Over the last few months, i thought that my never laid eggs 6 year old CBB Kayuadi female was gravid, but i also thought that the previous 2 years and she never laid. About the same time that the others were ovulating, she would go back on feed and no longer show any signs of swelling. I saw her partially inverted somewhat in mid december but after that, she looked less swollen and seemed like she was again perhaps going back into the feeding mode. Last week, i began noting that she seemed restless. She wasnt eating when presented food, and i took her out for a handle and noted that her neck was much less girthy and seemed more boney- another sign that she was gravid, using her stored fat and musculature in her neck and body for egg production.
Just to be safe, i put in a large tub in her cage on the cooler end- 82F- partially filled with cypress mulch, and this AM she was coiled up in it fully inverted. I also put a plastic kitty litter pan with the 1/4 inch square holed bottom plastic insert that acts like a screen for the cat poop and put a 1/2 inch of wet vermiculite in the base and set the screen on top- this is what i have used in the past as a substrate free egg tray but in this case, it is to boost the humidity- as my retics tend to lay in the non under tank heated section of the cages.
I will try for pics as things develop.
The other regular laying CBB 6 yo female is still pre ovulation but definitely as big as a house- much more swollen than the never laid female- it is possible that the never laid female has slugs or will have a smaller clutch but only time will tell.
Winslow
