They can lay without being fertilised if the egg has turned and it was fertilised then the baby will drown. So if your going to remove it then you MUST keep it the way it was found. If you are going to take out the egg be gentle as theyre VERY fragile. Before retrieving the eggs, make a tray to hold them. Deli containers work well for this. Punch small holes in the top of the container to encourage air circulation. Mix together a soil solution in which to place the eggs. Sometimes you can use earth from the nest itself and other times you can make your own. Here is a sample recipe: one part peat moss, one part sphagnum and one part vermiculite. Soak the mixture and then squeeze out the excess water. Fill the container with your moistened mixture and make depressions in which to place the eggs. It is best to make extra containers just in case. Make sure your container is ready before you go to the nest. When you put the turtle eggs in the container bury them mostly, but do not completely cover them. This will allow you to see if the eggs need moisture. Close the containers and place them in an incubator at eighty four degrees. Typically eggs will hatch within fifty days if they are kept at an eighty four degree temperature. Make sure to move the container to a cool place if the outside temperature reaches the 90s so the eggs won't spoil. Make sure to check the containers once a week or so and wipe away any traces of mold with a cotton swab. After fifty days, start checking for hatchlings. Often, even though a turtle egg has hatched, the turtle will stay in the egg to absorb the rest of the yolk sack.