If it has been a long time Since your bearded dragon eggs haven’t hatched, you may want to know why. You may one wondering if your beardie’s eggs are dead or not. First of all, whether the breeding was intentional or an accident, you are in the right place.
Here in this article, I will help you learn how to tell if bearded dragon eggs are dead. Bearded dragons are known to be prolific breeders that even a novice keeper can breed successfully. Hence, bearded dragons usually have a natural breeding cycle that will last for about 6-9 months.
Being a novice breeder, you may be looking to know whether your bearded dragon eggs are fertile or not. Fortunately, this article will give you an inside into that.
What To Know First?
Bearded dragon eggs will be round or oval, based on the species. In the breeding seasons, they will lay eggs in the clutch. Bearded dragons’ eggs tend to be soft in the first place and then get hard after a couple of days that it is laid.
Some of your beardie’s eggs can grow bigger during the incubation period, while some may have some dent before it starts hatching. Infertile eggs will be empty and yellowish when shining with a flashlight. It is straightforward to check whether the egg is open or not.
Being small and flexible, all bearded dragon eggs will not bounce back when pressed and will be squishy and misshaped. Their eggs are also very fertile, and there will be yolk like a chicken. It would help if you were very careful when handling any egg of your beardies in the first few days as it will be very soft & fragile. Do not touch it, especially if it is fertile.
How To Tell If Bearded Dragon Eggs Are Dead?
It is common for some of your bearded dragon eggs to look fertile and healthy for some time, then turn very bad during the incubation period. Rotten eggs can be defined as smelly, discolored, moldy, etc. Unfortunately, nothing you can do about rotten eggs but dispose of them.
You can incubate all the eggs until they stink or hatch. With that said, you need to check the incubator every day. In some situations, you might also have to manually open the eggs that did not hatch after the incubation to check if your bearded dragon is dead or not.
It is easy to detect if a bearded dragon egg is fertile. One of the easy methods to see if a bearded dragon egg is fertile or not is by handling it. You can either choose a big Maglite or keychain-type flashlight for this purpose.
After shining the beam, the egg content should be pinkish. If it isn’t, it’s not fertile. It is essential always to avoid rolling Your bearded dragon eggs round or shifting them from their original position as it can drown the developing fetus.
Signs Of Infertile Bearded Dragon Eggs
Sometimes your female beardies will lay an infertile egg. There are a few signs that can help you identify the Infertile eggs of your dragon. If any eggs become yellow or start molding when you incubate, it is either infertile or rotten.
On the other hand, if the bearded dragon eggs look poorly formed and flat while being incredibly soft and floppy, it is barren. The best method to know whether bearded dragon eggs are fertile or not is by incubating all of them until you are sure it is not good.
Signs Of A Dead Bearded Dragon Egg
The best way to identify a bearded dragon’s dead egg is by using candling. Using the candling method, you can see veins running through the egg if it has life. Another alternative for the candling process is putting your egg in cool water.
If the eggs don’t seem to move in cool water, they are most likely dead. If the eggs slightly Shake, they should have hatched in a few days. Some people also say that bearded dragon eggs get a bit soft before hatching, and sometimes, it also gets a bit moist. If that is the case, you can leave the eggs alone.
What To Do With Bearded Dragons Dead Eggs
It is essential to get rid of infertile and dead eggs of a bearded dragon before it gets smelly or allows bacteria from entering the enclosure. It is best to remove the eggs right away and throw them in a dustbin if they are dead.
The dead eggs start to deteriorate over time, and if left, they can leave a putrid smell. If your bearded dragon doesn’t seem interested in eating its egg after a few hours, it is best to dispose of it rather than leave it there overnight.
Sometimes, people throw fertile eggs, so it is necessary to check if it is productive or infertile by using the candling method. If a bearded dragon seems to bury her egg first, you should avoid touching them and wait for a couple of days. If the eggs are fertile, give your beardie extra care, which she deserves and needs to help her relax.
You should also avoid picking your bearded dragon as much as possible until she is done laying her eggs and calms down. If the eggs are dead, it is best to keep them in the freezer for a few hours before tossing them out. Sometimes an owner also may want to dispose of fertile eggs, and in that case, the freezing will stop the eggs from hatching.
Adding to that, it will also help prevent the eggs from decomposing and smelling badly. Freezing the eggs that have embryos will result in slowing down their growth. Besides that, you can also use the eggs of the bearded dragon for fertilizer but be extra cautious because you don’t want to kill an innocent young life accidentally or want a bloody baby hatching in your plant. May is sure the eggs are infertile before you throw them away or use them as fertilizer.
Interesting Further Reading
- Bearded Dragon Brumation – A Complete Guide (With Photos)
- Can Bearded Dragons Eat Radish, Its Leaves & shoots?
- 7 Reasons Why Won’t My Bearded Dragon Eat Greens
FAQ
Conclusion
It is not only super easy to breed bearded dragons but also fun and exciting. The best thing about it is that breeding and incubating the eggs is relatively easy. If you can successfully correctly hatch eggs, you can repeat it multiple times. Set the temperature and the humidity level accordingly, and ensure that each egg gets a fair chance of survival.
At first, some eggs can look infertile, but later it tends to hatch after incubating. It is best always to set all your bearded dragon eggs and wait until any of them turns yellowish before disposing of them.
I tried my best to give you all the information about how to tell if bearded dragon eggs are dead. Do share this article with others as your one share helps one or more people breed their beardies successfully and incubate the eggs properly until all are fertile.
94% of pet owners say their animal pal makes them smile more than once a day. In 2007, I realized that I was made for saving Animals. My father is a Vet, and I think every pet deserves one. I started this blog, “InPetCare”, in 2019 with my father to enlighten a wider audience.