Incubation Question!

[Chu'Wuti]

For an unexpected clutch of Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis that arrived when I had no incubator (a situation similar to yours--I had just bought a female that the owner thought was obese, but he had sold her to another person then got her back), I have successfully incubated eggs in long-fiber sphagnum moss. The person who sold her to me said he has used this method for years. I soaked the moss in water, then squeezed out most of the water. I put a layer of moss down into a plastic tub--shoebox sized, then the eggs, then another thinner layer of moss. Though the previous owner/breeder usually puts the box up on top of a high counter, as we kept our house cooler, I put the tub on a heat pad with a thermostat set to 82 degrees.

I was told to and did check the humidity only once a week--the less you open the box, the better the humidity retention. Mist no more than once a week if necessary.

He recommended not incubating the separated egg with the other eggs just in case the separated egg is a dud and starts to grow fungus. If it does grow a fungus, keeping it in a separate tub will prevent the spread of the fungus to the remaining eggs.

Glad you're not rotating the eggs--these are not chickens and should never be rotated. Do not try to separate the eggs that are stuck together, either.

Mark your calendar for 60 days after the laying and start watching for pipping at that time.

Good luck!