as they may effect the health of any eggs they are attached to. A healthy egg will have visible veins just under the surface of the shell when held up to a light. These veins become noticeable after a week or so. The eggs will increase in size and become darker overall as the embryo develops. The crucial moment is at hatching time, problems with temperature and humidity can result in seemingly healthy eggs that are unable to hatch because the hatchling is too weak to do so. Many people opt to cut the eggs as soon as the first hatchling pips. I recommend caution in doing this since hatching times can vary by as much as a week and it has been my experience that if a hatchling is too weak to hatch that it rarely thrives when rescued in this fashion.

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: : My California striped female laid four eggs. I am rather inexperienced in snake breeding. I have put them in wet vermiculite, but what do I look for to tell if they go bad. : Rick:: The eggs should be very White when laid, any yellow eggs should be discarded. Eggs that fail to develop will become discolored or have fungal growth within a week or two, these should be discarded as they may effect the health of any eggs they are attached to. A healthy egg will have visible veins just under the surface of the shell when held up to a light. These veins become noticeable after a week or so. The eggs will increase in size and become darker overall as the embryo develops. The crucial moment is at hatching time, problems with temperature and humidity can result in seemingly healthy eggs that are unable to hatch because the hatchling is too weak to do so. Many people opt to cut the eggs as soon as the first hatchling pips. I recommend caution in doing this since hatching times can vary by as much as a week and it has been my experience that if a hatchling is too weak to hatch that it rarely thrives when rescued in this fashion.

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