Lay Bin and Egg Laying

[littlekiwi]

I need advice on lay bins and when to know your cham is about to lay. My girl is older than I thought! ??

 

[kinyonga]

Here's a site to start you off...

 

[MissSkittles]

What a pretty little girl! First she’ll go through a receptive phase...I think of it as they get all dressed up and pretty and go looking for a man. She’ll start showing some colors and patterns and will be restless, climbing all over her enclosure almost constantly. My girls literally climb the walls. Usually this lasts about a week or two. Approx a few weeks later she’ll be looking plump, lumpy and may start decreasing how much she eats. Then one day, you’ll find she’s started digging in her lay bin or even maybe a potted plant. Try not to let her see you and just cover up all visible areas of the enclosure. About a day or so later, she should be sitting on her basking branch looking much thinner and a bit dirty. Feed and hydrate her well for a few days and then return to your normal. You will want to limit her basking temps to no higher than low 80’s and her feedings to 3-4 med sized insects every other day or even 3 days a week. This will help reduce the number of eggs she lays and also perhaps the frequency that she lays. Laying takes a great deal out of them and shortens their lives. Is best to keep a lay bin as a permanent part of the enclosure to avoid having to guess when it’s needed.
I should mention that I didn’t know to try and reduce laying when I first got my first girl and she laid about 2+ weeks after being receptive. Since reducing temps and diet, she and my other girl didn’t lay until 3 months after being receptive.

 

[littlekiwi]

Here's a site to start you off...

hey thanks! does she look gravid?

 

[littlekiwi]

What a pretty little girl! First she’ll go through a receptive phase...I think of it as they get all dressed up and pretty and go looking for a man. She’ll start showing some colors and patterns and will be restless, climbing all over her enclosure almost constantly. My girls literally climb the walls. Usually this lasts about a week or two. Approx a few weeks later she’ll be looking plump, lumpy and may start decreasing how much she eats. Then one day, you’ll find she’s started digging in her lay bin or even maybe a potted plant. Try not to let her see you and just cover up all visible areas of the enclosure. About a day or so later, she should be sitting on her basking branch looking much thinner and a bit dirty. Feed and hydrate her well for a few days and then return to your normal. You will want to limit her basking temps to no higher than low 80’s and her feedings to 3-4 med sized insects every other day or even 3 days a week. This will help reduce the number of eggs she lays and also perhaps the frequency that she lays. Laying takes a great deal out of them and shortens their lives. Is best to keep a lay bin as a permanent part of the enclosure to avoid having to guess when it’s needed.
I should mention that I didn’t know to try and reduce laying when I first got my first girl and she laid about 2+ weeks after being receptive. Since reducing temps and diet, she and my other girl didn’t lay until 3 months after being receptive.

thank you! this helps a lot. do you think she looks gravid?

 

[MissSkittles]

thank you! this helps a lot. do you think she looks gravid?

From that pic, not to me. Are you able to see any little lumps near her rear end? Here’s a pic of my girl Stella when gravid. You can see a bit of an egg lump on her. Her colors are all pretty and her dots are popping out. Each cham looks different when gravid...some are black with light dots and other patterns.

Then there is Grumpy. She was very gravid in this pic...was right before she laid. Can’t see any lumps but she was massive. Second pic is right after she laid. Her little murder mittens are still dirty.

 

[littlekiwi]

From that pic, not to me. Are you able to see any little lumps near her rear end? Here’s a pic of my girl Stella when gravid. You can see a bit of an egg lump on her. Her colors are all pretty and her dots are popping out. Each cham looks different when gravid...some are black with light dots and other patterns.
View attachment 272095
Then there is Grumpy. She was very gravid in this pic...was right before she laid. Can’t see any lumps but she was massive. Second pic is right after she laid. Her little murder mittens are still dirty.
View attachment 272096View attachment 272097

she has no lumps on her rear end. someone told me they thought she was 4-6 months and that her coloration screams that she’s gravid. i’m very confused

 

[MissSkittles]

she has no lumps on her rear end. someone told me they thought she was 4-6 months and that her coloration screams that she’s gravid. i’m very confused

It is sometimes a guessing game. That’s why it’s best to leave the lay bin in her enclosure permanently. Not only eliminates guessing, but reduces her stress of having something put in/out of her enclosure. Grumpy is my first cham/reptile and last year I was stressing constantly over is she gravid or not, so I know all too well how it is. ? As long as your husbandry is correct, when the time comes she’ll know what to do and shouldn’t have any problems. Then you can take a deep breathe and relax...until the next time.

 

[littlekiwi]

It is sometimes a guessing game. That’s why it’s best to leave the lay bin in her enclosure permanently. Not only eliminates guessing, but reduces her stress of having something put in/out of her enclosure. Grumpy is my first cham/reptile and last year I was stressing constantly over is she gravid or not, so I know all too well how it is. ? As long as your husbandry is correct, when the time comes she’ll know what to do and shouldn’t have any problems. Then you can take a deep breathe and relax...until the next time.

well my plan was to put her in this 12 inch wide and 8 inch deep container and leave her for five days there with her lights and the supplies

 

[MissSkittles]

This is shortly before Grumpy reached maturity and reached her receptive phase.

 

[MissSkittles]

well my plan was to put her in this 12 inch wide and 8 inch deep container and leave her for five days there with her lights and the supplies

What size is your enclosure?

 

[CrisBruns]

Good to see an update on your girl! How is she progressing with her MBD?

 

[NashansCamos]

Also, not sure if anyone mentioned this, but don't handle her when she's preparing to lay and cover up her cage with a blanket or something when shes laying. If that's too much of a hassle then just don't look at her