My bearded dragon is gravid and I've been searching the internet on how to make an incubator. I came across this video of a guy showing his home-made incubator. It seemed to work for his bearded dragons. Since I have never done this before, I can't help but be cautious. Will this honestly work? And if so, why use vermiculite?
Select an incubator that is wider than it is tall with side access. It should be large enough to hold the size and number of eggs the female laid. Place small plastic containers inside the incubator. Fill each container with three inches of damp vermiculite. The vermiculite should clump together when you squeeze it. Remove the eggs from the mother. Peel the eggs apart and separate them into small groups. Don't separate each individual egg. It's alright if some stick together. Nestle each group of eggs inside the small plastic containers in the incubator. Place the eggs about 1/3rd of their diameter deep in the substrate orient the eggs in the same direction the female deposited them. Don't put too many eggs in each container. Place heat tape, a heating pad or light bulbs inside the incubator. The temperature shouldn't vary by more than one or two degrees. Regulate the temperature inside the incubator with a thermostat. A proportional thermostat monitors the temperature of the heat source to maintain the set temperature. Run a small fan inside the incubator. Some parts of the incubator are warmer than others. The fan circulates the warm air throughout the incubator, maintaining the temperature balance. Monitor the humidity levels within the incubator. If the eggs partially collapse, add water to prevent further egg collapse
