when is too young to separate siblings M & F ?

[kingofnobbys]

Weekly Update.

Peppa been very laid back this week, simply waits for the crickets to come to her.
She's now 257.8g (double checked this time) , suspect I miss read the scales or the error was because she was ready to do big dump (the next morning) when I weighed her last week.

Toothless has been very eager to get his crickets , been chasing them rather than simply waiting for them to blunder too close to her when he's basking, growth spurt happening , also started shedding.
He's now 197.9g.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Update: 27 weeks old.

Tables have turned , Toothless is now the cricket devouring pig , his crickets don't last long, and Peppa has lost interest in her crickets (I removed a load of hiding crickets from her tub today in her weekly cleanout, I think perhaps only 1/2 the crickets I've been giver her have been eaten this week).
She's still eating some crickets (the ones that blunder close enough to nailed by her but she's not chasing them down like Toothless is now), BUT at least she's still demolishing her greens and salad , she LOVES her buk choi ! , and she's still gaining some weight.

Might have some to do with the cooler less sunny days now we are into late May (autumn here) and the shorter days (outside), checking against Rex and Puff's growth curves I can see a similar reduction in the growth gradient in April, May, June in Puff's and Rex's 1st winter, can't recall if there was a similar change in eating habits with Puff and Rex in the first winter (will have to check my detailed husbandry notes for them to see).
The growth gradient slowed then and then remained about the same til they were nearly full grown.
Coincidentally , Puff and Rex had grown to about 17x their original sizes by that time too.

Peppa only gained 1.9g this week, she's now 259.7g.
Toothless only gained 3.3g this week, he's now 201.2g.

Both their growth curves have a flattening trend trend going on in the last few weeks.

Not concerned about this at this stage , am putting it down to the weather and change of season and possibly another shed coming for Peppa.

Since Peppa has not been so keen on her crickets the last 2 or 3 weeks, I've restarted assist feeding her , she certainly seemed to enjoy the handfed crickets this morning.
By doing this with some of her crickets at least I can be sure she's getting the fats, proteins, vits and calcium she needs. Might also be that she's been watching me handfeeding Rex and wants the same deal for her too maybe (cunning little lady).

Also started adding 1/4 tsp of EXOTERRA adult beardie soft pellets to the greens and salad as off yesterday pm, looks like Peppa has eaten some , while Toothless is less than impressed with them (his food dish looks like he's been picking out the stuff he likes and leaving them), these are added as a supplement ONLY.

update2
Aha ! .... definitely a shed on the way for Peppa , just saw her throat stretching .... there be the most likely cause for her loss of interest in hunting/chasing the crickets.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Peppa and Toothless at 7 months old.

Toothless , has been in shed all last week and still some shed to come off his head. Been very grumpy but eating well.

Peppa , no shed from her in the last week . She's decided this last week she wants The Rex Treatment = hand feeding.

Another few months and they will definitely need an upgrade from their current digs (100L rearing tubs) to a full sized 4ft x 2ft enclosures.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Update

Toothless has been a real little cricket pig this week , he's like a bottomless pit when it comes to crickets. He's had a growth spurt this week , gained 31.3g to be 214.2g.... keeps on growing like this and he'll soon catch up to Peppa.

Peppa has been pretty lazy this week again , she is still being handfed her crickets (she seems to really like it) , she gained 18.3g this week , now 297.4g.

Cold weather has finally arrived , deep Tasman Sea low with us this weekend , with torrential rain , storm force winds and monster seas (7m surf). Will be doing my best to keep Peppa and Toothless warm , active and awake.

 

[CooperDragon]

How are you faring with the storm? I just heard about it on the news and it sounds pretty bad.

 

[kingofnobbys]

How are you faring with the storm? I just heard about it on the news and it sounds pretty bad.

Been a stormy week .... been W-I-N-D-Y !!!! and cold and raining like crazy. Further north and it would have been classified as a category 2 tropical cyclone and BIG ONE.

