Failed laying?

[hannahbanana13]

Hey everyone, my 3.5y female veiled is currently carrying eggs. I saw her dig down into he lay bin so I thought she was ready to lay her eggs but she is still plump-looking. She refused food at her last feeding but is still drinking. Has anyone else had a cham take more than one try to lay? Her previous lays have been smooth/ uneventful… when should I be concerned? (I am already concerned)
Husbandry info:
Cage: screen 2x2x4 ft
Lights: reptisun daylight 100w on a dimmer + 10.0 linear uvb bulb (and a grow light for the plants)
Misting / humidity: automatic mister goes off for 2 mins every 8 hours. Humidity during the day: ~50% humidity at night is ~70-80%
Temps: basking 83 degrees F, mid enclosure is 75 and bottom is 72.
There are only live plants in the enclosure: dragon tree, neon pothos, rubber plant, and a Swiss cheese plant.
Feeding and supplementation:
Feeding gut loaded dubia roaches (dime to penny sized — it just depends on the shipments) ~4 per feeding (more if the roaches are small) and 1 superworm per feeding. She is fed every other day with a 2 days fast sometime during the week (the days just depends on my work schedule)
For supplements she is getting the reptivite with d3 once weekly and calcium without d3 twice weekly (it was previously once a week but I increased the amount/ frequency of the calcium once I noticed she was about to start making eggs)
Here are some pics of the tubby lady. Thanks everyone!!

 

[Beman]

She may dig a few test holes before she actually lays them. She is very very plump though. Hopefully this will not be a large clutch.

Per your husbandry posted. I would keep her cooler at 80 max. And I would take her down to 3-4 small feeders 3 days a week. This will help her reduce her clutch sizes but both aspects need to be done. Don't do this though until at least two weeks after she lays this clutch.

For supplements you want to dust every feeding with calcium without D3 and then only 2 times a month with the reptivite with D3. You do not want to use D3 on her more than 2 times a month. It is the plain calcium that helps calcify her eggs properly.

I will tag in two keepers that have hands on experience with females. @Sonny13 @MissSkittles

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. She does look very plump. I have questions. How big is your lay bin and what substrate is in it? Is it the same that she used successfully before? How many eggs has she laid each time in the past? When you saw she had started digging, did you cover up the lower half of your enclosure to give her privacy? How long was she digging for?

 

[Sonny13]

Hello. I do agree with the rest she looks plumb and ready to lay. I'm also interested in the answers from @MissSkittles questions, with one additional. How many clutches has she laid?
My girl is about almost the same age and is as we speak on the verge of laying her 8th clutch. Now is the first time I've noticed a difference in her classical laying behavior. Normally, she would go for a second time pacing around in search for the perfect laying spot. This time she isn't and is just checking the bottom. She still shows her edema (which I know she's close to laying) and has less appetite. We covered the lower part again and always give her the privacy.

 

[hannahbanana13]

Hi. She does look very plump. I have questions. How big is your lay bin and what substrate is in it? Is it the same that she used successfully before? How many eggs has she laid each time in the past? When you saw she had started digging, did you cover up the lower half of your enclosure to give her privacy? How long was she digging for?

The lay bin is 12x11x10in and its filled 3/4 full with equal parts sand and organic soil with a bit of coconut husk substrate to help retain moisture. Everything is the same as last time. She has had 6 clutches

She may dig a few test holes before she actually lays them. She is very very plump though. Hopefully this will not be a large clutch.

Per your husbandry posted. I would keep her cooler at 80 max. And I would take her down to 3-4 small feeders 3 days a week. This will help her reduce her clutch sizes but both aspects need to be done. Don't do this though until at least two weeks after she lays this clutch.

For supplements you want to dust every feeding with calcium without D3 and then only 2 times a month with the reptivite with D3. You do not want to use D3 on her more than 2 times a month. It is the plain calcium that helps calcify her eggs properly.

I will tag in two keepers that have hands on experience with females. @Sonny13 @MissSkittles

Thank you, will do! I know that veiled are prone to vitamin A deficiency so is using the reptivite twice a month sufficient for her vitamin A requirements or are there d3-free supplement that you recommended?
Thank you so much!

 

[hannahbanana13]

Hi. She does look very plump. I have questions. How big is your lay bin and what substrate is in it? Is it the same that she used successfully before? How many eggs has she laid each time in the past? When you saw she had started digging, did you cover up the lower half of your enclosure to give her privacy? How long was she digging for?

Sorry didn’t realize it cut me off in my last reply! So she’s laid 6 clutches (she was kind of a late bloomer lol) and they were all between 20-40 eggs. I did not cover her enclosure (I have not in the past either) but I will when I see her trying to lay again. And she was digging basically all day on Sunday. She didn’t cover up the hole that night and instead went to her sleep spot, went to bed for the night, and then covered it in the morning.
I offered her food this morning and she very enthusiastically ate! She is drinking well and is overall acting like her normal self!
Thank you!!

 

[MissSkittles]

Sorry didn’t realize it cut me off in my last reply! So she’s laid 6 clutches (she was kind of a late bloomer lol) and they were all between 20-40 eggs. I did not cover her enclosure (I have not in the past either) but I will when I see her trying to lay again. And she was digging basically all day on Sunday. She didn’t cover up the hole that night and instead went to her sleep spot, went to bed for the night, and then covered it in the morning.
I offered her food this morning and she very enthusiastically ate! She is drinking well and is overall acting like her normal self!
Thank you!!

Have you checked where she was digging for eggs? Usually they only cover their holes when they have completed their task.

 

[hannahbanana13]

Have you checked where she was digging for eggs? Usually they only cover their holes when they have completed their tas

 

[hannahbanana13]

Have you checked where she was digging for eggs? Usually they only cover their holes when they have completed their task.

I did check the same day that she covered it up (at night after she went to sleep) and no eggs :/ I will try again in a different spot tonight. She is also still very plump and in the past after she has laid she looks like of saggy.

 

[MissSkittles]

I did check the same day that she covered it up (at night after she went to sleep) and no eggs :/ I will try again in a different spot tonight. She is also still very plump and in the past after she has laid she looks like of saggy.

They usually will dig their way to a corner on the bottom and prefer to lay there.

 

[Beman]

Thank you, will do! I know that veiled are prone to vitamin A deficiency so is using the reptivite twice a month sufficient for her vitamin A requirements or are there d3-free supplement that you recommended?

Yes, 2 times a month is what is recommended in the hobby for Vitamin A and D3 intake. This would apply to both Reptivite with D3 and Repashy calcium plus LOD multivitamins. Since you use the reptivite with D3 you are covered with the 2 times a month. And this one does have some higher levels so using it weekly could cause issues with the fat soluble vitamins that could build up.