Incubator for box turtle eggs???

Question

Please help me, I kinda raise box turtles and seems to have no luck lately with getting them to hatch outside :( I dig up the egss and they are empty with little pin holes in them where bugs and worms ate them I guess! Soooo I want to try and Incubate them in the house hoping to have better luck, but I don't know anything about Incubators!
What kind would I need for box turtle eggs? And where would I find one? Thanks...

Answer 1

Some interesting answers, but you can do this a lot simpler.

1. If they lay the eggs outdoors and you dig them up, it is VITALLY IMPORTANT that you carefully mark the top of each egg, usually with a small 'x' in pencil. Keep that side UP at all times, or the embryo will almost certainly die.

2. To make a good incubator, all you need is a big, strong plastic bag (Gallon Zip-Locks, etc.) or a simple plastic tub or plastic shoebox.

3. Put in several inches of a clean and and Vermiculite mix. Dampen the sand mix so it is wet but not drippy.

4. Heat the sand up, usually with a lamp pointed at it, to about 85.

5. Gently set the eggs in the mix, burying them about 1/2 way.

6. Close the bag or cover the tub (try clear plastic wrap) to keep the incubator warm and a little humid. If it gets too damp inside (condensation fogginess, etc.), punch holes or open the top to allow more air.

7. Monitor. It should take about 2-3 months, but can be shorter or longer. If an egg 'collapses' or goes mushy, toss it. If it gets mold or another film, gently wipe it off.

Try the site below for other info and hatchling care.

Answer 2

Turtle eggs like most reptiles are soft-shells and are not brooded on for heat. Using an incubator designed for birds will not work. Contact your local university and see if the resident herpetologist or zoologist has any suggestion.

My best suggestion is to build an incubator yourself using a wooden compost box at the bottom, wire mesh inbetween the compost and top half of your box. The top part must be closed in. The compost will produce the heat for incubation while preventing the worms and such in the compost from actually reaching the eggs.

Answer 3

i raise box turtles also, have 9 new babies just hatched last week
been raising them for 25 years .... how do you have them set up?
are you sure the eggs were fertile? i have never had any luck trying to incubate eggs in the house and eggs don't like being moved! why did you dig them up? you can email me if you'd like
and we can try to figure something out so you can hatch some next year

Answer 4

CREATING THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT
Although turtles can be housed in suitable equipped outdoor enclosures, indoor ones will be addressed here.
Indoor enclosures must be at least 36" x 12", or about the size of a shallow 40 gallon tank. Wood enclosures of the same dimensions and high enough so the turtle can't climb out may be built. The insides of such wooden enclosures must be waterproofed with several coats of epoxy or non-toxic based
polyurethane, and left to cure for several weeks.
Create the land area using 2-3 inches of good quality plain sterile potting soil slightly moistened. Do not use backyard dirt or soil from a garden, and there should be no perlite or vermiculite mixed into the soil. Mix the soil with finely shredded orchid bark. You may also use plain fir or orchid bark, or deep drifts of alfalfa. Do not use coarse substrates such as sand, gravel or rock which can scratch the shell, opening the way to bacterial infections. Your turtle requires a shelter or hide box filled with additional substrate material, or drifts of fresh alfalfa hay, in which to burrow. This can be made out of wood, cork bark slabs or even a cardboard box with a doorway cut into it.
A water Area can be provided by placing in the tank a dish or pan large enough for your turtle to lay in and shallow enough for it to easily climb in and out of is required. If a kitty litter pan is used, it must be recessed into the substrate, and the turtle provided with a ramp to get in and out. The water must be changed frequently to keep it scrupulously clean.You will need two heat sources: a heating pad under the tank and an incandescent or spot light over or to one the side of the tank. If using a wooden tank, the heating pad can be placed inside under the substrate. A large hot rock may be used only if it is set into the soil with a pie plate or other heat diffuser is placed over it, bringing it up to just below the surface of the soil; don't expect the turtle to just climb on top of the bare rock. Note that even with the diffuser, this will not provide enough heat over the broad area that is provided by a heating pad. The turtle may also dislodge the diffuser as it burrows around, requiring you to constantly "replant" it.) The heating pad (or hot rock) must be kept on all the time or as needed to maintain the proper temperatures.
The temperature ranges required by the different species are:Ornate boxes: between 85-88 F/day, 70-75 F/night;
Other U.S. box turtles: 85-88 F/day, 70-75 F/night.
Chinese boxes: 75-85 F;FOOD
The best time to offer food is after the turtles have had several hours to warm up in the morning. Offer food daily to youngsters, every other day to adults. Since turtles are motivated by sight and smell, offer a varied, colorful diet. At each feeding, there must be both plant matter and animal products. Add vitamin supplement (such as Reptivite) twice a week.
http://www.anapsid.org/box.html

Answer 5

you might try an incubator used for chicken eggs. you can find them at any farm or feed store.

Answer 6

you should put them in soil that is really moist. You can just put a regular tank light on it to help. make sure to check it and make sure that it doesn't get dry.

Answer 7

Come to this site lot's of info.

http://invisionfree.com/forums/Happy_Turtles_Pub/index.php?showtopic=6831&st=15