late breeding question

[JustChad04]

Quick question, do females reduce in size post pre-lay shed?

I have two females that have ovulated, and shed (this is day 15-20 ish after shed off) and now the larger of the two is reducing in size in her lower 2/3. Last year I had the same thing happen with a gravid female who did not lay.

Is this a sign of retaining the eggs?

Also just for update I am still introducing a male with her.

Thanks!

[morphedoutreptiles]

best thing i could recomend is try useing a different male . if your useing a small male he might just not be doing the trick with that female . good luck

[snakesRkewl]

best thing i could recomend is try useing a different male . if your useing a small male he might just not be doing the trick with that female . good luckBest thing he could do is nothing, they've ovulated so there is no reason to even place another male with them ;)

If you know how to palpate then you can usually tell if they are reabsorbing.
2 weeks after prelay shed she shouldn't look smaller, she should look swollen and uncomfortable by this time.

[JustChad04]

Best thing he could do is nothing, they've ovulated so there is no reason to even place another male with them ;)

If you know how to palpate then you can usually tell if they are reabsorbing.
2 weeks after prelay shed she shouldn't look smaller, she should look swollen and uncomfortable by this time.



Yeah I palpated her yesterday is she is not as firm as before. Still feels like follicles are there but just discouraging because she looks like she is starting to narrow out in her lower 2/3 (the swelling isnt there at much as say 2 weeks ago).

[GREGORY J HALL]

Always back up!

[JustChad04]

Always back up!

Not sure what you are meaning there Gregory.

I will try to get pictures. Have one of her during building phase and I will try to get one of her now to show what I mean.

I just have this dread she is reabsorbing the eggs, but I suppose that is better than slugging out.

Man she was showing such promising signs too :(

[bkline]

i agree with jerry on this one, no need in wasting another male, reabsorbing stinks, but it happens

[johno305]

I thought they couldn't reabsorb once they ovulated...:shrug01:

[JustChad04]

i agree with jerry on this one, no need in wasting another male, reabsorbing stinks, but it happens

yes it does. 2nd year in a row (different females though)

[MrBig]

They can't rabsorb if they have gone through a true ovulation. My guess is you misjudged building for ovulation and this girl is reabsorbing.

[JustChad04]

They can't rabsorb if they have gone through a true ovulation. My guess is you misjudged building for ovulation and this girl is reabsorbing.

I was beginning to think the same thing. She was pretty big when she was building (I'll get that picture up soon). Now I am just making the assumption that I missed her Ovy but she did look rediculiously swollen one morning but did not have my camera that day.


Edit: I forgot to add, because I was not 100% sure on her Ovy, I have kept introducing the male with her, havent seen any copulation since the alleged Ovy, but they have been courting (or at least he is trying).

[JustChad04]

ok here are some pictures.

Picture 1: Her and the male pastel copulating (and locked later on). She shows some build but hard to see with the noodling affect they got going on.

Picture 2: Her 3-4 weeks later obvious build and I believe this was taken the night before she might have Ovulated. She went into opaque 10-12 days later, that picture is on my camera @ home (will get later).

Picture 3: Last years female that did not lay, look ovulated to you or still building?

[MrBig]

My girls normally don't go into prelay shed until 3-4 weeks after Ovi, sure seems like forever to me. By your more detailed explanation, I feel correct that you mistook building for ovi. Now as to wether or not she is reabsorbing, that I can't be so confident in, only time will tell. Good luck though.

Pic 3 looks like building to me

[JustChad04]

thanks Mike, she starting to show some more swelling again so maybe dehydrated? not sure but time will tell

[GREGORY J HALL]

Not sure what you are meaning there Gregory.

I will try to get pictures. Have one of her during building phase and I will try to get one of her now to show what I mean.

I just have this dread she is reabsorbing the eggs, but I suppose that is better than slugging out.

Man she was showing such promising signs too :(

always have a backup male then you can tell if its the female or the male not getting it done I had one last year build & looked like she was gonna go & didnt reasorbed.

[dustinNMpythons]

I would just keep pairing her its still fairly early on I mean I had girls lay in Aug/Sep last year and heard of them going even later so worth a shot and like others have said try a different male too

[JustChad04]

Thanks Greg and Dustin, She is starting to show more signs again and I am still pairing her up. So just playing the waiting game

[Focal]

Yes, I get the same feeling that they are smaller after they ovulate. Not that they are smaller, but less round and more like a tear shape and the spine sticks out. This makes it appear as if they are smaller. I swear they are less wide and a little taller, but this may be in my crazy head. I'm pretty sure the eggs are larger and more inline than before ovy.

[MrBig]

After Ovi the eggs move closer to the vent, which may account for what you define as "smaller". at the point of ovulation the eggs are basically the size they will be when they come out, and they stop a decent distance from the vent. Then after OV they push down to the vent, this means they aren't as large in one area but larger overall.

[scratchypen]

I could be wrong here, but, none of those pics look like an ovulation to me. There was NO mistaking that my two girls that have ovulated thus far were indeed in ovulation. They were swollen, i.e. I picked them up and they were ballooned. So, with your uncertainty, I would bet that they have not ovulated. I always miss ovis in my girls, this was the first year I did not. Previous years I thought I may have 'seen' ovis, but, no doubts what so ever what it was this year.