- Sep 12, 2012
- 2,252
- 281
- 193
Not chickens, not geese, not ducks, not quail, caged birds, peafowl or even swans...
Today I found THIS in my giant terrarium!
I'm about to be hatching BOX TURTLES! YAY!!!
Although this is going to be a challenge because my second incubator just fried the thermostat circuit board. So I just had to shove about 60 eggs into one LG incubator. But with this discovery, I'm going to need THREE incubators now! Plus turtle eggs require a MUCH higher humidity (around 70%) and they can NOT be turned during incubation. They have to sit completely still - for 60-90 days! At least it's a lower temp - 80 degrees even.
Oh this has me SO excited! This poor guy has been trying to mate with her for the full year that I've had him, but she would NOT give in! I've had her for about 18 months, and she laid about 6 eggs last year (VERY high number for her species), but none of them were fertile!
But they stay inside in a giant terrarium (3 feet front to back, 6 feet long, and 2 feet high) complete with leaves, pine straw, and even a three-tiered fountain that he likes to sit in all day, every day. So I figured I had to use a trick often used with CHICKENS to get them to keep laying in winter. ADJUST THE LIGHT!
But with Box Turtles, you first have to trick them into thinking they experienced a winter. So their light went on a timer, and every week or two, I would adjust it to shut off sooner. On December 21st (Winter Solstice, and the shortest day of the year) I began to add time to their light. I tried to keep it as close to actual daylight hours as possible.
And then I check on them TODAY - VALENTINE'S DAY - and find this! A successful breeding! I'm ecstatic! Thank goodness I have a few months until she starts laying, so I can get an incubator 100% ready!
Today I found THIS in my giant terrarium!
I'm about to be hatching BOX TURTLES! YAY!!!
Although this is going to be a challenge because my second incubator just fried the thermostat circuit board. So I just had to shove about 60 eggs into one LG incubator. But with this discovery, I'm going to need THREE incubators now! Plus turtle eggs require a MUCH higher humidity (around 70%) and they can NOT be turned during incubation. They have to sit completely still - for 60-90 days! At least it's a lower temp - 80 degrees even.
Oh this has me SO excited! This poor guy has been trying to mate with her for the full year that I've had him, but she would NOT give in! I've had her for about 18 months, and she laid about 6 eggs last year (VERY high number for her species), but none of them were fertile!
But they stay inside in a giant terrarium (3 feet front to back, 6 feet long, and 2 feet high) complete with leaves, pine straw, and even a three-tiered fountain that he likes to sit in all day, every day. So I figured I had to use a trick often used with CHICKENS to get them to keep laying in winter. ADJUST THE LIGHT!
But with Box Turtles, you first have to trick them into thinking they experienced a winter. So their light went on a timer, and every week or two, I would adjust it to shut off sooner. On December 21st (Winter Solstice, and the shortest day of the year) I began to add time to their light. I tried to keep it as close to actual daylight hours as possible.
And then I check on them TODAY - VALENTINE'S DAY - and find this! A successful breeding! I'm ecstatic! Thank goodness I have a few months until she starts laying, so I can get an incubator 100% ready!
