Re: Handling Gravid Females
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ClarkT
It seems a bit obvious not to handle gravid females much, but will handling too much cause them to re-absorb, have slugs, or get egg-bound?
You answered your own question, handling is kept to a minimum.
Eggs aren't re-absorbed and I doubt slugs are a result of handling and you shouldn't be messing with them much just before egg dropping but I also doubt handling some would cause egg binding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ClarkT
Also, if you palpate for follicles and feel them, do you palpate again? If one did palpate later on, does it/will it affect the eggs?
As long as your careful it doesn't hurt to palpate, but once you know how many there is it's not really necessary to continue to.
Re: Handling Gravid Females
I agree - minimal handling is best, but I doubt you'd kill the eggs by holding her. I've only had one gravid female so far, and I tried to leave her alone as much as possible... just handling when I cleaned, for the most part. She was kinda cranky anyway! :rolleyes:
Re: Handling Gravid Females
Yeah, cranky is the word. The one I suspect may be gravid sure is CRANKY! She's a doll, still, too.
The palpate again question is more because I'm not sure she's gravid. She was paired before we got her, and the guy didn't "see" any lockups, but I think she ovulated, based on palpating. But, I'd like to try again and make sure. But that's been a couple weeks now. Just don't want to possibly harm any eggs that may be in there.
Re: Handling Gravid Females
To tell you the truth, since I was a first time breeder and I didn't know if she was really gravid until my distributor looked at her (a week before she laid her eggs). She was handle ALOT; a lot more than I would have if I would have know shes was gravid. She had 4 healthy and happy babies.
But for me, I know what to look for and I will be leaving my females alone for the future though. But she didn't have any complications to my mistake. lol.
