Is there a guarantee on Hatch a tortoise Instahatch eggs?
Yes. Instahatch eggs are 100% guaranteed to hatch if you use the recommended incubator (Hovobator 1602N). If you already have an incubator, please email [email protected] to get approval for guarentee. There is NO guarantee to hatch for DIY or home made incubators. If the egg never hatches, you will get refunded the cost of the egg or you can get a replacement egg of same species. Shipping costs will not be refunded. Shipping costs are responsible for the buyer if a replacement egg is the option chosen. We keep documentation of development on every egg that joins the Instahatch program. Candling the egg is the one way we can document that the tortoise is developing. The other way is via a heart monitor called the egg buddy. We can not see inside the egg. We have no idea if the tortoise is deformed, has split scutes, missing a leg, has two heads, are twins or if it is an albino. When we choose an Instahatch egg to be shipped, we can guarantee that it is fertile when it leaves Tortstork. There is the possibility that the egg never hatches, if that is the case, we will require picture proof and might ask you to crack the egg open. If the hatchling dies a few days after hatching, there is no guarantee on that, but we will work with you depending on your specific situation.
What if the egg breaks during shipping?
When an Insta-Hatch egg leaves Tortstork it is days away from its predicted hatch date. This means that the tortoise inside is basically fully developed. In nature, when the first few eggs start to hatch, they jump start the other eggs to start as well. The tortoise’s lungs are fully developed at this point. If there is a crack in the egg, the tortoise should be perfectly fine. It will just show up already hatching. If the egg arrives smashed and the tortoise is crushed and dead inside, we will deal with that based on each specific situation, but a refund or replacement egg will be offered, minus shipping. Pictures and possibly video proof will be requested if this does happen. Tortstork uses crush proof shipping boxes, so a smashed egg should never happen.
Why don’t you offer freshly laid eggs anymore?
We still offer this option, but I do not advertise or market it. There is too much risk involved that we are not comfortable passing on to the customer. The egg has a 50/50 chance of being fertile and impossible to predict. With Insta-Hatch, we know the egg is fertile.
Is there a waiting list for Instahatch eggs?
Yes. The best way to guarantee getting an egg is to pay in full (cost of the egg plus shipping). You can place a deposit by paying shipping cost, which would put you on the deposit waiting list. You can also email us, let us know you want to be on the email waiting list. We fulfill “paid in full” orders first, then deposit, then email waiting list. Email waiting list will always be bumped by the paid waiting lists. So you could be pushed back a few seasons.
What is a hatch a tortoise Instahatch egg?
An Instahatch egg is 100% fertile and days away from hatching. The egg is candled, heart monitored and documented through out incubation to confirm that it is developing properly. The egg is shipped 10 days before its predicted hatch date. Like a human’s due date, an Instahatch predicted hatch date is just an estimate. Based on our experience and knowledge we make the judgment call on when the egg is ready to ship.
Can I choose my tortoise from a series of photographs?
Yes, absolutely! When I first started buying tortoises to raise and breed, it was so nice when I found a breeder that allowed me to pick out the tortoise of my choice. Please email us at [email protected], tell us what species you are interested in and we will send you pictures to choose from. Please understand that in the time that it takes you to choose your tortoise, there is the possibility that someone else buys. We fulfill orders to people that have paid in full first. Your best option is to pay in full, then reach out to us to pick your new family member.
Can I choose my tortoise’s gender?
This is a loaded question. The short answer is that you can request a specific gender in the note section when you are checking out, but there is no guarantee on the gender. For most Tortoise species, their gender is influenced by temperature during incubation. Lower temperatures yield males, and higher temperatures yield females. Temperatures in between yield a mix, which we like to call dealer’s choice, Mother Nature being the dealer. We can only can increase your odds of getting the gender of your choice, based on the temperature the tortoise was incubated in, but we cant guarantee the gender because its ultimately Mother Nature’s decision. It can take 6 months up to 2 years to correctly prove gender.
How do you Ship a tortoise egg?
It took us almost two years to figure out the safest way to ship an egg. Please read our step by step egg shipping technique guide. This is a free download, available to anyone who wants to become a Tortstork!
Does Tortstork ship eggs or hatchlings outside the United States of America?
Unfortunately, no. We only ship with in the continental United States. If you are really interested in getting an instahatch egg, you can always have a breeder from your country contact us via email. We will explain to them how to ship an Instahatch egg.
Does Tortstork supply an incubator?
No. At the moment we do not sell incubators. If you’re going to enjoy the Instahatch program, you will need to supply your own incubator. We suggest a Hovo-Bator 1602N. You can find them cheap on line or on amazon. We use the 1602N for incubating all of our eggs. You do not need an egg turner or anything else that amazon will try to sell you. We supply you with a deli-cup and substrate for incubating the egg for the final few days of development. Hovo-Bator 1602N
What does backorder mean?
Backordered is a fancy way of getting on the waiting list. Most eggs are marked as backordered, but available for purchase. You will get a notification that you have purchased the egg, but it is on backorder. We will then contact you to let you know you are on the egg waiting list and will give you an estimation on when the egg will be ready to ship. Paying for an egg in full, puts you on top of the waiting list.