Mouldy eggs need help

[Genestealer187]

Hi all so my dragon layed 18 more eggs 4 weeks ago 10 died early as my incubator was full The home made one was just not up to it anyway the eggs in the incubator have all hatched 18 so I decided to switch the 8 eggs into vermiculite and put them in the incubator now 3 days later they have mould on them ? Switched back to sand asap gently wiped the eggs I'm worried now they are all dead ? Or are they ok ? Candled them but I don't know any help please wonderful people

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, did you rotate them at all when you moved them ? If so, that could kill the developing babies. Can you post pics ?

 

[Genestealer187]

Hey no I didn't rotate I was very carful to swap them 20 days time is the 50 day hope they are ok my first clutch hatched on the 50 day think I'm going to leave them see how they get on if they are dead time will tell

 

[Genestealer187]

Bonus picture off the hatchlings

 

[AHBD]

Babies are always cute !

The eggs are deflated, they need to be sunken in the substrate. Use your finger to make an indentation for each egg to sit in. They need moisture from the substrate to plump back up.

 

[Genestealer187]

Done that now I had to go out for more sand all sorted now hopefully all is ok female is ready to lay again too hard work

 

[Rankins]

Looks like the eggs are dehydrated or went bad to me. I always use vermiculite for eggs, have used perlite, and expanded clay marbles with good success also.
The trick is to find the right mix of water to vermiculite...and that depends on your incubation method. I have used water in my incubator to raise ambient humidity, but that caused a lot of rust in my incubator. Now I use a sealed container with a very small hole for ventilation. It keeps humidity high and I don't ever have to add more water through the incubation cycle. I also don't bury the eggs in the vermiculite. I put a small depression in it to keep eggs from rolling when checking on egg health.
I would increase humidity to see if eggs plump up. Bearded dragons are one of the easiest reptiles to hatch and their eggs are pretty forgiving. So there is a small chance of saving them. My guess is that they are toast though.

 

[Genestealer187]

Update in the eggs they are nice and plump now and I can see the dragons moving so fingers crossed all good ?

 

[Rankins]

Good news!!
Gotta appriciate the durability of bearded dragon eggs!! Many other reptile eggs would have never recovered.
Do you feel it was a humidity issue?

 

[Genestealer187]

It was the vermiculite that went bad ? No idea why it wasn't damp ? Back on sand it's all good the new eggs are fine on sand to candled them all just and one egg looks bad no sign off a dragon all the rest are moving 5 days until the 50 day that's when my first 18 hatched