Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi guys, my 7 month old female layed about 13 eggs this AM before I woke up......I had put her in with a male just to test the waters......is she too young to produce good eggs? I have set up a "home" incubator setting, but the other question is, is it worth incubating them, if she is too young to produce "good" eggs....Please reply soon....THANKS

How much does she weigh and how long is she? There is no such thing as to young to produce "good" eggs. If the eggs are fertile, they are good. If you are willing and able to care for the offspring properly, I would incubate them.
good luck
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Bill DiFabio
Garden State Herpetoculture...website to follow...
Email Me
"The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it.
Finding beauty in the dissonance." - Maynard James Keenan

She was 284 grams and 15 1/2" long before she popped those eggs out this AM.....I already have them set up for incubating and I am willing to give them a change.....I did notice one thing, one of the eggs has sunken in already......is there any websites you know where I can read about incubating eggs?

Thanks in advance...

Cheryl

That's more than big enough to produce fertile eggs.

Hey Bill,
I know we don't all agree on some issues but I think we are close on this one. My policy is females need to first and foremost, be of good size. 16" and 300g minimum. (all of my breeders are actually past that.) While I don't consider age a prime factor (as it takes many females some time to get to this size), I believe that it is healthier for the female to have finished most if not all of her growing. this way the calcium used for eggs does not rob her of calcium she needs for her growing bones. I have heard from several breeders that the result is stunted growth. Personally, I will not recomend breeding at less than 10 months and even that may be early. I prefer to wait until they are at least 12 months for the safety of the animal.

I value your opinion, what do you think?

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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

You value my opinion...well, I appreciate that. Personally, I would not have a problem breeding a dragon that size myself. To be honest with you, in the 14 years I have been breeding lizards, I have never owned a gram scale. I pretty much go by what I consider to look like a good size and condition for a female to placed with a male for breeding. I don't suggest others do this, It's just what I do. I am going to purchase a scale this weekend though, as I plan to keep records of a few females that will be first time breeders this season. I will make clutch size/# and females weekly weights available to forum members. I'm doing this to present evidence of what I've known to be true for 9 years of breeding dragons. The truth is (at least mine and other breeders I know) that females will continue to grow significantly even after being bred at what some might consider an early age.

"I believe that it is healthier for the female to have finished most if not all of her growing. this way the calcium used for eggs does not rob her of calcium she needs for her growing bones. I have heard from several breeders that the result is stunted growth."

If your dragon is getting the proper nutrition that an egg laying female should get, calcium should not be an issue at all. There is a metabolic function called homeostasis that controls physiologic processes within the dragon. If the calcium is available(as it should be for a laying female) homeostasis will prevent calcium from being "robbed" from the female to be used for eggs. I'm sorry you know breeders that have had females with stunted growth. I have never had that happen to any female I bred, and leads my back to the question "Why them and not me?" Could it be the difference in husbandry?
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Bill DiFabio
Garden State Herpetoculture...website to follow...
Email Me
"The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it.
Finding beauty in the dissonance." - Maynard James Keenan

Webster's defines Homeostasis as: "Metabolic equilibrium actively maintained by several complex biological mechanisms that operate via the autonomic nervous system to offset disrupting changes."

Using the definition, is it fair to say that a disruptive change is being gravid and having to produce eggs? What is needed to produce eggs? Nutrients...amung them calcium. Well, as I understand the definition, if you provide your dragon with all the nutrients it needs during the breeding season homeostasis will do the rest. I see it this way...If you start off with a healthy dragon and it suffers as a result of breeding, you have only your poor husbandry to blame...I don't care if it is 6 months old or 16 months old.
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Bill DiFabio
Garden State Herpetoculture...website to follow...
Email Me
"The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it.
Finding beauty in the dissonance." - Maynard James Keenan

so do you change their diet during season, do you increase calcium, vitimans...? Do you think gravid females have a different nutritional need? Do you offer a different diet after they lay eggs to help them get their weight back up since they can lay again in a mere 30 days? If you go by size alone, what would be the minimum size a female can safely breed?
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

Oh yeah, I change there diet. In the past my females would get a calcium supplemented meal daily and herptivite 2 x a week. They would get incresed macro nutrients by just offering food more often. This is the way they would be fed the whole breeding season. Now I use the t-rex supps. I this case, the females salads should be dusted with tha VGF during the season. The VGF formula has more protein, calcium ,and vitamin d3 than the VMF. I can't tell you what I consider a minimum weight or size, because I have never owned a gram scale, and I don't measure them often either. Hopefully, by the end of this season I will be able to better answer you question. I would be reluctant to suggest a minimun weight though, as there are other factors that come into play. Such as behavior and condition of the dragon.
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Bill DiFabio
Garden State Herpetoculture...website to follow...
Email Me
"The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it.
Finding beauty in the dissonance." - Maynard James Keenan

np
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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

Hi
sorry but i think 7 month is early ok she wil have the lenght and weight she can lay eggs.
but in my eyes is the same like a 13 year old child have childeren thats posibal to but is it healthy??
byeeeeeeee

I hadn't planned on her getting pregnant, I have now learned my lesson.....

Hi

yep better if she is ful growen if she is 15-17 months old then its better.
i not blame you i know many people not expected the male jump on the female so soon.
dont see it as on atack on youre caring for beardies
i think if people visit this forum to seek help they already doing a good job .
byeeeeeeeee

http://run.to/b22

Thanks for your advice.....I guess I can just hope they are fertile, what do I look for, I have already candled one to see if I could see something, but then I have not idea what to look for

Agree, but what's been done is done and after the big argument yesterday I didn't want to go there.

What arguement do you speak of?

I don't breed so I do not know exactly what to look for in fertile eggs other than veins when you candle them. Others have MUCH more experience in these types of things.
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Stacey

Hi
yep if you candle them you see red veins running in the egg shell then you know they r fertile.
byeeeeee