MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
What is the substrate in her bin? When she has been digging, has she been able to see you or anyone?
Laying eggs… help?
- Thread starter Sessie
- Start date
You said…”I was recommended to start feeding her 4-5 crickets a day since she is producing eggs and less feeding will help her pass thru smaller eggs”…decreasing the amount of food once the number of follicles is set and the eggs are being produced is the wrong time to do that IMHO.…and to the best of my knowledge won’t make the eggs smaller.
The idea of the food reduction is to prevent the number of follicles, thus the number of eggs from being large, thus requiring large amounts of nutrients to be taken from the chameleon and put into the eggs. Once the follicle number for that clutch is set, there’s no changing it and she can develop follicular stasis or egg binding if the number is too large. The time to limit the food and reduce her basking temperature to 80F, is a couple of feedings after she lays eggs. t
The reduction in food should actually start before she’s producing her first clutch..but that’s hard for beginners to know when to start….you don’t want to stop her growth to full adult size…but you want to prevent follicular stasis and egg binding.
The idea of the food reduction is to prevent the number of follicles, thus the number of eggs from being large, thus requiring large amounts of nutrients to be taken from the chameleon and put into the eggs. Once the follicle number for that clutch is set, there’s no changing it and she can develop follicular stasis or egg binding if the number is too large. The time to limit the food and reduce her basking temperature to 80F, is a couple of feedings after she lays eggs. t
The reduction in food should actually start before she’s producing her first clutch..but that’s hard for beginners to know when to start….you don’t want to stop her growth to full adult size…but you want to prevent follicular stasis and egg binding.
Sessie
New Member
Understandable and I definitely learned that during this whole process. I’m just trying to figure out when I should really be concern and how long does the whole process take. As mentioned before by MissSkittles, certain signs are indicators of her being egg bound, but she’s still acting completely normal and digging a lot more than she was a week ago. I’m just not sure if she’s coming close to laying or still not ready. I’ve reached out to my vet and they said to monitor her since she is digging.
Im just very very new to this and this will be her first clutch and my first experience with this. So I want to make sure I’m doing everything as correct as possible or not missing any signs.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I just went back and reviewed the pic of your lay bin. I’m wondering if it’s too small and that’s why she is digging on and off. I’ve found my girls prefer a bin that is at least 12” wide and long (and even that tall) filled with only about 5-6” of moist play sand and I drill some tiny drainage holes in the bottom. That gives them room to stretch out and dig/lay as they wish. They dig down on an angle until they reach the bottom of the bin and usually in a corner. If she isn’t feeling like she’s able to dig down properly as she needs and wants, I would think she’d stop digging. She likes the substrate and is trying to make it work, but it’s not meeting her needs/preferences. At least this is what I think might explain her start/stop pattern of digging. So here’s my advice…go to Walmart and get one of these or something as close as possible to it in size.
Do whatever you need to make it fit in your enclosure. Remove the lid flaps and make some small drainage holes in the bottom…once in place the sand won’t leak out. Keep the sand only 5-6” deep still. Cover the enclosure back up and hopefully she’ll get right down to it and lay her eggs. I may be completely wrong, but it’s worth trying. Last year one of my girls had her entire bioactive floor to lay her eggs. She spent about a week digging here and there, including the faux background of her walls, plant pots, everywhere. I was panicked and tried a small shoebox bin of sand..she tried it and rejected it. Out of desperation I put in the lay bin she always used and that was what she needed. They can be that fussy.
Also, btw… @kinyonga is the forum’s most experienced keeper and always take her advice over mine. She’s who I learn from.
Do whatever you need to make it fit in your enclosure. Remove the lid flaps and make some small drainage holes in the bottom…once in place the sand won’t leak out. Keep the sand only 5-6” deep still. Cover the enclosure back up and hopefully she’ll get right down to it and lay her eggs. I may be completely wrong, but it’s worth trying. Last year one of my girls had her entire bioactive floor to lay her eggs. She spent about a week digging here and there, including the faux background of her walls, plant pots, everywhere. I was panicked and tried a small shoebox bin of sand..she tried it and rejected it. Out of desperation I put in the lay bin she always used and that was what she needed. They can be that fussy.
Also, btw… @kinyonga is the forum’s most experienced keeper and always take her advice over mine. She’s who I learn from.
Sessie
New Member
And I appreciate all of you guys! This is so stressful.
I changed her laying bin with something a few inches bigger. I was worried that she wouldn’t touch it but she ended up going down. Her lights went out and she’s still digging so I’m assuming she may fall asleep in it while digging. She never done this before, so I’m assuming this is good progress
I changed her laying bin with something a few inches bigger. I was worried that she wouldn’t touch it but she ended up going down. Her lights went out and she’s still digging so I’m assuming she may fall asleep in it while digging. She never done this before, so I’m assuming this is good progress
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
They can be very particular about where they lay their eggs. They have no idea or care whether the eggs are fertile or not. Instinct tells them that they are very precious so they take great care. They are great mommas, even though they don’t even know it.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yay! Let’s hope she continues digging and lays all of her eggs. Don’t disturb her for misting or anything else. You can use a dripper instead (just not over the bin). A plastic cup with a pinhole in it makes an easy dripper, or you could put a few ice cubes on top of the enclosure to melt down.
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yay!!!!!!! You can leave them for a few days, shouldn't be a problem.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
How’s your girl doing with her laying?
63 is way too many eggs for her to be laying.If she continues to lay that many she will likely end up with follicular stasis or egg binding and die young.
So…I would feed her a couple of good feedings and hydrate her well then decrease the amount you feed her and keep her basking temperature at no more than 80F to help her metabolism slow a bit.
How much have you been feeding her up until now per week? Basking temperatures until now?
So…I would feed her a couple of good feedings and hydrate her well then decrease the amount you feed her and keep her basking temperature at no more than 80F to help her metabolism slow a bit.
How much have you been feeding her up until now per week? Basking temperatures until now?
Sessie
New Member
Ok. So what should I do as a feeding schedule? Do I feed her every other day? Right now she’s doing 3-4 crickets once a day. I’ll have to check her basking temp again.
Sessie
New Member
Ok. And water everyday?
Is that not starving her and reducing her supplement intake?
Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question.
