LindsayMarie
Been here awhile
Well this is my first year breeding corns. So as each clutch (3) were laid, I put them into almost 3 inch square containers w/ vermiculite and sphagnum moss. All 3 clutches were pearl white fertile eggs, not a mark, dent or discoloration anywhere! I was extremly happy as this is the "mystery" project which has interested me since day one. Well now its been 53 days since the first and a couple weeks after that the second should start to hatch. Oh, I am incubating around 80-82 inside the containers and 83-85 air inside the incubator.
Anyways my point/problem is I had to MOVE the eggs in both clutches. The first 2 clutches were moved quite a bit as we had to get to and take out the substrate underneath to make room for the growing eggs. The lid was pushing down on the eggs a little. But even with all that moving, the highest eggs are only millimeters away from the top, practically touching in clutch 2 and they have quite some time left to go, compared to #1. By move I mean picked up the eggs as a clump with SHAKY hands (I hate incubating clumps, lizard eggs are easy, fit nicely in a row). Have I killed them??
I am sitting here crying, literally, gosh I am too darn sensitive. I feel I have doomed the clutches, especially the one due soon and what sucks is I still have #3 which still has room in its container, but for how long?! Also clutch 1 was the most important as far as my project goes. I am angry and sad, but what else could I possibly do? Then my damn hand shaking like parkinsons. I kept trying to candle them after, but I could only see veins and shadows. Mostly I couldnt see anything and no movement. *sighs*
I HAD 3 'perfect' clutches (#1 16 eggs, #2 18 eggs, #3 11 eggs from a first timer). I think what bothers me is that yes it happens, they dont all make it, blah blah, but then thats nature. Picking them up, moving, rearranging (all as careful as possible) isnt, so I feel horrible. I need one of those expensive incubators where I can use any container. I have the two window still air model hovabator which is like 7 years old. Seems the clumps are growing too big to fit as the hovabator doesnt allow for very tall containers. I guess all I can do is sit and wait huh? Has anyone else had to do this (move, transfer, or candle eggs while handling?) What do you think chances are that they all are ok? Or mostly ok? Or did I really screw up?
How will I know that the baby has passed, will the egg(s) turn color, sink in, or just not hatch? Also, I was wondering, the sphagnum has stained some of the eggs, is this ok or will it make it harder for them to hatch? I wish I had taken a picture of them with their moms like everyone else. Or just the eggs when they first were laid and all pretty instead of stained!!! Oh well, like I said, first year! I am going to take pics of the eggs and pippies, if there are any left alive
If you have any advice, experience with something like this or just want to say what you think, please do. I hope everyone sees this, I know I am not the only one that has done something like this. Any advice on how to move the last clutch? I had originally planned just to move them into container 1, once they have hatched. But I dont know!
How hardy are these guys in their eggs?! Am I freaking for nothing? Rich, Kathy, Don, Rich H, (all big breeders) you all must have had thousands of eggs/clumps. Have you had to move any that were in the middle and near hatching? What were the end results? THANK YOU for your time everyone.
Lindsay
Anyways my point/problem is I had to MOVE the eggs in both clutches. The first 2 clutches were moved quite a bit as we had to get to and take out the substrate underneath to make room for the growing eggs. The lid was pushing down on the eggs a little. But even with all that moving, the highest eggs are only millimeters away from the top, practically touching in clutch 2 and they have quite some time left to go, compared to #1. By move I mean picked up the eggs as a clump with SHAKY hands (I hate incubating clumps, lizard eggs are easy, fit nicely in a row). Have I killed them??
I am sitting here crying, literally, gosh I am too darn sensitive. I feel I have doomed the clutches, especially the one due soon and what sucks is I still have #3 which still has room in its container, but for how long?! Also clutch 1 was the most important as far as my project goes. I am angry and sad, but what else could I possibly do? Then my damn hand shaking like parkinsons. I kept trying to candle them after, but I could only see veins and shadows. Mostly I couldnt see anything and no movement. *sighs*
I HAD 3 'perfect' clutches (#1 16 eggs, #2 18 eggs, #3 11 eggs from a first timer). I think what bothers me is that yes it happens, they dont all make it, blah blah, but then thats nature. Picking them up, moving, rearranging (all as careful as possible) isnt, so I feel horrible. I need one of those expensive incubators where I can use any container. I have the two window still air model hovabator which is like 7 years old. Seems the clumps are growing too big to fit as the hovabator doesnt allow for very tall containers. I guess all I can do is sit and wait huh? Has anyone else had to do this (move, transfer, or candle eggs while handling?) What do you think chances are that they all are ok? Or mostly ok? Or did I really screw up?
How will I know that the baby has passed, will the egg(s) turn color, sink in, or just not hatch? Also, I was wondering, the sphagnum has stained some of the eggs, is this ok or will it make it harder for them to hatch? I wish I had taken a picture of them with their moms like everyone else. Or just the eggs when they first were laid and all pretty instead of stained!!! Oh well, like I said, first year! I am going to take pics of the eggs and pippies, if there are any left alive
If you have any advice, experience with something like this or just want to say what you think, please do. I hope everyone sees this, I know I am not the only one that has done something like this. Any advice on how to move the last clutch? I had originally planned just to move them into container 1, once they have hatched. But I dont know!
How hardy are these guys in their eggs?! Am I freaking for nothing? Rich, Kathy, Don, Rich H, (all big breeders) you all must have had thousands of eggs/clumps. Have you had to move any that were in the middle and near hatching? What were the end results? THANK YOU for your time everyone.
Lindsay
