IMHO, the diet and temperature control need to start to some degree BEFORE the female becomes receptive the first time...but at the same time, you don't want to stunt her growth. You also need to have the nutrients in a proper balance ...and feed/gutloading the insects properly as well as dusting with the appropriate nutrients without overdoing them, providing the proper UVB is important for this.
There are two main things that can happen if we don't have the husbandry right...the chameleon can develop follicular stasis and/or eggbinding.
Follicular stasis occurs when the ovary starts growing follicles in irder to produce eggs. Under normal circumstances the follicles develop and then ovulate into the oviduct to be formed into eggs...but when follicular stasis occurs, they don't ovulate and continue on to become eggs.
Dystocia or eggbinding occurs when there are eggs produced but for some reason can't be laid. There are a few reasons why his can happen.
Over-feeding a female will make her fatter than she should be and stimulate more follicles to grow than should grow. This seems to result in follicular stasis. There is still a lot that is not known about it. There are studies going on to learn more right now. Most of the cases of follicular stasis seem to also include MBD, possible prolapses, etc as well.
If they do manage not to develop follicular stasis, the obesity can be part of the problem with them not being able to lay the eggs. The fat in their abdomen area may prevent the eggs from being a able to pass out if the female....or a nutrient imbalance may mean they don't have enough calcium for the muscles to push the eggs out...etc. We don't have all the answers yet. The studies being done now also are looking at dystocia.
What we do know is that the proper husbandry along with the "diet" and temperature control can prevent the stasis and dystocia in most cases. There are still things like physical,deformities, etc that are contributing to some cases.
IMHO, good husbandry gives our chameleons the best chance of being healthy...the "diet" makes their bodies "think" it's a lean year so they should produce less eggs because they'll have less bpnutrients available and the temperature control IMHO, slows their metabolism slows mthey wont feel so hungry.
A lot of this is just my opinion mostly ...although I have stopped reproduction in veiled females completely or at least kept the egg number around 2 dozen if I didn't want to stop it completely...and almost all my females lived to be over 6 easily...and many over 7 years.
I hope this helps!
