Jelly is about 14 months old and getting ready to lay her third clutch. After the first one, she was shriveled down to about nothing. I fed her back up to a good 300g but then she layed yet a bigger clutch (13->17). After that clutch she was in even more skin and bones. I did my best to beef her back up, but now her appetite is going down and I can feel eggs in her again. Is she endangering herself? Been doing my best to give all the dusted crix/dubia/lobster roaches/carrots/apples I can, but I am scared I havent given her enough to get through the next clutch.
Is there any other tricks to fattening her up other than just feeding, or is there something to limit to reduce clutch size?
Hi there...yes, beardies can really look deflated after laying, they look so drastically different [ at times ] it can be frightening . Can you post a pic of before + after ? Is she a small dragon lengthwise ? They really need as much food as they can eat, no limits on protein when they are developing eggs. You can never run out of feeders with a gravid beardie. Feed several times a day, and give calcium on one feeding every day, or every other day if she eats extremely large amounts. Veggies should include collard, turnip, mustard, dandelion squash. Carrots only once in a while, apples even less often. Be sure to bathe her after she lays [ warm water, dry her off and then back under the heat lamp] then every 2-3 days after. If she is truly emaciated, the vet can give something called critical care. There is'nt anything you can do to minimize the clutch size. I've heard that some owners actually spay their dragons, but that would present it's own risks.