JubJubLizard":abf61 said:
Hi I posted recently in general topics but now I'm really concerned. Jub-Jub is full of lumps she looks at times like a bag fulll of marbles. Even her back shows lumps. The other replies I got said to watch for digging. She is not digging in her sand however is scratching the side of her tank (glass) relentlessly and otherwise is pacing. Are the lumps eggs? Other poster said possible but also could be food. What do I do from here we are in no way prepared :/ how can I be sure it is eggs other than knowing that the male for sure mated with her. What do I do to prepare and then what about the eggs? Can you make a homemade incubator. Oh I am really over whelmed right now.......Thanks for any info I should add in case you haven't read the other post that they are now seperated and have been for 2 weeks and we have had her for 14 months.
Yes she's 100% gravid if she looks like a "bag of marbles" and is scratching and moving around none stop... (Infertile eggs don't have give the females that huge look.) She will lay any day now, and my bet is within 24 hrs, my females usually lay in the late afternoon/evening hours. So keep an eye on her today as I bet today or tomorrow will be the magic moment! And there will be a lot of eggs if she's that full of eggs, I'm talking 30-40 eggs... The females of mine that only lay in the low-mid 20's you can barely feel the eggs, but when they are "exploding" with eggs you generally get in the 30's+! So congratulations!
Now for a lay box, you should have at a bare minimum very damp sand in the corner of the cage, making a steep sloping hill. I like to start a hole at the bottom for the female, and make sure you compact the sand very tightly. You can use plan topsoil as well...
And for the incubator I would suggest you head over to the closest Tractor Supply co. and pick up a havobator 1602N or Little Giant chicken incubator. I would call first as not all Tractor Supply co. stock chicken incubators...
As for egg substrate, I prefer Vermiculite from you local Garden Center... It's about $6 a bag, and that will last you forever... I fill a deli cup up 3/4 full of vermiculite and dampen it to it's very wet, and I drain any extra... You want a "Sand Castle" consistency, and you want to make sure you have a few small holes evenly spaced throughout the deli cups!
If you need anything or have any further questions please don't hesitate to PM me!
Best of luck,
Anthony