Double-clutching beardie advice??

[beknluke]

Hey Guys
I have a breadie who was nice and plump, all ready for breeding season and she popped out 19 eggs just over a month ago.
That's all well and good. But I noticed that not only did she (obviously) loose the belly podge thanx to the eggs no longer being in there, but she also lost some condition off her tail. Not a real lot, but enought that you could just see her hips and feel her spine in her tail.
Now I don't know about everyone else but I like my beardies fat I HATE when you can feel their spine in their tails let alone SEE It. So, I have spent the past month pumping her full of roaches, fruit and veg and a couple pinkies. She has been plumping up beautifully - nearly up to the same weight as she was before she laid - but no weight has ended up on her tail, in fact.... she's lost MORE !!!
Why, I hear you good people ask???







Coz the crazy woman has gone and double clutched!!!!!
Now I have NEVER had an animal double clutch before though I have heard of heaps of other people experiencing it...
My concern is : how do I get her to gain the condition back on her tail etc and is there something that can be done to help aviod double clutching? I would much rather re-introduce her to the male when I can see that she's fat and healthy rather than her taking it upon herself to do it all over again!! Grrrrr!!!
So does anyone here have a good 'plumping up' receipe? Something with lots of vitamins and even more fat??
Thanx in advance
Bex

[GARTHNFAY]

Give her some pinkies!!!

[beknluke]

Well, she's already been getting a couple a week and some weaners - how many more are we talking here?? lol

[GARTHNFAY]

Sorry, didn't read your post thoroughly enough!!

[_popp_]

Hey bex,feed her as much as she will eat,hopper mice are good as she will need extra calcium aswell.She might possibley drop 3,4,5 clutches from the 1 mating,definately seperate & basically allways have food in there for her to pick at thru the day.Plenty on variety insects,dog/cat foods fruits vege & if that doesnt start putting on condition get a feacal float done & check for worms n parasites.



cheers popp.

[beknluke]

lol - that's cool Garthnfay!!
Thanx Pop. Yep, I keep all of my girls separate from the boys year round except for when I pop them in with the boys for a week here, a week there, during breeding season
She'd been steadily gaining weight up till her first 'encounter' w/ Mojo for the year, so at this stage I don't think it's (and I hope it's not!!) worms. But you're right, if I don't get some condition onto her once she finishes her 'reproducing', I will take her to the vet.
Might even pop her in a tank on her own after all this is over so that only SHE has access to the food that's in there.
Is there any particular dog/cat food that seems best? ie, maybe puppy/kitten food since they're growing etc?
Thanx again
(She ate 2 weaner mice on the w/end and didn't touch a thing last night.... She's started her digging some hopefully it's all over for her soon!!)
Bex

[dugadugabowbow]

Like everyone said just feed her as much as she will eat, it's normal for female beardies to look pretty rotten during their egging cycle, provided you keep her well fed and a bit extra calcium then she'll be fine.

You should try keeping your beardies together year round, they live really well toegther and are very social lizards.
Mating them that way works but is no different to keeping them year rouund from a breeding point because one mating is all they need to lay as many clutches as the female feels like.
Males aren't ruff bullies all year only in breeding season, the rest of the year they all get along well.
I feel dragons really benefit from being kept in small groups as it's how they live, find one beardie in the wild theres always another on pretty close by.

[ponybug]

I feel dragons really benefit from being kept in small groups as it's how they live, find one beardie in the wild theres always another on pretty close by.

hi duga,
i have mine in pairs at the moment, but in one tank i have 2 females and 3 males, they are last years babies, at the moment i have no troubles, any advice on weither i could have trouble later on, i'm trying to sell the 2 extra males but haven't been able to yet, i bought them as females but we all know thats not aways what we get,
i can't separate them at the moment as i don't have the space.

cheers,
steve..........

[dugadugabowbow]

With larger dragons including beardies i would only ever have 1 male per cage, normally with 1-3 females.
if they aren't fighting atm your going ok but it could start at anytime from now on as they reach maturity at 8 months.
I would split the male males up a soon as you can, or it will get nasty eventually, that will just depend when the males go into breeding mode.

[beknluke]

Hey Duga
Thanx for your input
I keep the girls in groups, but the boys ARE on their own. I have just read so much about the boys 'over mating' the girls that I have been too scarred to leave them in there together. That and the other point that I have read that they will loose interest if they're always living togther... Maybe that's all been rubbish
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts
Bex

[ponybug]

hi duga,
thanks for that, i'll keep a close eye on them and separate them asap,

cheers,
steve........

[dugadugabowbow]

I never had a problem with them loosing interest from being kept together, as long as they are cycled properly then i can't see how that would happen.
Mating does get full on and the females will get knocked about a bit but that only last for a little while and the rest of the year they are fine. I just think it brings the best out of them.
They seem to get to lonely on their own head bobbing at the reflections on the glass etc

[instar]

Mine had 4 clutches! feed her heaps!