To worry or not to worry.

This is the early slit clutch I posted about a week or so ago. Clutch is from a lemonblast bred to a het pied. If I'm not mistaken I beat the odds bigtime producing 3 lemonblasts, 1 pin, and one normal. My issue is how large the yolk sacks still are. It is day 53 today. Someone said that the reason the yolk sacks are so large could be because the snakes are kinked. I really hope not. I'm loving this clutch and hate even thinking about losing any of them. Any opinions on the yolk or corrections to what it is I think I see as far as morphs are welcome. Thanks.

I think that the yolk sacks are still that big because they aren't ready to hatch yet. I'd say they've got at least a week's worth of food in there. Good luck with them.

You are right on what you see as far as the morphs go, are the yolks still soft?

Havn't made any attempt at touching the yolks to see. I've been worried ever since they were slit, but when their heads started appearing I started feeling a little better... Till someone mentioned the yolk sacks and kinking. Last year I had a baby actually leave the shell with it's yolk sack in tow. I had to put him in a shoe box with yolk sack attached and wait 2-3 days till it absorbed.

I would say it looks like they are not ready to come out of the egg just yet. If it was just one I would look at a reason but with multiple, its just not time. Plus you cut WAY too much of the egg. I never cut until the eggs are sunken in and have that earthy smell. We candle to make sure not to hit a vein. All that extra blood that goes into the egg causes bacteria to start growing. Usually just a small hole between the veins. If the veins are all absorbed then you can cut a window, but maybe half the size of what you have. Besides the fact that they are not ready to leave the egg, but now they have no protection from the outside world to give them the sense of security while they absorb it. I would put them back in the incubator and leave them alone. I use the same method of egg crate in the tub, put a damp paper towel under the eggs so if they do crawl out that the egg crate does not damage the yolk sack.

Congrats on a nice clutch, yes you did crush the odds.Yolks are the food source for the embryo. Mother nature usually times it perfectly so that the last bit of yolk is absorbed just as the snakes are ready to leave the egg. I personally have never seen a reason where cutting an egg was justified. The slit that the snake makes still leaves enough shell on the egg to prevent the contents from dehydrating,bacteria from entering etc.etc. Depending on what temp that the eggs were incubated, it could take 60 days plus for them to be ready to leave the egg. When baby snakes have pipped themselves and are startled, they retreat back into the egg as cover. When that cover is removed many will end up leaving the egg prematurely, probably seeking a secure spot, dragging the yolk and umbilicus with them, nearly always leading to problems. The only justifiable reason that people cut is to satisfy their curiosity. I feel that it has taken you two plus years to get the female to breeding size, probably another 6 mos to a year to get eggs, over 50 days in the incubator, what is the big deal to wait for the snakes to emerge when they are ready? I did cut in the beginning because everyone else told me that was protocol, but have since let them come out when they wanted with 0 problems

thanks Dale, coming from a DVM makes me feel a little better about my thoughts

First one out, yolk fully absorbed, and kink free. I'm feeling better.

Originally Posted by edenspets

First one out, yolk fully absorbed, and kink free. I'm feeling better.

What a pretty, and FAT, "little" lemonblast!! Congrats with this one, and best of luck with the rest!! (I'm sure they'll be fine.)

First one out is gorgeous! I'm sure the others will be fine too, just be patient