My female is laying infertile eggs. How do I know if she is

[AnimalKingdom]

My female is laying infertile eggs. How do I know if she is eggbound?
She laid 3 eggs, about 4-5 days ago. So just yesterday I got a kitty litter tray, filled it with moist play sand, and popped it in her tank. its about 4-5 inches deep.
She hasnt laid any more eggs, but she still runs around and scratches everywhere. she doesnt scratch in the lay bed i made for her, just around her food/water dishes and her plants.
So i put plants in the lay box thinking she would like it, and she just sits in there. she doesnt scratch.

How do I know if shes eggbound? How can I help her lay more eggs? From what I hear, 3 eggs is not even close to a full clutch. And she is still doing egg-laying behaviour. Help!!

EDIT::
What if I just replaced all the substrate in her tank with moist play sand? I could just pile it about 4-5 inches or more even, and that way she would be able to scratch anywhere? Right now I am using crushed walnut shells. I just dont want her to get sick/eggbound!!

 

[PeekABoo]

You might have more success if you use a rubbermaid container, seperate from her tank, for a lay box and fill it on a 45 degree angle giving at least 12 inches of substrate to dig in and make sure you pack it down. Put a heat lamp above it to warm up the sand you can cut a hole in the lid for it to shine through.There is a detailed thread on here about how to make a lay box. This should work better because she will have more privacy and more room to dig they like to fit their whole body in the hole.

If she is egg bound she will become lethargic. I can't remember the other symptoms sorry. It sounds like she is still willing to lay though because she is still running around. Let me know how they lay box works out for you

EDIT: I forgot to mention you can try pre digging a hole for her in the lay box and stick her nose in it. She may continue digging that hole.

 

[AnimalKingdom]

Well today she laid another egg. Not in a hole, not buried or anything. just there on the crushed walnut shell substrate. maybe she isnt too picky, but dont they usually lay a bunch at a time?

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

She is being picky thats why she is only dropping a couple at a time.
Go with a rubbermaid bin filled about 1/3 up with warm moist playsand.
If she feels safe she will lay

 

[MALIBUSMOM]

Crushed walnut shell can cause impaction and tear your beardies insides.
Soft shelf liner and or tile or repti carpet is best.
malibu usually lay about 23 eggs per clutch every 4 weeks if eggs laying season.She will go on a 4-5 day hunger strike before laying.i usually just place the lay box in her viv w/ a 40 watt housebulb above it.Hope this helps!

 

[AnimalKingdom]

The play sand i use is wet when its moist, and when it gets warm it just dries up.

 

[fresnowitte]

I perfer to use the eco-earth or coconut fiber in my lay boxes. Just works better for me and my girls.
Stays moist longer, doesn't mold(not saying the sand does), and with fertile eggs seems to be easier to retrieve but that's just my opinion and preference. :wink:

A beardie can often continue to drop an egg here and there until she has a safe place to drop them all.
If she's not happy with the conditions for laying she will try to hold them then this is where egg bound come into play. It must be to her liking as in the right depth, right temperature, right moisture content...etc...