Store bought incubators are not just for the serious breeders, it's a great investment for any keepers who plan on bringing eggs indoors.

They may be expensive, but they last a long time and are a lot easier to maintain the perfect balance of temperature, humidity, and air flow. Keeping the right conditions constant throughout the incubation is key to hatching healthy turtles with no deformity's, such as extra scutes or even as severe as missing limbs or strange facial features.

Box turtle breeders and hobbyist alike recommend the "Hova-bator". The Hovabator was invented over 30 years ago and is still rated the best small incubator for a number of different species of birds and reptiles. For a new one, it ranges from $50 to $70 depending on how you purchase it.

As I always say; research before you buy. Look up the Hovabator and you'll know all the neat features that make this incubator ideal for box turtle eggs. Also look for the best price, but be sure to get it from a reliable web site or seller.

There are a few different ways to make an incubator from home, but what they lack in price they make up for in maintenance.

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In the above image you see a new born hatchling on a type of chunky substrate called Vermiculite. This product is the best substrate known for incubating all types of eggs because of its ability to hold moisture without getting moldy.

Vermiculite can often be purchased at garden supply stores and pet stores. It comes in what I call "Chunky" or "Dusty" forms, and is packaged inside sealed plastic bags. I advise that you only buy Chunky vermiculite, Dusty is a fine powder that is known to cause problems if inhaled, for both humans and turtles!

After purchasing, you need to prepare your substrate. Since it comes dry, you can start from scratch, but every bag is different, so remember that adding water is not always the same science.

Adding Water Method One: Measuring
Most people advise you first weigh the bag, and then add equal weight in water, mixing it with your hands inside a large bucket.

Adding Water Method Two: Mixing
If you are better at estimating than exact math, you could just continue adding water until you get the right consistency. Mix with your hands inside a bucket until the vermiculite becomes 'sand castle' like. Test this by grabbing a hand full of the substrate; If it crumbles in your hand, it is too dry. If it drips when you squeeze it, it is too wet. Sometimes if you go too far the substrate will be too wet to use, and this can be deadly for eggs!

It's better to have substrate that is a little too dry than a little too wet.

After your substrate is ideal, dump it into your desired incubator, and make 'thumb marks' for each egg, If these dents in the substrate are too close together, eggs will touch and eventually stick together, so be sure to know how far to space your eggs beforehand. The thumb marks should be deep enough so that half the egg (in the position it was found) is in the substrate.

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-'Sphagnum Moss' can also be used as an incubation medium. Some have been known to simply place their eggs between moist paper towels inside egg trays or pie tins. But vermiculite has an 85% hatch success rate!

After two weeks of developing inside the egg, you should be able to see some 'signs of life' inside the egg by candling. If you do not see anything, try again in a few days. It may take up to a month to start seeing veins. Sometimes an egg can still be fertile even when nothing shows up when candling.

Gently pick up an egg and bring it into a dark room. (Remember not to shake or turn the egg while doing this!) Hold the egg up to eye level, and use your flashlight to shine into the side or fat end of the egg.

If done right at the right time, and the egg is fertile, you will see red veins connected in a spider web like style, with one or two dots near the top of the egg, this is the embryo. If an egg is more than a month old and fertile, you may start to see a turtle like shape beginning to form!

Another Way
Other then candling, an effective way to test if an egg is fertile is to weigh the egg on a postage scale. Fertile eggs gain weight over time, duds lose weight as the contents dry out.

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-The 'slime' on the egg is the actual sperm that penetrates an egg to make it fertile. If a clutch of eggs does not seem 'slimy' after leaving the turtle they might be duds!

-Sometimes if you move the flashlight around you may see the turtle reacting to the light by moving its legs. Although, that might simply be the shadow moving.

-You can spread bacteria to the turtle inside the egg by handling it, so wash your hands first and make sure they're warm and dry.

Just because an egg 'failed' the Candling test or has a dent in it, there is still a chance it is good. I advise that you leave all un hatched eggs alone, if it is a bad egg it will soon grow moldy. It is alright to leave molding eggs in with the other healthier ones, but make sure they are well separated and not touching. (Read the Top Tips to learn how to rinse off moldy eggs)

If an egg has cracked open prematurely, its not your fault. Look at the egg carefully, if the sack containing the turtle is still intact, your turtle can still develop and hatch normally. If it is a minor crack, the egg often will seep and dry, sealing itself on its own. Just be sure to keep it moist so it doesn't dry out too much and die!

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-Sometimes mold is also a sign of two much humidity, or the wrong type of substrate. Your molding egg might still be a good one! If you wish to rinse off eggs, gently pick up an egg while maintaining the un-turned position it was found it, and rinse it off with water, or wipe gently with a paper towel. Do not apply much pressure or scrub the egg. Over watering can also make your turtle drown!

-If you feel you absolutely must fix premature cracked or broken eggs, I have heard some people use super glue to gently put humpty-dumpty back together.