Vet Visit with Abbott and Costello

You don't need vermiculite unless you were planning on incubating the eggs, which you are not. Just get a cheap bag of organic topsoil, mix in some sand to help it keep shape and keep it moist. Some dragons won't use a lay box, can't say I blame them. It is more natural for them to dig the tunnel. You can get a big rubbermaid tub for like $15 and use that as a lay bin if you want with a clamp lamp. That'll give her plenty of room to dig. Just pour the whole bag of soil in there, make a mound at one end and watch her go to town. If she is having difficulty using a laybox, which is very restricting for them, she could possibly not lay the eggs because she cannot find a suitable spot that instinct is telling her she needs. SO skip the trouble of the box and go straight to a big place for her to dig up. That's what I would do anyway. Plus I bet she would have fun in it.

They said 2 x a year because there is no male and she will not be breeding. The reason they said vermiculite is the vet there does not believe in having any kind of sand where they can ingest it...apparently they have seen way too many impactions due to sand. So I just keep her in her tank then let her dig daily in the nesting box. Right now you can't even tell she has eggs..the vet had to feel real deep and have the other 2 vets check also just to be sure. Today she is frantically jumping and window dancing...I'm gonna have to take her basking rock out because she keeps climbing on top and jumping up and falling off. I know she is just not herself lately. I'm gonna get the biggest tub I can find today and see what happens....should I use a reg. light build or her basking light over the tub? Thanks again for the replies

First signs that that the dragon needs to lay her eggs is restlessness inside of the cage (ie glass dancing or digging) and refusal to eat. Infertile eggs are not usually felt or seen protruding through the belly. If your girl is not eating and is very restless, she needs to lay them now and not in a couple of weeks. Also be careful about handling her when she has eggs because you may accidentally rupture an egg and that by itself could be fatal.

How we make a lay box is to use a large 60 quart rubbermaid plastic tub (outside of her enclosure) and put plain old dirt inside of it. Its a dollar for 40 pounds of it at walmart. Make sure it doesn't have fertilizers or chemicals. We moisten this with water until it forms in your hand when you squeeze it. Pile the dirt onto one side of the rubbermaid bin to form a mound. Pack this down gently so the dirt will not cave in on the dragon when she begins to dig. Put a heat light (any light will do) over this bin and place your gravid female within. The female may not dig right away. Some prefer to dig at dusk, some prefer for the dirt to be warm. Leave her be for several hours and do not bother her in case she is laying because some are over protective and will begin a new hole if disturbed. She should be finished when she is covered in dirt and everything is backfilled. DO NOT uncover her eggs while she is looking. The motherly instincts of some dragons will make them protect their nest.

When she lays her eggs you will be bale to tell because she will be much thinner and will be very thirsty. She will eat like a pig afterwards and this is fine.

That's what I do! And she will also be covered with dirt. Nice funny picture opportunity sometimes when they are digging and come out with a pile of dirt on the nose.

Thanks so much for all that information. The vet said yesterday they were about the size of the end of your pinkie. I don't know how big they get so not sure how long she has. I got the vermiculite like they said but it does need soil with it. I'm picking that up tomorrow when they get some organic in. I have a blue tub and a clear tub. would she rather have the blue so she can't see out? her appetite was really good today and I have been giving her the liquid calcium. I'll get that box made tomorrow and put a light over it and let it warm up then start putting her in it to get use to it and get use to being put in and taken out. After she has her eggs should I let her stay with them a bit then remove her back to her tank and take them out. Someone said something about freezing them before I toss them...they can't be fertile should I still do that? Sorry to have so many questions but this is no area I had planned on. There are enough backyard breeders out there...so I never researched that area and actually didn't know they would lay eggs. Now I know...lucky me...lol. I just worry about Costello more than anything....still hard to call it a her after thinking it a male for so long. Thanks again. Once again this site has helped me a lot.
Alexa

Originally Posted by a1littlesister

Thanks so much for all that information. The vet said yesterday they were about the size of the end of your pinkie. I don't know how big they get so not sure how long she has. I got the vermiculite like they said but it does need soil with it. I'm picking that up tomorrow when they get some organic in. I have a blue tub and a clear tub. would she rather have the blue so she can't see out? her appetite was really good today and I have been giving her the liquid calcium. I'll get that box made tomorrow and put a light over it and let it warm up then start putting her in it to get use to it and get use to being put in and taken out. After she has her eggs should I let her stay with them a bit then remove her back to her tank and take them out. Someone said something about freezing them before I toss them...they can't be fertile should I still do that? Sorry to have so many questions but this is no area I had planned on. There are enough backyard breeders out there...so I never researched that area and actually didn't know they would lay eggs. Now I know...lucky me...lol. I just worry about Costello more than anything....still hard to call it a her after thinking it a male for so long. Thanks again. Once again this site has helped me a lot.
Alexa

I would use the blue tub simply so she won't be disturbed while she's laying. If there is zero chance for the eggs to be fertile, then there is no reason to freeze them, but you know there is no chance.
You'll find that as long as the box is nice and warm beardies are normally quite comfortable in their lay boxes.

If Abbott is a male, there is a chance that the eggs could very well be fertile. If that is the case, that is a big reason to freeze them. Whatever they may be, still freeze them just in case. It takes about a week after they are laid to tell if they are fertile or not, just if you were curious.

We use a dark blue, non see through bin so that the dragon doesn't feel exposed when laying. Whenever we see our gravid females glass dancing and not eating we know that it is time. Even first time layers know what to do when they get into the bin. Some will dig right away and some will wait a bit to make sure they are in a safe place.Almost always they will start at the highest point and dig to the bottom before laying. It usually take about half the day but it gets done. When she is finished, we let her sit in the dirt for a little bit before taking her out and putting her back into her cage. It gives them time to relax a bit after their ordeal.

We have one dragon who did it a little differently though. We put her into the bin and she dug a hole half way to the bottom of the tub and then stopped. After 3 hours or so later of her just sitting on top of her dirt mound basking, we took her out to go to sleep. Next morning we put her back into the laying box and she continued digging right were she left off. She laid 29 eggs and backfilled the hole. That took about another 3 hours or so.

I'm not absulutly sure Abbott is not male..the Vet said it was hard to tell but they have been apart for about a month now...Costello started getting really agressive towards him so they got seperated. Dosen't matter I don't want the eggs. So I'll freeze them just in case. I'll grab up some organic soil today and put it in the container with a light and let it all warm up before I put her in it. Once again thanks so much for the information.
Alexa

Hello Alexa,

Yah, I am happy to hear that your female is NOT impacted, just carrying eggs. Yes, you definitely do not want them to hatch since they are siblings, that wouldn't be a good turnout.
Did you find a suitable lay substrate? Vermiculite or perlite mixed with soil are very good.
Good luck. Keep us posted on everything going on with her. Good you got her to the vet though, as she would have a hard time laying with low calcium. The liquid should kick in fast!

Tracie

The calcium and the first couple doses of the liquid food had kicked in her apatite right now....now she is eating her crickets again. I mixed the vermiculite with organic top soil fertilizer free. She dug a bit today but really is not interested. She is spending more time on her basking tree with her tummy hanging between 2 branches. I'm still soaking her once a day..they said to be sure and keep her hydrated...she seems to enjoy that also. As long as she is eating her crickets I don't give her the food supplement just calcium 2 x day. She don't seem as grumpy either. I'll keep putting her in the tub daily and let her dig. Thanks again I'll keep you posted on how she is doing.
Alexa