what do i do with my hatchlings?!

[lemmons]

they're due to hatch any day, i've heard i'm supposed to leave them in the incubator for the first couple of days, do i need to do anything? like lift the lid to exchange some air? i've got a hovabator and a bit reluctant to take the lid off any more than i have to because that seems to upset it in a serious way and it starts going all cold and hot and stresses me out!and what happens if they dont' all hatch at the same time? are they supposed to collapse the day before they hatch?

 

[lemmons]

please help me!

 

[midnight_962002]

They won't all hatch at the same time.....But, they should all hatch within the next week once they start hatching.

Once they hatch we generally allow them to stay in the incubator until they are up and running around. I have had a couple come out with the egg sak wrapped around themselves and needed to remove them right away. But, that only happened twice and one made it the other didn't. So, providing that they are ok, and are breathing you should just leave them in there until they are running. Then we place them under their heat/uvb lamps on top of damp papertowel. The first week consists of 3 sprayings a day to keep them hydrated. Hatchlings can get dehydrated easily.

Ernie

 

[lemmons]

thanks! yes i heard they can get dehydrated easily - does bathing them help? should you bathe babies?

 

[lemmons]

and should i spray them while they're in the incubator? because taking the lid off it usually means an hour of adjusting the temperature to keep it stable! :?

 

[midnight_962002]

You don't have to spray them while they are in the incubator. It should already be humid in there and they can absorb the humidity.

I don't bathe my babies until they are a couple of weeks old. I don't want to shock them to much and I want to make sure that they are strong enough to get someone off there backs. Spraying them and the paper towel that they are on works well for me. Just make sure to do it several times a day until the egg sak is gone.

Ernie

 

[Evin]

How would you feed your hatchlings in the incubator?

 

[lemmons]

they feed off the egg sac so no need to feed them while they're in the incubator

i take it i'll know when the egg sac is gone? - there's only two tiny windows in the hovabator. do i need to lift the lid for air or anything? the containers they're in have holes drilled in the lid and the hovabator came with a couple of holes in the lid.

 

[midnight_962002]

Nope. Just make sure that they have plenty of room to walk around and move around and can't get out of the container. They should have plenty of air to breathe in there. If they didn't have enough air to breathe your eggs wouldn't have hatched.

The first day is actually kind of boring cause they don't do much except sleep. During this time there bodies will be absorbing the sack. Most babies won't eat until after the 3rd day of life.

Ernie

 

[lemmons]

thanks for telling me that - i would have panicked that they'd all died or something if no one warned me about the sleeping!
do i have to chop my veggies up really small for them? when i got my adults they were 16 weeks and they told me i couldn't feed them anything bigger than the distance between their eyes, but whenever i go in there all their reptiles seem to have big bits of kale etc to eat.
my eggs have been incubating for 7 1/2 weeks i gather thats pretty normal? i shouldn't start worrying yet? i darent' candle them, lack of co-ordination. they've all swollen nicely tho and all look good.

 

[midnight_962002]

Thats fine. My hatch date has always been day 59 or 60. For cutting the green. I get a food processor and run the leafs through that. It should get you them cut pretty thin.

As for sleeping. They are going to come out looking dead! If you watch them very closely and for a period of time you will see them take a deep breath here and there. Watching each clutch hatch is super exciting and I always run home for it.

Ernie

 

[lemmons]

now why have i never thought of food processing... that sounds like a plan - thanks!
yes i can't wait for them to hatch, first time grandma, so exciting! thanks for all your help, i feel a bit more prepared now!i'm sure there will be many posts when they finally do hatch.... xx em

 

[Evin]

When should you be watching out for them nipping each other tails? Is there any way to prevent it?