TheOddBall

That always seems to be the question every ball breeder is debating. I remember it being debated at the ball python symposium at the Daytona Reptile show in 2006 and I read at least three threads about it on Facebook yesterday, so I wanted to share my thoughts on it.

I used to be an “early cutter”, I am not going to lie about it. I have not cut eggs early in years though. I have found that it is far better for the baby snakes to allow them to pip first, and then if you must, you can cut more. Babies that pip when they are ready seem to be stronger, probably because they have absorbed all of their egg yolk and are ready to hatch. I have known people who cut too early and babies didn’t absorb their yolk. Instead, after nearly a week of being cut open, the yolk  hardened and started to rot, with the babies coming out very small and weak.

Cutting them too early can kill the babies and that is the last thing we want. We work ALL year to get eggs….why would we risk it by cutting them too early and possibly killing them?  When I was an “early cutter”, I was fortunate to have not killed any of my baby pythons by cutting, but I know others who have not been as lucky.

The best analogy I have used is this: If your wife or girlfriend is pregnant, you would not cut her open to see the baby before it was ready, so why would you do it the baby snakes?

The babies will pip when they are ready, like the pictures of the spider het pied and albino illustrate!  And once one pips or hatches, it is fine to cut the rest- that is what I do.  At least by waiting until the first one pips you know that the babies are ready to hatch.

If the temperatures were not constant for whatever reason, the babies may not be as far developed as you think and you could cut your way into a deadly problem that didn’t have to be happen.

It is a bad idea to cut them early because there are higher chances that something will go wrong. Waiting will not hurt anything.

What exactly is being gained by cutting your eggs early?  Comment below and let me know your thoughts on this controversial topic….