Cresteds Not Making it out of Egg

I have many crested eggs in my incubator. Of the last 3 clutches (all from different breeding pairs), I have only had a 50% hatch success rate (only 1 making it out of the egg). The other egg would have a tear in it, but the baby didn't make it out. After a week or so I cut them open to find a fully? developed baby inside dead. Is this problem common (only 1 egg hatching)? I am incubating at around 79-81 degrees since my house is warm, and they have been hatching at 52 days almost like clockwork. So they are about 8 days early, maybe this is the problem? I have been playing with humidity, as I thought the eggs may have been too dry and the babies couldn't get out. Only the bad ones mold on me and the rest look white/off white and good to me. The babies that have come out of the eggs are doing great. I have my eggs in damp vermiculite in a Hovabater incubator in vented rubbermaid containers. They are buried so about 75% of the tops of the eggs are uncovered. Maybe they should be covered more (or less)? Any advice??

Thanks,
Kati

how long have you been breeding? though 1 of each is odd to me

my only pair that only 1 hatched from was my first...I bought the female and not the male she was with and she laid eggs a few days later...the baby that hatched had bad motor control and died a year later...its pair didn't hatch...I opened it and found a ftd...

I lost all of my eggs last winter (my first winter breeding)...denting and molding...but I haven't had a problem with any since...

I bury them about halfway, 1 part water to 2 parts vermic by weight (can be slightly less water)...I have 6 holes in the top (done with a ballpoint pen) of sandwich sized gladware...I only weigh them once every other week now and very rarely have to add water back...the 6 holes seem like a good ratio...my room temp is 76-78 and can get to 70-76 at night...they hatch in 55-65 days...usually 59-62

good luck...doesn't seem like it's genetic since the babies you are getting are healthy...not really sure

My friend and his daughter just had the same thing happen to them with their first clutch of crested eggs. The anticipated hatch date came and went. They decided to open the eggs and found two fully formed dead-in-shell babies. I don't know the specifics of their incubation practices, but what sircat describes seems real familiar. They haven't had this problem with any of the other 1/2 dozen or so gecko species they raise. I just wanted to bring this to the top again to see if anyone else has had this happened, and what else they think might cause it.

Incomplete hatching could be due from being too dry I would guess.. I dont know.. hmm. Maybe Kelli will pop in, or someone else who can help. I wouldnt cut open eggs though.

Originally Posted by MatthewK

Incomplete hatching could be due from being too dry I would guess.. I dont know.. hmm. Maybe Kelli will pop in, or someone else who can help. I wouldnt cut open eggs though.

I agree. I'm not sure how far "past" the expected hatch date the eggs were when they decided to open them.

When I used to raise parrots and other birds, we had a pair of Pacific Parrotlets that routinely laid clutches of 6-7 eggs (good #) and the eggs would always go bad a couple days after they should have hatched. Fully formed dead-in-shell babies were always inside. Another breeder suspected that inbreeding may cause it, but we knew the lady we got them from very well, and she assured us they were from separate bloodlines. Who knows?

agreed...that was my first time around...the only other time I waited was after 90+ days I cut open the egg that didn't hatch from a pair...after doing a water test also...turns out that one was infertile...was just glad it wasn't a ftd

I wouldn't recommed slitting them...that early at least...I'd wait the full 90 days and try the water test (floating the egg for a minute to see if it moves on its own)...I think I've even heard of some hatching in 100 days...

hope this all gets settled and you have healthy pairs hatching soon

I lowered the temperature a bit in the house, and switched from vermiculite to perlite as an incubation medium and the babies are all hatching out now unless the eggs are bad. Thanks so much for all of your help.

that's really great to hear
I'm glad you figured it out

and recently my eggs have taken an average of 70 days