Ever had a female not make the cut?

[Moofins07]

So, I have a little normal female, and I just wanted to hear some opinions from some owners who breed and have relatively large collections: how often is it a prospect female never makes it to the standard breeding weight of 1500 grams? My female is almost 5 months old and unusually small for her age (a modest 120 grams). I've heard suggestions that she could be a runt, or a slow grower, but I'd really love to hear if they DO indeed eventually get there, or it's a real possibility some just never make it up to par.

Thanks in advance, guys!

[MarkS]

120 grams at 5 months is not that small. I've got some yearlings that size. These animals are individuals not something stamped out by a cookie cutter. They have different rates of growth and different adult sizes. One of my female breeders who I've gotten several clutches of eggs from is just over 800 grams. Just feed her when she wants to eat and she'll grow as big as she's supposed to.

[Oxylepy]

Heh, 5 months and you're worried about her being big enough. You have another 13 months before you'll try and breed her, in that time her food will continue to get larger and larger over time, making her grow more and more with each feeding. Don't worry about it and see where you are in the breeding season of 2010/11. If she is large enough, breed her, if not, wait longer.

[cinderbird]

i have a 5/6 month old who is 224 grams, its not that big of a deal, they all grow at their own rate. Shes a great eater as long as shes not blue.