Two bad eggs in clutch being maternally incubated- remove or let alone?

[Will0W783]

Hi everyone. I have a clutch of Stimson's python eggs due to hatch March 4th. I have allowed the mother to maternally incubate and she's being a very protective, dilligent mother.

I have the cage temps at about 84, so she can warm the eggs a bit if needed. So far, most of the eggs look great, but there were two with spots of poor calcification on them when they were laid. I've been checking every day, and finally last night I noticed a dead egg smell. I nudged mom's head away and those two eggs are soggy and nasty and there were a few little maggots on them. I tried to pull the one egg off gently, but mom was ticked about it and the eggs are quite well stuck together.

My question is, should I glove up and take the bites to get those two eggs out of the clutch? If I leave them be, will they kill the other eggs around them? It's about a week and a half- 2 weeks to go yet until hatching, and they just started smelling yesterday. The little maggots have me worried though...I have no idea how they got in there....blech!

What do you guys who have more breeding experience think? Leave them alone, or pull those two off the pile?

[infernalis]

I'd want them gone, would seem unhealthy to leave them.

[Reptile_Reptile]

ive been told by a breeder of ball pythons that they dont harm the clutch at all you cant infect an eggshell with dead

[presspirate]

the maggots seems like a bad deal to me Kim. Also the possibility of those bad eggs melting down, You'd have a real mess to clean not to mention having to contend with a pissy mother and a bunch of squiggly hatchlings. If you glove up and remove the eggs will the mother continue to incubate? In the wild would the mother boot the eggs out on her own? Or would she eat the eggs? Stimulating questions. Being only a couple weeks from hatching, I don't imagine you'd want to jostle the good eggs too much.

I'll be watching this one with interest to see what others think.

Best of luck to you Kim.

[derekcm87]

ive been told by a breeder of ball pythons that they dont harm the clutch at all you cant infect an eggshell with dead

I would get them out of there. Problem is the "dead" egg can grow mold which CAN spread to the other eggs. And yes maggots, yuck, take some bites for the team and get em out of there. Just my opinion. Last year I incubated two eggs that ended up not making it and they quickly grew all moldy. But then again I have zero experience with maternal incubation and dont know what affects messing with them will have on the mother? So maybe presspirate is right?

[Reptile_Reptile]

the maggots will only eat the dead stuff off the eggs and they will prevent molding. maggots are friends. but i not being experienced in this kind of thing should not be taken as seriously as others

[whoaxmary]

I'm not sure if there is a way to subscribe to a thread with out posting in it...and I'd like to see what happens with this so I'm just posting so I can go to my subscribed thread and find it easy. I have no experience with this so I won't offer any advice - but I'd like to learn from your experience. Good luck - hope all turns out well with the other eggs.

[derekcm87]

@Whoaxmary, If you go to thread tools at the top of the thread and click subscribe to thread, thats how you subscribe without posting :)

[Sapphyr]

I'm not sure if there is a way to subscribe to a thread with out posting in it...and I'd like to see what happens with this so I'm just posting so I can go to my subscribed thread and find it easy. I have no experience with this so I won't offer any advice - but I'd like to learn from your experience. Good luck - hope all turns out well with the other eggs.

Same here! :> Especially since I'd like to breed geckos or snakes one day.~

And Mary, I personally just check the Home page all the time and the # Unread Posts at the top to stay on things or specific things.

[whoaxmary]

Thanks Derek.
And I've been doing the same everyday Sapp, just wanted to know incase there are threads like this one I expecially don't want to loss track of. :P

[Will0W783]

I dont' think the mother will eat the eggs...I'm just concerned about tearing them if I try to separate them. I was hoping someone who had experience in dealing with a few bad eggs would help me.

[Lankyrob]

If you disturb mummy and she abandons the other eggs have you got a incubator ready to move the eggs too? May be good to have that backup should you decide to disturb her.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[marvelfreak]

I dont' think the mother will eat the eggs...I'm just concerned about tearing them if I try to separate them. I was hoping someone who had experience in dealing with a few bad eggs would help me.
I would PM Mykee, Feebo, Mark Gonesnakee, Aaron S. and Citysnake as i know they all have experience in breeding pythons. And please share all info with us.

[Aaron_S]

If the bad eggs are stuck to the good eggs you'll most likely have to stick it out as is. If they are just laying in the pile then you can remove them.

[Will0W783]

They are all in a pile, but really stuck together. I gently tried to separate it and they wouldn't budge. I don't want to scare the mom away. Will the bad eggs be likely to infect my good ones? I see at least 6 that look good out of what looks like 10. Ugh, this is a real killer of a learning curve...

[Will0W783]

BTW, thanks in advance for all advice guys! I wouldnt' be as concerned if it weren't for the maggots...they have me completely skeeved out and I have noo idea where they came from. I try to keep my husbandry skills exemplary...this is just gross. I don't know if they will leave the good eggs alone or if they'll kill them too. I honestly at this point would be happy if one or two hatched...just to get something. I am absolutely dying to see little faces poke out. It would be amazing!

[Reptile_Reptile]

maggots only eat dead flesh their presance should be reassuring because they will keep the bacteria and spores down and help keep it from the other eggs. they should be your best friends right about now

[Will0W783]

Hopefully...
Next clutch gets the incubator again.

[Aaron_S]

Bad eggs won't turn good eggs bad. I've seen pics of some seriously bad eggs in with good ones. I don't know about the maggot thing since I use an incubator. As mentioned they only eat dead things though so I think you'll be fine.

[Will0W783]

Ok, thanks Aaron. I really appreciate it. I guess all I can do is hope for the best. There is always next year, but I really want at least one or two babies. :(

[serpentshideawa]

i agree with what was said about the maggets some drs still use maggets to remove dead flesh in a patient who has a bad wound and they leave the living tissue alone

[Shmoges]

If they mold that can be bad, also doesn;t decaying matter make some bad chemicals? ammonia? I wouldnt think that would be good against a health egg.