Before ovulation they can eat, and sometimes with a distinct ferociousness. Once the building gets close to ovulation (month before) then they tend to go off feed, sometimes they go off even sooner. Some will continue after, but most don't.

They continue again after eggs are layed.

Normally they eat while building to get the best chance of healthy eggs, and not taking too much out of them. I have a female that just stopped feeding lately, when we started breeding her she was only 1600 grams, once building started she gulped down everything! She stopped at 1900 grams.