Females eating while breeding?

[Ash]

I've decided to stop trying to breed my normal girl this season because she looks too thin. She hasn't eaten for about two months which is the longest she's ever gone, she hasn't been losing weight (stuck at 1300 grams), but I figure I'd rather play it safe. The thing is, a while back I thought I saw a lock between her and my lesser.

What I want to know is that if they really did lock and once was enough, is she likely to eat for me again before the eggs arrive or will she fast until she lays? Do females EVER eat while they're going through this process, and if so at what point do they normally eat again?

Also, is it possible for her to produce follicles without being paired at all? Last winter I palpated her just for the sake of it and I certainly felt 5 marble-sized bumps in her lower abdomen, but I didn't even own a male at that point. Do females produce follicles every winter?

[BallsUnlimited]

i had girls that would refuse when they were being paired but after a few of pairings they began to pound food like no other. i also have girls that have no eaten since breeding season started and ones that have not gone off feed at all. If shes looking to thin and isnt up to breeding weight then hold her back this year. No point in risking any health issues from her if shes under weight. also the girls will go off feed when its close to the time to drop the eggs. Females can produce follicles even if they were never breed. they can even lay unfertilized eggs if theyve never been paired with a male. One lock is enough for her to get preg as long as the male does his job.

[Ash]

i had girls that would refuse when they were being paired but after a few of pairings they began to pound food like no other. i also have girls that have no eaten since breeding season started and ones that have not gone off feed at all. If shes looking to thin and isnt up to breeding weight then hold her back this year. No point in risking any health issues from her if shes under weight. also the girls will go off feed when its close to the time to drop the eggs. Females can produce follicles even if they were never breed. they can even lay unfertilized eggs if theyve never been paired with a male. One lock is enough for her to get preg as long as the male does his job.

okay, we'll see what happens. Either way I don't think she's gonna get paired up again this season. And just an update: I noticed she hadn't been in her hide for the past two days, she's under the paper towel beneath the heat lamp. I palpated her, as I have been doing for a while now, and I can feel 4 - 7 bumps that weren't there before. I'm kind of hoping that one lock didn't do it...

[rabernet]

My girls eat all the way up to ovulation. I don't really offer food after the ovulation though, I'd rather leave room for the eggs.

[Sloanreptiles]

We have noticed when females first start producing follicles they will go off feed then once they get past 15mm follicles they will start Pounding food!! Then once they get past 35mm (about 1-2 months from 15mm to 35mm) they go off feed all the way up to ovulation. We only offer small rats during the whole breeding season and most of the females wont eat during that time. Thats from our experience. And we have an ultrasound machine so thats why we know the measurments.

It sounds like your female wants to lay, I would keep breeding her. They choose when they are ready so she wont lay if shes not ready.

[Animals As Leaders]

All my older girls stopped eating as well but there all nice weights. When do they usually resume the schedule? Not trying to hijack thread, just kinda wondering this as well.

[Freakie_frog]

I've noticed that once females start breeding their food intake increases they really slam to food.. then they get about a week to three weeks out from Ovy they will go off food..

[Ash]

My boyfriend really wants to keep pairing her, and I really don't want to, for fear of hurting her. He thinks it looks like she's not gonna eat either way and is capable of producing, and that it would be dumb to pass up an opportunity at our first clutch. He thinks I'm just being reluctant to try. :-/

I think my problem is that I'm really not sure what an adult breeder female is supposed to look like. I've only ever seen my own in person, and in pictures they always look way fatter than mine does now. Mine is apparently the right age and weight, so maybe I'm just being fretful over nothing.

And to answer a previous question; mine resumed feeding last year in April, but that year she was only off feed from about February, so I'm not too sure.