Do I Intervene Now??? (Help with laying beardie)

[Twiggz]

Ok well around 3.30-4pm this afternoon, one of my gravid female central bearded dragons began digging for her deposition site. Anyhow leaving her at piece to get the job done i came back bout 2 hrs later to find she has laid a significant amount of eggs........ but i'm unsure as to whether she has finished as yet......... or if its just a case that she is to worn out to burry the eggs and climb free of the whole she has herself in.

My questions lie in what i should do now. Do i leave all the elements on until she has completed the burrial? Do i just leave her be?

What if she hasn't laid all the eggs? Do i intervene now and remove her from the section to begin incubating those eggs already deposited?

I've not faced this issue before as the beardie has usually just covered the area straight back up after depositing the clutch. Thus my concerns as to whether she has finished laying or if she is just worn down.


Thanks in advance.

 

[Twiggz]

Here are some pics to help illustrate my dilemma.
Keep in mind she has been in the same position for nearly 2hrs.

As you can also see, the lay area was a make shift lay site as i could not find a suitable tub to place in the housing tub. However i dont think she minded....... digging in within an hour of me setting it up.

 

[falconboy]

I'll be interested to see replies to your questions mate. It looks like a decent amount of eggs. I'd be thinking she may be finished, but unless you are overly concerned about the eggs getting too hot and drying out, which they shouldn't being a bit further away from the heat, I'd leave her a bit longer. You'd be tired too dropping those out!

 

[Helikaon]

hey i think you should leave her be for a while, i was shocked at how long they take as well though they must become rather exhausted. the girl that just layed for me took a few hrs to fully complete and she layed 20 eggs i got a little worried about the time but then i checked on her and she was burying them it was at this stage that i interveined. they seem to go into a bit of a trance while laying.

 

[Twiggz]

Yeah just this morning i had a feel of her underbelly.....shes riddled with them. I'd be guessing 20+ at least. Its her first clutch to so i guess thats also something that need be taken into consideration.

I'm more concerned with whether she'll manage to cover them up and finish what she started. Obviously if i turn off the elements shes likely to sleep where she is so am i better to leave them on until its all complete? (which i'm assuming i should do).

Bloody beardies are giving me the sh#ts lately. I've still got one girl thats up to the 6 week mark without laying......and she seems in perfect health. This one however is at around the 4 week mark from the initial mating. ( But i do know that the mating period is not something to use as an indicator rather ovulation is).

 

[Helikaon]

keep the heat on and just wait for her to start moving again she should start to burry them and you can then grab the eggs, a good trick that a beardy breeder told me was to fill a big tub 3/4's up with damp sand, and put the beardy in that, my beardy was digging and digging and wouldnt lay i stuck her in the tub and covered it over and she dug and layed within 2 hrs. it seems to work a treat and may work for your other girl.

 

[Twiggz]

Yeah the tub idea just didn't work with this female. She was scratching the heck out of the newspaper substrate and took no interest in the lay box provided.

Well for now i'll give her a bit more time.

If you have any other ideas/thoughts post away- all is welcome.


Cheers

 

[8438478395783468]

Sorry Twiggz can't really give any advice but gl hope everything goes swell


cheers Scott

 

[Rocky]

Well, At 5:50 mine started to dig, and by 6:50 I had 26 eggs, she started to head but the eggs and scratch them, so I removed her, and placed them into incubation.

 

[Lukey_Boy]

hi guys,id like to start breeding my beardies,where could i get all the info i needed?

 

[Twiggz]

Well done Rocky. Yeah i moved her out of the whole a little to feel whether she had eggs remaining inside her..... have a feeling she may have, but she appears to be just far to run down. When i moved her also, i noticed 2 slugs in the clutch. I think i'm going to be better to move her out and incubate the eggs. I wont fill the whole once i've removed them, that way she can sit and hopefully maneouvre the last remaining eggs out ovrenight perhaps.

If these last eggs dont pass (ie i'd assume them to be slugs maybe)...... would they need to be tended to by a vet or will she more than likely pass them over the next day or so?

 

[JasonL]

She should pass them within 2 days, if not, give me a call.

 

[Twiggz]

Ok JasonL. As for removing the eggs should i do it now or hold off?

 

[JasonL]

what is she doing??? nothing?? if so, remove them now, though if she has eggs left and has been sitting there for some time doing nothing, it is a sign that all is not right with her, she may be calcium deprived.

 

[pythons73]

Hey Twiggz how many did she lay,there looks to be a fair few in that picture.

 

[Twiggz]

lol. Just as i posted that last message. She's found a bit of energy. Shes mobile and packing the eggs away nice and tight as i type now. I'll check her again shortly when she's done to feel for any remainders though.
Would it be advised to give her some liquid calcium for a period of time now? I didn't do it last season with my breeder but it was something i thought of doing recently to aid in boosting the depleted levels. It says to do a daily dosage, would that be ok to do? How often would i need to do it and over what period do you think JasonL?
Thanks again.

 

[Twiggz]

Clutch number was 29!!!
5 immediate slugs and 24 worth incubating.
From that 24 though there are a few questionable ones also.
Bg clutch though for a first timer.
Pics to follow shortly.

 

[8438478395783468]

congrats twigzz lets hope they all hatch

cheers Scott

 

[Twiggz]

Now for what all the wipe was over. Unfortunately 5 duds..... though not bad for a clutch of 29.

Now i've only got two other gravid beardies to worry over

 

[Brettix]

Good job mate,thats a nice sized clutch.