Re: Quick Breeding question
Hi,
It's the ovulation that's the key - until you see that there is no gaurantee you are getting anything at all.
You can palpate to see if you can judge the size and number of the follicles (unfertilized ova ) - they start off small and get bigger and bigger as the process continues.
Sometimes at the end you can actually see swelling in the female because of this which is the "building" phase people talk about.
Of course sometimes the female decides not to lay for some reason and the follicles get re-absorbed. :(
But once the follicles are large enough then the female releases them to be fertilized - this is the ovulation and is a really really noticeable swelling. :O
Once she has ovulated something is coming out. If you managed to get a good count by palpating earlier you might even know how many somethings are coming out. :D
One of mine seems to have a build so large I have mistaken it for the ovulation twice in a row now. :oops:
How is she eating? The general wisdom seems to be that they will not lock after ovulation or eat after ovulation either. So if she has locked since the last shed then it probably wasn't the pre-lay shed I think.
dr del
Re: Quick Breeding question
Keep putting them together. If she stops accepting him, not locking up, she may be fertiile. Without being there and seeing things. It's hard to say when she'll lay eggs.
Good Luck,
Jim Smith
Re: Quick Breeding question
Great adive from Dr. Del!! Getting a confirmed lock anymore than once every 4-6 weeks is overkill. There is no schedule for laying -- they go when they go. :)
Re: Quick Breeding question
She last ate on the 11/1/10. Does that mean it still nothing yet, or have to wait for the next shed n start counting the days she will lay eggs..
say she is fertile, after pre lay shed, usually how long will an fertile ball female lay her eggs?
Re: Quick Breeding question
Just because she shed does not mean she will lay 30 days after that shed. Females will shed during the breeding season a few times. Mine has already shed twice but is not gravid yet. Wait for the ovulation, once you see that, be on the lookout for her pre-lay shed. THEN count 30 days. But even then, females vary on how long after their prelay shed they lay eggs. I have a female that laid 70 days after her prelay shed. Of course, that clutch ended up a complete wreck.