leo eggs - 1st time

[choriona]

This is my first time with leopard gecko eggs and I'm not doing so good. The eggs seem to cave in within an hour or so of my female laying. Does she maybe need more calcium in her diet? She has a lay box with vermiculite and moss (moist) and the eggs are transferred directly to the incubater soon after that is reading at 85-90% humidity and 83-89 F, depending on if the lid is fully shut or not. Any answers to my problem, or general suggestions are welcomed.

[chappy]

Hi, I actually had a problem with my first few eggs too until I got the hang of things so I'll tell you what I do. First off I have my incubator in a place where the temperature doesn't change much everyday and I have the incubator at the temp I want which for me is 83-84. I get a small sandwich rubber maid with 6 tiny holes drilled in the top 3 on each side. I then fill it with vermiculite and I wet the vermiculite, then I squeeze as much water out of the vermiculite as possible. I then even the vermiculite out and i push the tip of my finger into the place where I want to put the eggs so they are surrounded by the vermiculite. I put the lid on put it in the incubator check every few days and its good to go. the first eggs were laid on May 24 and they hatched on July 12 so I don't know if they are male or female or what but they look healthy and I did not have to add water change the temp or anything for the full 60 days. I didn't have a single problem and I have 6 more eggs in there now that look good, but before I started doing it this way I think I had to throw out about 6 bad eggs. As for your eggs caving in is it maybe because they are too wet or maybe they are infertile I’m not sure I hope this was of some help to you.

Nick

[choriona]

How can you tell if they are infertile? Me male and female are both 2 years old now. She started laying last year, but we decided he wasn't mature enough yet at a year to fertilize the eggs. Now at 2 years, I figured they were ready to go.
My incubater is a styrofoam cooler with a jar full of water inside. The water is heated with an aquarium heater and that is why my temps are too high. I was not prepared when the eggs came. So i am still playing with the heater. I have never used on before. If I keep the lid slightly lifted, it cools to the right temp.
Surrounding the jar of water is moist vermiculite. I have a digital thermometer and humidity reader so I know exactly where I am at.
Is there a better way to set it up?

[reptilez]

I bought myself a hovabator cause i found that that setup was leaving me with too high humidity so i had a bad hatch rate.

[choriona]

does anyone know when I can get a hovabator in alberta?? What is their average cost, and how many eggs can they take at a time?

[fvalleyreptiles]

You can usually find hovabators at any feed or chicken supply store. A close friend of ours in Abbotsford BC owns a farm equipment store that is where we get all our hovas. they retail at about $80-90. I dont know if he ships but you can give him a try.
here is his website www.jonkmanequipment.com

You can usually fit 30-40 eggs in the incubator.....I hope this helps

[drewlowe]

30-40 whew I have 34 eggs in my incubator now and i could still fit anouther 30 eggs in there and i have a hova. But it all depends on the size of your eggs.