Why aren’t they laying yet?

[MissSkittles]

I know they do things in their own time, but I feel like this is getting crazy. Grumpy had her receptive phase at the end of October and Stella was just a week or so behind her. Both are now just getting fatter and fatter and showing no signs of being close to laying. Both eat with great enthusiasm...coming to the enclosure front every feeding time, basking and doing whatever secret things they do. Both have their pretty polka dots on. The only changes in them is Grumpy has been exploring lower in her enclosure and has decided to no longer eat her silkies off my hand...branch or cup only. I’ve had the bottom half of their enclosures covered lightly to give them privacy and feel more secure. Lay bins are permanent in their enclosures with several routes in/out, Pothos growing down providing some cover and I’ve been leaving them alone to do their thing. After much consideration I did weigh them yesterday...Grumpy is 118 Gm and Stella is 106 Gm. This will be Grumpy’s 2nd lay and Stella’s 1st. I really am wondering if they’ve been conspiring to do this at the same exact time to try to murder me with stress.

 

[AnamCara]

Many people have been suggesting to me that possibly the winter / lower temperatures is effecting the lay periods. This being said-- @JoXie411 had a fairly quick and successful lay just a day or two ago.

 

[MissSkittles]

All I can do is be patient and alert to any signs that they may be distressed. I just wish they’d get it over with already so I can relax. These little ladies are going to drive me to start drinking!

 

[AnamCara]

All I can do is be patient and alert to any signs that they may be distressed. I just wish they’d get it over with already so I can relax. These little ladies are going to drive me to start drinking!

GURL I FEEL YOU

 

[snitz427]

Clarice was just weighed yesterday and she's at 106g. She's petite and thin at the moment, no eggs (she just laid within the month).

Clarice is usually receptive for a few weeks, then goes much darker green with dark polka dots for a month or two before laying. She will be much more active around the cage, and walking around the bottom during those two months. The moodier and more withdrawn she gets, the closer she is to laying. She'll continue to eat, but not anywhere near me, in the week or two before laying. Once she lays, she is back to knocking women and children over to get to the front of the lunch line.

Hope that helps, but their behaviors all seem so different. My 3 girls all have very different activity levels and I'm struggling to tell if the panthers are developing eggs.

 

[MissSkittles]

Clarice was just weighed yesterday and she's at 106g. She's petite and thin at the moment, no eggs (she just laid within the month).

Clarice is usually receptive for a few weeks, then goes much darker green with dark polka dots for a month or two before laying. She will be much more active around the cage, and walking around the bottom during those two months. The moodier and more withdrawn she gets, the closer she is to laying. She'll continue to eat, but not anywhere near me, in the week or two before laying. Once she lays, she is back to knocking women and children over to get to the front of the lunch line.

Hope that helps, but their behaviors all seem so different. My 3 girls all have very different activity levels and I'm struggling to tell if the panthers are developing eggs.

That helps a great deal! Phew! Worrying level has greatly reduced! Thank you! Grumpy laid her 1st/only time just about 3-4 weeks after ending her receptive phase, so I’ve been thinking that is the ‘normal’ time frame. They both weighed in the mid to high 70’s when not gravid, so they’re really packing on the grams. Suspecting my attempts to reduce their clutch size hasn’t worked so well.

 

[kinyonga]

When did Grumpy lay her clutch?
Can you post a recent photo of them please (so she doesn't have to look for a photo she says being lazy).

 

[MissSkittles]

When did Grumpy lay her clutch?
Can you post a recent photo of them please (so she doesn't have to look for a photo she says being lazy).

Sure! The pics I put in the ladies only thread were taken that day. Grumpy laid on Aug 7th.
Stella

Grumpy

 

[kinyonga]

I would have expected Grumpy to lay around December 7th so she's late...maybe....but because you've been trying to slow her down that might be part of the reason for it. Did you slip up at all and give in to her hungry begging?
They both look fine....why do they have to worry us like this???

 

[MissSkittles]

They are trying to kill me with stress and anxiety. Is why I wondered a while back in a post if they can/do align their reproductive cycles the same as human women in the same household do. I’ve been giving each the equivalent of 3-4 med silkworms every other day and as the bsfl hatch into flies, they get an average of 1-2/day for a treat. Basking temps are around 82-84*.

 

[kinyonga]

I've never noticed any of mine ever becoming aligned with their cycles....and I've had quite a few....as you can guess.

You can likely cut the food a little bit more and knock the basking temperature down to 80 to 82F...but not until they lay.

Take a deep breath too!

 

[MissSkittles]

Thanks @kinyonga Very appreciative of your help in calming my anxiety about my girls.

 

[kinyonga]

Hoping for the best for them...and calmness for you!