# Cutting eggs open...



## Rum_Kitty

Does anyone cut their eggs open after the first rep pips? I seen a video of someone doing that on youtube and I was a bit shocked to see it, I didn't realise people did that! Anyone here do it?


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## tricky

i think a LOT of royal breeders do

hope i dont turn into one that does


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## Rum_Kitty

Seems a bit harsh just because you can't wait to see whats in the egg! In one video I seen the guy poked the hatchling with scissors to see if it was still alive! :gasp: I'd be terrified to cut them out in case I hurt them!


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## markhill

I know of a lot of breeders that do it who say its to stop the snakes from drowning in the egg.

Personally I think its also because thay cant wait to see whats in the egg too.

There's a thread on another forum that discusses it quite alot and the general feeling seems to be that snakes take longer to emerge from cut eggs than snakes that are left to do it themselves.


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## Rum_Kitty

markhill said:


> I know of a lot of breeders that do it who say its to stop the snakes from drowning in the egg.


Because of course natured hasn't equipped them through millions of years of evolution to not drown in the egg. :lol2: Hmm.


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## jnr

Rum_Kitty said:


> Because of course natured hasn't equipped them through millions of years of evolution to not drown in the egg. :lol2: Hmm.


In nature many would die, reasons for cutting eggs, usually when one has pipped are, the eggs deflate prior to the hatchling breaking out, there for no air pocket & babies can & do drown in the egg, some are born with no egg tooth so cannot break out this can kill the hatchling, the egg tooth can break & they cant get out, the umbilical cord can be wrapped around the hatchling in various forms, preventing them from getting out or cutting off the blood supply..agree though there are some who just cant wait :2thumb:


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## shep1979

i know a few royal breeders that do it , and if u have eggs with snakes that could be worth £1000's u dont want them to drown in the egg if they cant get out do you,


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## cornmorphs

luckily our royals this year all came out themselves, very early too.
corn wise, i let them go for over 60 days, when i get a bit panicy i slit them, but that can be towards 70 days.
generally its something i dont like doing, and i dont get them out like some of the yanks do. i saw one on youtube the other day, not just cutting the egg, but taking the babies out, looking at them, talking about them then trying to put them back in.


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## shep1979

when i was selling at a show this year there was a very well known royal breeder who i overheard saying "i cut these open yeaterday and pulled them out just so i could sell them today" i was totaly shocked that a good breeder doing this and these royals were being sold for 2k each


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## Rum_Kitty

That is really appalling. Like I say I wouldn't mind if its for a good reason, but that is just awful. The vids I was watching I really don't think it was done for good reasons either. I understand the argument about a 100% hatch rate but surely it must be a little dangerous to be cutting into the egg too? I would imagine you could do quite a bit of damage if you weren't careful.


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## tazzyasb

With the corns I make a start slit in any eggs that have not started to pip 24 to 48 hours after the first. I do it very carefully and make about an inch slit in the top of the egg. If sit no action within another 48 hours I will cut about 1/2 an inch downwards from the end of the original slit making a little hatch which I can pull back and see inside the egg.

Thats as far as I go and I am always VERY careful. 

I have seen the vid people are talking about and it is pretty shocking.


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## leopardgeckomad

well i personally think cutting eggs open is wrong because in the wild if they are not suppose to make it they wont hatch, but then again i have cut some leopard gecko eggs open because they was 4 weeks overdue and they smelt bad and were brown but the little one was alive but sadly died.

you should never cut open or help a hatchling hatch because its just going to deteriate later on in life.

kind regards 

Brad aka leopardgeckomad


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## pigglywiggly

i wouldnt as i`ve had eggs from the smae clutch hatch weeks appart,
i wont be poking at them, they might not be ready to pop


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## tazzyasb

leopardgeckomad said:


> well i personally think cutting eggs open is wrong because in the wild if they are not suppose to make it they wont hatch, but then again i have cut some leopard gecko eggs open because they was 4 weeks overdue and they smelt bad and were brown but the little one was alive but sadly died.
> 
> you should never cut open or help a hatchling hatch because its just going to deteriate later on in life.
> 
> kind regards
> 
> Brad aka leopardgeckomad


 
Never had any problems from any eggs I have cut as I discribed and some of those snakes are now 6 years old.


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## promarc73

tazzyasb said:


> With the corns I make a start slit in any eggs that have not started to pip 24 to 48 hours after the first. I do it very carefully and make about an inch slit in the top of the egg. If sit no action within another 48 hours I will cut about 1/2 an inch downwards from the end of the original slit making a little hatch which I can pull back and see inside the egg.
> 
> Thats as far as I go and I am always VERY careful.
> 
> I have seen the vid people are talking about and it is pretty shocking.



would you pm me the link please as ive looked all over but cant find it. ive hard its bad


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## BigBaz

cutting open eggs is the best thing to do for the breeder and for the animals inside SIMPLE


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## RandomDan

i would have thought that the action of forcing its way out of the egg in the beginning is the snakes first exercise
which would only leave me to think removing that first effort sets the tone for the rest of its life
being a lazy snake or otherwise :/


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## sami

I cut one of the corn snake eggs open last year..

It was the last one to hatch, and had started going a funny yellow colour. I waited 3 days after both clutches had emptied.. 

The snake inside was deformed, and had died. It was worth checking, but I wouldn't have done it if the colour had stayed normal..


With the royals, the eggs started pipping, and some stayed inside the egg for up to 3 days! Lazy buggers!  We just left them to it, and didn't count them hatched until they were fully free of the egg.


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## Mujician

shep1979 said:


> i know a few royal breeders that do it , and if u have eggs with snakes that could be worth £1000's u dont want them to drown in the egg if they cant get out do you,





BigBaz said:


> cutting open eggs is the best thing to do for the breeder and for the animals inside SIMPLE


An animal is only worth as much as someone will pay for it, if it is still in the egg it cant be worth 1000s can it? Not to the breeder anyway as he/she hasnt paid for it. Especially if its a weak snake or is deformed etc...
Surely if the snake isnt able to break free of the egg itself its not going to be an incredibly healthy snake?


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## ern79

i waited till the first ones started pipping then cut large flaps in all the eggs, it was about a week before all snake made their own way out of the eggs. i have seen leopard geckos stuck in eggs before that would have died were it not for some assistance, i would prefer my snakes didnt have to go through that and feel its fine to give them a bit of assistance.


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## BigBaz

Mujician said:


> An animal is only worth as much as someone will pay for it, if it is still in the egg it cant be worth 1000s can it? Not to the breeder anyway as he/she hasnt paid for it. Especially if its a weak snake or is deformed etc...
> Surely if the snake isnt able to break free of the egg itself its not going to be an incredibly healthy snake?


there are alot of reason why a snakes might not be able to cut out of the eggs itself. by no means does this mean the snakes will be weak or deformed.

all the best/biggest breeders in the world cut the eggs and the snakes grow on to be fine and healthy


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