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Cutting ball eggs?

Cut, just dont cut to early about day 55. Just be careful when doing it, there are a lot of videos on youtube that will help.
 
I was told by a vet that he cuts on day 52 and have followed suit. Everything has went fine thus far. They usually are all out 2-3 days later.
 
You need to make sure your temps are right when deciding when to cut. My first year breeding, my temps were low and the first pip didn't happen until day 70. If I had cut at day 55, like many recommend, I believe I would have killed alot of babies.

Last season my temps were a bit low again (86-87)and I cut on day 55 only to cut too soon and lose 2 BEL's.

This season I'm relying on my protemp gun and waiting for pips before I cut the rest of the clutch.
 
Amanda, basically a lot of people experiment with temps between 85 and 92 for growth time, as well as hatch weight. It's said that going for the longer time period with 86 will get you bigger healthier babies, and higher temps will get your babies to hatch sooner.

I prefer the higher temps ( 89 ). Not because of the faster hatching, but it's been ideal, and accepted for many years, and I haven't got the guts to experiment with temps, or even cutting yet.
 
I'm sure to far above 90 probably could have some negative effects. I don't know about sterility though. I'd like to read up on that though.
 
Personally, I'm not against cutting, but I prefer the "natural" order of things. ;) I cut if I am concerned about a particular egg, but otherwise I leave them to pip and hatch on their own.
 
I personally don't cut unless I feel like I HAVE to... Last year I had a clutch that went 72 days before anyone started breaking through... When only a few did over the next few days, I cut the rest with no problems.
Similar situation this year with Bull Snakes... I ended up cutting 2 out of 8 after everyone else was out.

I am not comfortable with the methods some breeders use, whether they have had success with those methods or not. I'd rather wait as long as I have to and have healthy babies than take a chance of killing even a single one due to impatience.
 
thanks for all your help, I have a clutch that I dought is a pied clutch but not sure and really can't wait to find out. They started to dimp in about a week and a half ago so they should be ready at about day 52 I think at 90 degrees. I read on a graziani page they cut at day 52.
 
We always wait until the first one pips and then cut. It is usually around day 53 at 88-89 degrees. That way, I know that I am not jumping the gun and taking it into my own hands too early.
 
bossroy said:
I have a clutch that I dought is a pied clutch but not sure and really can't wait to find out.
Click to expand...

Thoughts like this are what cause people to cut eggs, sometimes too early, and occasionally lose potential offspring. I've cut eggs myself cause I was anxious to see what I got. It's like a kid at Christmas time.... Stop sneaking around trying to find out what you have and wait.... It's going to be a surprise no matter which day it is and looking back the waiting is part of the fun.... It's the only time you can dream that your pastel to normal will throw a pastel pied because both parents had unknown hets..... Once they are out it's all feeding and cleaning.
 
My first clutch isn't at that point yet, but I will not cut before the first one pips. And even then, I won't be cutting the way I see most people doing it. I'll be making a single, small slit in the egg (making sure to not hit any blood vessels) and leave it at that. My reason for cutting is to help that rare baby who just can't seem to get out of the egg no matter how hard they try, not for seeing what I got.
 
I look at it most of the time if they do not all pip with in a day of each other i will cut but not before and actualy it ends up that they all pip with in that time frame. i have only had to cut once and would choose not to. Leave it as mother nature intended it to be.
 
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