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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
 Posted - 08/01/2011 : 16:45:03
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| I'm not a breeder (of snakes), maybe one day but for now happy to have them as pets only. On youtube there are LOADS of videos of people cutting the eggs or videos where the eggs have obviously been cut. Other than impatience is there any other reason for doing this? I just can't help but feel that its cruel and potentially dangerous. |
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SurroundedByMadness
Yearling
United Kingdom
111 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 17:39:02
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| On a programme I watched today they were cutting the eggs of a reptile i cant remember, but apparently its supposed to make it easier for them to hatch? Other than that, I have no idea lol |
I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message. - Steve Irwin
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Bearded Dragon - Eragon
Mexican Golden Red Rump |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 17:45:34
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| I would be of the opinion that if they haven't hatched themselves then they are not ready to be hatched. Understandably if an entire clutch has hatched and 1 of the eggs hasn't then there is a genuine reason for intervention and I've heard of a few other genuine reasons for cutting but the main one that appears over and over is just to get them out of their eggs quicker. |
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 18:04:15
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basically, i think its mainly done in the US, but may be done in uk as well
breeders wait till 52-55 days, and that is when eggs can start to pip, sometimes breeders wait till one egg pip, but it is to help the snake, as some die becuase they cannot get out the egg, so they cut the eggs so all the snakes have to do is obsorb the yolk and stuff, and come out, easy for them, and i suppose you may sometimes get a snake that dies becuase it cannot get out, so stops that happening |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 18:04:45
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| From what I've seen once they cut the egg they don't take the snake out, I can't see it doing them any harm as they sit in their eggs until they're ready to crawl out themselves. |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 18:59:46
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Hi, this is weird, Lotabob, I was thinking of asking the same question. Had a sort of dozy day, flitting about on youtube and Sankebytes Tv and seen a good few clips on youtube about cutting eggs ...aagh! All the breeder seems to care about is what morph's in the egg. Snakey amniotic fluid (or equivalent) spilling everywhere, supportive (I assume) blood vessels severed ...On one video a child was reaching in to prod an egg (not terribly sanitary - just hope the breeders had sterilised hands and scissors too...)
Please, someone, give us a good reason why eggs need to be cut, and when, but personally I'd prefer the little guys to decide when to hatch by themselves ... |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 19:44:48
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| I think I saw that one, he was so impressed at the fact he had a albino I'm almost positive he stabbed it with the scissors while making the hole wider. Intervention should be left as a last resort. Then again pretty much all snake videos on youtube of American origin seem to annoy me as their practices seem so rough and without an ounce of care or thought for the snake, the exception being Snakebytes TV, they are just so good and informative whilst been entertaining at the same time, I have a snakebyte addiction, get my fix every Wednesday. |
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deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 19:50:00
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LOL - love Snakebyte too - but, call me sentimental, don't like to see zillions of snakes in racks, especially the huge ones, and I do wish Chewy (love Chewy lol) wouldn't tease them. Deserves all he gets! But yeah, love snakebytes! |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 19:51:37
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I have no strong feelings either way as long as its done safely.
The reason some breeders cut is that there is a slim chance that a snake will not be able to get out of the egg (born without an egg tooth or just too weak for instance). In the wild these would naturally die, however, breeders can help them by cutting a 'sunroof'.
If done properly it doesn't harm the snake and imagine how annoyed you'd be if a snake worth several thousand was the 1 in 100 that couldn't get out. |
 
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 19:53:32
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oh i now, i agree that if done properly, then is fine, but its when u see people cutting half the egg open and proding around in there, they should just make a small incision enough for the snake to get its head through, and leave it
do uk breeders do it??? |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 20:11:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
I have no strong feelings either way as long as its done safely.
The reason some breeders cut is that there is a slim chance that a snake will not be able to get out of the egg (born without an egg tooth or just too weak for instance). In the wild these would naturally die, however, breeders can help them by cutting a 'sunroof'.
If done properly it doesn't harm the snake and imagine how annoyed you'd be if a snake worth several thousand was the 1 in 100 that couldn't get out.
I'm unlikely to be in that position myself - but it would matter to me if I'd mismanaged egg husbandry so that a hatchling died. So, tell, us, what are the danger signs that mean an egg should be cut? |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 22:10:35
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| I don't think there are any signs, I suppose if they haven't cut through within a week of their expected hatch date you might worry. |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2011 : 22:32:31
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| Given the right reasons like the above example I do think it can be a good idea. I have never felt a snake egg before, I know they are not hard like chick eggs but are they soft enough to feel movement from inside? |
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Kehhlyr
Hatchling
United Kingdom
88 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 02:09:03
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I had to cut the eggs of a few of my beardies in the past but that was after they had pipped.
So far as I know all reptiles once they pip they can stay in the egg for anything up to about 24 hours (still more sometimes) without coming out.
I had to cut a few of mine because I had a massive humidity drop and a couple of the eggs started drying to much and the poor little beardies were stuck.
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-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon
SOME OF MY ANIMALS
 
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 08:45:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Lotabob
Given the right reasons like the above example I do think it can be a good idea. I have never felt a snake egg before, I know they are not hard like chick eggs but are they soft enough to feel movement from inside?
They are leathery, but I wouldn't squeeze them. You can see inside though if you turn the lights off and shine a powerful torch against it from one side. |
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Royalbob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
1115 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 11:44:22
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Been lucky enough to hold a new born hatchling and they feel amazing, so silky. In regards to cutting them i'm with BE. I think that once it is done properly and at the correct time (1-2 days after others have pipped) i dont think there's a problem. In fact you could actually be saving a hatchlings life. I think we have to be careful when watching some of the big breeders do it as they have done it so many times over many years. However i disagree with prodding about in the egg just to see what morph you have but i guess this is where the business side takes over.
The following is advice given by NERD to someone on how to cut eggs properly:
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I think nicking a vein is a big deal personally. Kara from NERD gave me the best advice to avoid that. Take the egg box into a dark room, candle each egg and make a light pencil mark where you see no or very tiny veins and no mass of the ready to hatch snake. Come back out into the light and pinch gently at that marked area to raise it up slightly. Make your cut there (starting small and expanding the cut as needed). Very gently express a small amount of the egg goop through that cut. Worked beautifully for us last year.
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 15:12:19
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| I would say as a rescue mission or in K's case of a humidity dropping incident then yeah I'd say cutting is a good idea, its the videos where they just say 'its day (such and such???) and I'm going to cut the eggs', with no indication that they are stuck they are just doing it as common practice to speed things up. Nature some times needs a helping hand but taking over completely isn't great. |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 15:25:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Lotabob
I would say as a rescue mission or in K's case of a humidity dropping incident then yeah I'd say cutting is a good idea, its the videos where they just say 'its day (such and such???) and I'm going to cut the eggs', with no indication that they are stuck they are just doing it as common practice to speed things up. Nature some times needs a helping hand but taking over completely isn't great.
Agreed. This is turning into another good and informative thread on a subject I for one knew nothing about. Thanks Lotabob and all you other guys. |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 15:38:25
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Yeah, you have to be careful with the info you see on Youtube  |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2011 : 21:03:18
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| You have to be careful with lots of information available on the internet. I consider myself very lucky to have firstly found the corn snake forum which has lead me here and to other branches for future snakes I would like. Youtube is great for watching videos of people crunching their nads while skateboarding but not great when it comes to educational items. |
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Egg cutting?
