What type of bedding/substrate do you use for your gravid females and why?

I haven't seen this question posted yet and thought it would be a really good question to post. So what is it you guys use for your gravid females? What type of bedding/substrate do you use and why do you use it? :D

Can't wait to hear what you guys have to say, this should be good :banana:

I put my breeder females on newspaper from cooldown until they drop eggs (or I give up). This prevents my male from potentially getting bedding stuck to his penes and pulled into his body during breeding (abcesses = bad). Once they lay eggs, I switch them back to cypress mulch so I don't have to mist as often. I don't see any reason to switch them back sooner, since I don't even always catch the ovy.

Nothing different from usual. At the moment, I'm using aspen shavings or shredded aspen. I've never had any males have any issues, either.
In the past, I've used newspaper. My only complaint with newspaper is that the clutch sometimes sticks to it, and then the paper adheres to eggs, and can grow bacteria in the incubator.

I have all my animals in rack systems. I opt to not use any substrate when I think they are about to drop. If you are diligent about taking notes, you should have a pretty good idea when the girls will lay their eggs. Watching their body language helps too. I just pull out the newspaper they are usually on, so the eggs don't stick, and remove the water dish, just incase that turns into a great place to lay eggs. Don't want any mishaps. I do these things no more than 3 days prior to when I estimate her to lay.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Nothing different from usual. At the moment, I'm using aspen shavings or shredded aspen. I've never had any males have any issues, either.
In the past, I've used newspaper. My only complaint with newspaper is that the clutch sometimes sticks to it, and then the paper adheres to eggs, and can grow bacteria in the incubator.

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Really, thats the first time I've ever hear of that. Something to think about. Have you personally had this happen before? And if so what happened to the clutches?

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

I put my breeder females on newspaper from cooldown until they drop eggs (or I give up). This prevents my male from potentially getting bedding stuck to his penes and pulled into his body during breeding (abcesses = bad). Once they lay eggs, I switch them back to cypress mulch so I don't have to mist as often. I don't see any reason to switch them back sooner, since I don't even always catch the ovy.

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Never heard of the males getting the mulch stuck in there, I have mine on newspaper so no worries there, I was curious what everybody used for their gravids, since all I have in my tubs now is newspaper.

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Originally Posted by SoundExotics

I have all my animals in rack systems. I opt to not use any substrate when I think they are about to drop. If you are diligent about taking notes, you should have a pretty good idea when the girls will lay their eggs. Watching their body language helps too. I just pull out the newspaper they are usually on, so the eggs don't stick, and remove the water dish, just incase that turns into a great place to lay eggs. Don't want any mishaps. I do these things no more than 3 days prior to when I estimate her to lay.

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You sounds like me, mine are in rack systems as well and I'm always all up in their business. So this sounds like a plan, one of my females is going to be a handful I know getting the clutch away from her, if all goes well and she doesn't just hang onto the sperm plugs. Good advice :gj:

I personally would not use anything different than what the female is always on... I want them to be as comfortable and calm as possible, I am waiting untill after girls lay this year to get away from shredded paper to cypress because of issues with shredded paper molding extremely quick when water bowls are spilt....I would change em now... but dont want to change anything during breeding season on potentially gravid females

We don't change anything, they are either on unprinted newspaper ends or paper towels.
Quite often they will shove everything aside and lay the eggs right on the floor of the tubs.

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/PICT7517.jpg

All I use is newspaper, printed and unprinted, nothing changes when they lay.