Single Female beardie laid eggs?!?!?

[jkatzenfutter]

My 4 year old female beardie has lived alone her entire life. I've never had her near a bearded dragon, and she is the only one I've ever owned. I came back from vacation and saw two bright orange hard "urates" in the cage and I panicked thinking that she was having some bladder trouble. Since I've been home today, I noticed two more and they were rubbery and white. After taking a picture and looking on line, I think they might be eggs! Do beardies just lay unfertilized eggs like chickens?? I did happen to throw them away before finding out what they were =/ I'm attaching a picture. What do you think?! Thanks!

-Julia

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/812/eggsd.jpg/

 

[jkatzenfutter]

ok, i posted nervously without reading so i apologize for adding the multiple messeges on the same topic...can someone confirm that these are, in fact, unfertilized beardie eggs?? i will go get a rubbermaid container and moist sand so she can feel safe laying the rest if that is the case.

 

[AHBD]

Yes, they are eggs. She will be much more likely to lay them all at once if you have a nice lay bin [ as you noted] but don't be surprised if she just drops them here and there. Hopefully she will lay them in her lay bin. You can toss them right out. Be sure to offer fluids and some food when she's done, and be sure to give her calcium powder at least every other day for the next week or two.

 

[jkatzenfutter]

Yes, they are eggs. She will be much more likely to lay them all at once if you have a nice lay bin [ as you noted] but don't be surprised if she just drops them here and there. Hopefully she will lay them in her lay bin. You can toss them right out. Be sure to offer fluids and some food when she's done, and be sure to give her calcium powder at least every other day for the next week or two.

oh ok, thanks for the information. will do. here's the nest i just made!
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/204/patnest.jpg/

 

[AHBD]

Ideally it needs to be much larger. Is that gravel or green calci sand ? She may not use that, it's much too small. What you need is a medium size Rubber maid [ or any brand , like Sterilite ] plastic storage bin, about 2 feet high or so. Fill it about 12" with damp sand. You can start a hole for her and put her in the partial ' tunnel ' and she may go to work right away. You could also use a kitty litter box [ must be clean ] and block off the entrance when you put her in , unless you can get it in her enclosure. If you use a storage bin, put a clamp lamp over to keep her warm, but it's not absolutely necessary as long as your room is warm. When I start a lay bin, I add warm - hot water to the sand, by the time yo mix it up it's just nice and lukewarm.

 

[jkatzenfutter]

Ideally it needs to be much larger. Is that gravel or green calci sand ? She may not use that, it's much too small. What you need is a medium size Rubber maid [ or any brand , like Sterilite ] plastic storage bin, about 2 feet high or so. Fill it about 12" with damp sand. You can start a hole for her and put her in the partial ' tunnel ' and she may go to work right away. You could also use a kitty litter box [ must be clean ] and block off the entrance when you put her in , unless you can get it in her enclosure. If you use a storage bin, put a clamp lamp over to keep her warm, but it's not absolutely necessary as long as your room is warm. When I start a lay bin, I add warm - hot water to the sand, by the time yo mix it up it's just nice and lukewarm.

so, do i need to temporarily take her out of her enclosure until she lays all the eggs? it's a 75 gal tank, but will not fit a kitty litter box. and what kind of sand should i use? it's calci sand and it was the only sand i found in the store...

 

[AHBD]

You can get washed children's play sand from any gardening center, very cheap. You can even mix it with peat moss or top soil [ with no chemicals or fertilizer added ] or, you can use eco -earth or bed - a beast found in the pet stores. If you have a smaller storage container, the ones that are about 20 ' long, 12' wide and 8-10" deep, you can put that in her tank. You can cut a hole in the lid and she can go in and out as she pleases if you stack her basking log or rock next to it. If she won't stay in, put a piece if cardboard on top [ over the cut hole] and weigh it down so she can't push it off. Leave her for a few hours, it won't hurt her and if she has more eggs she will probably lay them in there. Let her out an hour or so before the lights go out even if she hasn't laid, and try again the next day, a couple of hours at a time. Be sure to give her a drink.

 

[jkatzenfutter]

You can get washed children's play sand from any gardening center, very cheap. You can even mix it with peat moss or top soil [ with no chemicals or fertilizer added ] or, you can use eco -earth or bed - a beast found in the pet stores. If you have a smaller storage container, the ones that are about 20 ' long, 12' wide and 8-10" deep, you can put that in her tank. You can cut a hole in the lid and she can go in and out as she pleases if you stack her basking log or rock next to it. If she won't stay in, put a piece if cardboard on top [ over the cut hole] and weigh it down so she can't push it off. Leave her for a few hours, it won't hurt her and if she has more eggs she will probably lay them in there. Let her out an hour or so before the lights go out even if she hasn't laid, and try again the next day, a couple of hours at a time. Be sure to give her a drink.

i will definitely pick that stuff up. does the lay box have to be covered so it's dark? does it have to be in the basking area or the cold side?

 

[jkatzenfutter]

is this better? http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/198/patnest1.jpg/

 

[AHBD]

Yes, much better. Is she digging ? It would help if it had a lid and you cut about a 7 X 7 inch hole in it,big enough for her to fit... but that will do if you don't have a lid.

 

[jkatzenfutter]

Yes, much better. Is she digging ? It would help if it had a lid and you cut about a 7 X 7 inch hole in it,big enough for her to fit... but that will do if you don't have a lid.

I do have a lid but it's really, really thick plastic. I think she'll start digging tomorrow. She got it around dinner time- I was home terribly sick today so I recruited my dad to gather the supplies haha She tries to dig in her tile all the time so I'm guessing she'll love the sand. Thanks for all of your help AHBD.