Trash Can Laying Bin Questions

[Wykd]

I have watched the video and looked up posts refering to laying bins but still have a couple questions since my girl is approaching 6 months fast and I want to make sure I am doing this part right since it will be an on going process from here out.

trash can laying bin method

• When do you know its time to put her in it? Do you have a small/shallow dirt patch in the enclosure already and when you see her starting to dig to do you move her out?
  
• When in the trash can do you mist, uvb, feed, etc... or she simply in the trash can with a plant, branch and the dirt till she is done?
  
• I have seen some use sand, topsoil and even topsoil/sand mix, what is the preferred substrate for tunneling?

 

[JackP308]

I have an office or bathroom sized garbage can in her cage at all times usually full of only coco fiber 3/4 to the top. Have vines and sticks going right into it. she's 3 for 5 laying in there. Once I didn't have it she used plants another time she just chose to use a plant instead.

 

[jannb]

I recommend keeping a bin in the cage at all times. What kind of Cham do you have? Often panthers will lay in a smaller bin than the veileds. the trash can works great for those that won't lay in the smaller bins and you can put them in the large one with no way out and just leave them alone for a few hours and most of the time they will get busy digging. When they are digging and laying I do not use UVB, mist or anything. I give them total privacy.

 

[redsfandrew]

I recommend keeping a bin in the cage at all times. What kind of Cham do you have? Often panthers will lay in a smaller bin than the veileds. the trash can works great for those that won't lay in the smaller bins and you can put them in the large one with no way out and just leave them alone for a few hours and most of the time they will get busy digging. When they are digging and laying I do not use UVB, mist or anything. I give them total privacy.

How long jan? a day or so?

 

[jannb]

After being in the big bin for 2 or 3 hours I sneak a peek without them seeing me. If they are doing nothing but trying to get out then I get them out and try again in the next day or two. They normally don't dig and lay until late afternoon or evening so I wouldn't try the can until then. If they are digging then leave them alone. Sometimes they will stay in the hole all night and not finish until the next morning. I have never had to leave one in there for more that 18 hours.

 

[BocaJan]

My girls have all laid in 12" tall bathroom trash cans. I have 2 shapes, rectangle and round. One of my ladies will not lay in the rectangle one.

In the years that I have been breeding, I tried the big bin (5 gallon bucket) and the female freaked out really badly. She kept running around the bin and did not dig, so I removed her and put her back in her cage with the smaller bin that she was used to and she finally laid. She just wasn't ready.

I know others use the big bin, but I try to be patient and let my females do what they do naturally and don't try to hurry them. They will go to the bottom of their cage and start to look around when they are ready. Then you know they will lay within 24 hours. My females have all started to dig by 10am. If their cage is by a window where they get the morning sun, they are digging by the time I get up at 7am.

I guess they are all different, but mine are pretty much the same except for the shape of the bin. (rectangle or round)

 

[Wykd]

Good information so far thanks all.

I have been reading success stories from both schools of thought, big stand alone trash can and smaller enclosure based bins and was trying to determine which was best path to take. I want to stress her as little as possible but honestly torn on which laying bin method to use. I did not think about round vs rectangle though....

I have the ability to do it either way but as with most things finding the best solution for us is the challenge.

I have been preparing for the DAY though:

• 10 inch deep bathroom trash can with sand/top soil in it
  
• deck planter with sand/top soil mix with a 18x18x36 mounted over it and blacked out with landscaping fabric
  
• large trash can with top soil/sand mix in it 12 inches deep

 

[blackened]

Sounds like you're doing a great job .

 

[Neoki]

This was my basic laying bin setup which then ended up me turning it into some kind of viv its self ha with all the décor.

HERE