HELP!

[Vacren]

9mo beardie currently giving birth! She dug out to the glass, no incubator, need some ideas on a makeshift that can support for three days. She's at 10 in this clutch, she weighed 184g last night. I just found out she was preggo two days ago. I have normal care items only. Please help, I'd like her babies to survive... Feel like a horrible owner

 

[Claudiusx]

Go to walmart get a Styrofoam cooler, get two bricks, get a fish water heater.

Put bricks in cooler, fill with water up to the bricks, place the heater in there so the water gets heated. Place a wire screen or something over the bricks so there is a platform. Get a container filled with vermiculite, place your eggs in there.

You might have to tinker with the water heater to get the correct air temp in the incubator.

I hatched an entire clutch (-2 mold eggs) with this very same setup.

-Brandon

 

[Vacren]

I have a fake fireplace, plastic container filled with damp sand, temp maintaining around 83 sand, 80 air. Should they survive? I've got an incubator in the mail, but it's still three days out.

 

[Vacren]

15 total. Very happy, very sad all at once.

 

[Claudiusx]

It cost me only like $15 to make an incubator like how I told you. I can't give you advice on your current set up because I have no experience with that.

If you can keep the temps constant and the humidity high, and the sand moist (you really should go get some vermiculite though) then it should be able to work for 3 days.

-Brandon

 

[Vacren]

Thanks for the help, new question...

She's beating her hair against stuff and still burrowing, is this something I should be concerned about?

 

[Claudiusx]

If she is still digging, she might still have more eggs to deposit. Usually a female will dig just one hole and lay them all in that hole.

-Brandon

 

[spurlee01]

She may still have eggs. Did she bury the eggs before you pulled her out? You need to make sure you bathe her and give her a salad with a bunch of calcium on it. Was she bred with a male? You need to feed her whatever bugs you can get into her starting tomorrow with a lot of calcium. Also, watch for prolapses. Be aware that with her extremely small size, she may not make it through this. Females should not be bred until they are a very minimum of 18 months. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I don't mean for this post to be offensive, but do want you to be aware of the danger.

 

[Claudiusx]

I don't mean for this post to be offensive, but do want you to be aware of the danger.

Yes, agreed.

You should separate the male and female if they are housed together.

+2 on big salad and lots of healthy gut-loaded feeders. Your little dragon used up A LOT of nutrients making those eggs, and she needs them back.

-Brandon

 

[Vacren]

Please believe that I'm very aware of the risks, I didn't believe she was large enough or old enough for it to be a risk. Her mate is only slightly larger than she was, at 218g, and only a month older. Right now she's just digging, is very active and is at 133g. I've added calcium enriched kale and Reptiworms to her tank. She was burying the eggs when I pulled her out.

What, if any, are the chances she just laid 15 unfertilized eggs? I candled one that I saw her roll, the rest were evident where the embryo were.

 

[spurlee01]

Well if she was housed with the male, unfortunately the eggs probably are fertile. If she's still digging, she may still have more eggs. Be careful with the Kale, it's high in Vit A. You're better off with something like mustard greens. Stay away from spinach and even collards right now as they've been shown to be calcium binding (for sure on spinach, info still iffy on collards). I would HIGHLY recommend you get them separated ASAP, her life probably depends on it.

 

[Vacren]

They are separated, I guess a little late. I had an extra setup, just wasn't using it because they've been together since she was about 30g. Thanks again for all the help guys, and before I get jumped, I know I'm an ass, I feel really bad about this. I should have been watching more closely.

~V

 

[beardcore]

well hopefully it works out... btw an icubator can be bought dirt cheap at a farm store bought a chicken egg incubator for 25 bucks.

 

[spurlee01]

They are separated, I guess a little late. I had an extra setup, just wasn't using it because they've been together since she was about 30g. Thanks again for all the help guys, and before I get jumped, I know I'm an ass, I feel really bad about this. I should have been watching more closely.

~V

I know mistakes happen, I hope you don't think I'm jumping you. I just want to make sure your beardie has every chance at pulling through this.