Beardie Weird Egg Laying

[SavannahDragons]

My bearded dragon Jaxie is laying eggs, unsure if they are fertile or not (I'll explain in a second). A couple of days ago she laid maybe 5 eggs but I got to them too late and they dried out. I could still feel eggs in her stomach. The only thing is, it's too early for her, I can't see the bumps in her stomach yet and the eggs seemed a tad small. Anyways, later that night, I had her out and she laid another egg with me there. I put the egg in the incubator, as I wasn't sure if it was fertile or not and wanted to make sure. (It's white but also is squishier than most eggs so I'm really not sure). She hasn't laid an egg since. I still can't see the bumps in her stomach. What's going on? Is she egg bound? Is there anything I can do? Yes, she has had access to a male, which is why I think that the eggs may be fertile. Yes, it's late for eggs in the year, but he was doing mating things so... anyways. Help!! Thanks!

[Drache613]

Hello,

How old is Jaxie? Is she showing any signs of distress such as a black beard, lethargic
behavior or restlessness? Is she eating anything right now?
A lot of times, you wont be able to feel the eggs if they are not all dropped yet. Since she
did already lay some eggs, though not many, she may still have more eggs that will be laid.
Have you made a lay box for her yet?

Tracie

[SavannahDragons]

Jaxie is 3 1/2 years old. She isn't showing any signs of distress, and her belly isn't black, so she isn't stressed. She's not lethargic or restless. And she definitely is eating. Lots. She ate so many crickets yesterday. When will she lay the other eggs? Are the eggs she has already laid premature? Yes, she does have a lay box.

Thanks!

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is very interesting. So if she is still eating, then, if she has more eggs they are likely
not quite ready to be laid yet since she hasn't lost her appetite. If she stops eating much at
all, & becomes more pear shaped then more eggs have dropped. Though sometimes they
will have eggs & you can hardly tell at all. Usually a lack of appetite & round belly are the
give aways though. I am glad you have a laybox for her though, just in the case she would
prefer that.
The eggs she laid previously were probably infertile, just based on your description of them.
It could be several weeks or so before she lays the others, if she doesn't reabsorb them for
some reason. Be sure to keep her calcium intake up as well.

Tracie

[SavannahDragons]

Okay, thanks for the info! Will the eggs still in the beardies' womb be infertile, then, if the previous ones were? I've been giving her extra food, yes, and calcium to keep her calcium intake at a healthy level.

[Drache613]

Hello,

If the eggs were fertilized at some point, they will be fertile when laid. Sometimes though,
they can have a clutch which have some fertile & possibly a few infertile included along with
them.
Ok, that sounds good. Keep up her calcium & food intake to help her out. Let us know how
she is doing.

Tracie

[SavannahDragons]

Jaxie is doing well. She's been digging around her lay box with increased attention, and the eggs in her stomach feel bigger, so I think she's due pretty soon, ie. in a week or so.

[Drache613]

Hello,

That sounds about right, if she has been digging around quite a bit, & you can feel the eggs in
her belly it shouldn't be too long. Is she eating very much right now?
Keep us posted on her. I hope she doesn't have any trouble laying her eggs.

Tracie

[SavannahDragons]

She's eating a lot. The other day, I put a new plant in her enclosure and she tried to eat that! No, she's eating like a pregnant woman. I can definitely feel the eggs in her, and she spent an hour digging around yesterday in her dig box.

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is good she has a big appetite, so she is getting some nutrition into her! Hopefully she
will make herself a nice laying burrow too.
What plant did you put in her tank?

Tracie

[SavannahDragons]

Oh, it was a fake plant, and I removed it and put it into another tank just in case she decided that plastic was tasty.

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh dear, they are awful about chewing on fake plants, so I'm glad that you did take it out!
You could replace it with an herb or something edible perhaps.

Tracie

[SavannahDragons]

Yes, I'm planning on placing plants in their cages and eventually even making them bioactive cages. Oh, I definitely know about their plastic-eating tendencies. My savannah monitor Pallie actually ingested a piece of hard, penny-sized plastic this last summer, and tries to eat her cage decor regularly so I'm pretty used to switching plants in all my lizards' cages.

[Drache613]

Hello,

That sounds like a plan! Let us know how things are coming along with her. I hope that
she lays her eggs soon & doesn't have any trouble with them.

Tracie

[SavannahDragons]

Jaxie laid her eggs today... but she didn't lay them in her lay box, choosing instead to lay them on her basking spot, and they dried out, poor baby eggs, before I could get to them.