Remove the container

Place your container on a firm support like a table or even the floor. The last thing you want is for the container to fall out of its slot and risk damaging the eggs or female.

Remove the female

Most females are very protective of their eggs. They will freely strike at you even when you are not even close. I place the container on the table and circle behind the female. I place my hand up and approach her from behind. She usually cowers towards her eggs when I get close. At that time I gentle grab her behind her neck and close to her tail and unwrap her from the clutch. Once you have her she doesn't put up much of a struggle. Remember...nothing about this procedure should be harsh. Be gentle, calm and non-threatening and all should go smoothly. For larger females you may want to have someone else on hand to help if needed.

Now is not the time to count the eggs!

Gee...was that 11 or 12? let me count again.

Now is the time to make sure your female has all her eggs out of her. At this stage she just deposited a good part of her body weight out of her and she is tired. Wouldn't you be??? If you caught her just after she laid her eggs, she will be weak and easy to manage.

Any more eggs in there?

Sometimes females will appear to be finished laying there eggs when in fact they still may have some stragglers still inside. Always try to look at her while she is coiled around her eggs to determine if she is done. Eggs can be left well up her body and nowhere near her tail. If she is wrapped around her eggs and you see a belly concaved throughout then you are probably good to go. But just to be sure, when you have her out, run your fingers down her body to feel for any remaining eggs. If you feel one, put her back immediately and wait for it to be laid. This could take some time. I've had eggs laid a day later.

Have an extra compartment ready.

I always have a holding compartment ready for my females. Place her in there until you have her regular compartment cleaned and ready for her. I do not bathe my females. I thoroughly clean out their compartments then I spray them down with a weak cleaning solution, thoroughly dry and supply with clean bedding.

Be gentle!

First I look for any eggs that are not stuck to the pile and place them in the incubator container. Then I start to gently slide my fingers under the eggs. Females inevitably remove all the substrate from their nest leaving a bare surface. The eggs usually stick to the surface and have to be unstuck in order to be able to lift them off. They don't stick much but you should still be very careful.

A nice mass of fertile eggs!

Or are they? Actually once candled, two of the eggs where found to be infertile. They cannot be removed now without fear of tearing a hole in a good egg. They will eventually grow mold and wither away. They will have no affect on the good eggs.

Place them in your incubation container.

The eggs are gently placed in a vermiculite mixture that is moist enough to make a clump when squeezed. We prepare our mixture 3 days before the due date and leave it in the incubator to achieve incubation temperature.

What do these babies weigh?

Egg weight can vary greatly. We like to weigh our eggs to get an average. Once weighed we put the lid on, label the container with clutch number and family history and place it in the incubator. Then we start counting down to 56 to 60 days! Life really slows down!!