We came off pretty good here , only lost a few branched off our big bluegum , and no storm damage to the house or garage or fences ..... and we are high enough so no flooding , we simply hunkered down and battened down the hatches and hoped the power stayed on (not bought a generator yet) which it did.

My area was hit very hard back in April 2015 by a similar storm , we lost power for a week and it was cyclonic for 4 days and nights in that instance, and we had lots of damage to the garage and some house damage and our driveway became impassable (HUGE tree limbs blown off the bluegum). We did lots better this time.


We simply bumped up the r/cycle aircon setting from 26oC and high fan speed to 28oC and even 30oC when it was really blowing , and kept it at high fan speed during the days to keep the house nice and warm (about 24oC while it was more like 15oC and felt like 5oC with the wind outside during the day). Kept the aircon running as is our practice overnight (set to 26oC and medium fan speed so the living area (where the lizards are) stayed warmer then 21oC overnight .... our lizards are very pampered and spoilt , and they all love their 7W heat-slabs for sleeping on at night too).

Essentially - my wife and I never left the house for the duration of this storm. No point going out in the weather if neither of us had to.

Been not much sun so Rex has been a bit miffed, she loves her afternoon session at the window in the warm sunshine , so she's been getting lots of snuggles intead , as have the bluetongues and the two babies (Peppa and Toothless) , even Toothless had been getting into the daddy snuggles under my hoody sleeves.

Middle of winter and none of my lizards are showing any indication of wanting to brumate.... not that I'm complaining.

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm glad everything is going well for you. Hugh Riminton was on Paul Henry this morning and made it sound like giant waves had eaten everything from Brisbane down to Sydney.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I'm glad everything is going well for you. Hugh Riminton was on Paul Henry this morning and made it sound like giant waves had eaten everything from Brisbane down to Sydney.

The king tide and storm surge and huge wind driven waves have certainly reeked havoc in the beach front suburbs , that emergency is not over yet , it's expected many homes will be taken by the sea in these exposed locations. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2015/s4476849.htm. I wouldn't want to one of the people who's homes are under real threat ATM.

I expect some damage was done at Stockton (fortunately there are no houses on the beach front there (zoned reserve and parks for the entire length of the Mitchell and Pitt Streets , and the caravan park is sheltered somewhat by a massive seawall (Stockton Breakwater - one of my regular fishing haunts.)
A lot beach reinforcing has been done there since the Pashar Dolka Storm (2007)http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-07/grounded-freighter-mv-pasha-bulker/7484392
(a massive rock wall at the back of the beach to protect the above mentioned streets).
Lots of sand will have been taken by the huge waves , this will return over the next 12 months with constructive surf action.
The storm has moved south and is now hammering Tasmania.

Another deep low is heading across from SA and will be here on the weekend.

 

[CooperDragon]

Pretty serious stuff. I hope nobody else gets hurt. Looks similar to the storms that hit the Southeast US during hurricane season. Sounds like you may be in for a rough winter weather wise.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Been getting these autumn and winter "cyclones" more often lately, and the sea has been warmer in winter off the NSW coast.


Toothless has decided he likes snuggles now. Been standing up and looking at me while scratching , only stops when I get him out and give him a snuggle and his new fav a nice under the neck tickle.

 

[kingofnobbys]

UPDATE

7.5 months old now and very pleased with how they are both developing.

Peppa has pushed past the 300g milestone , she's now 306.7g , gained 9.3g this week. I've been handfeeding her crickets to her this week and she's becoming extremely affectionate.

Toothless is now 223.8g , he gained 9.6g this week , been like a bottomless pit for crickets and greens and salad despite being sheddy. He's also decided he doesn't mind a snuggle from daddy.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Been very cold here (mins of 6 - 8oC outside overnight, with gales and torrential rain) for the last few weeks with a string of 3 weeks of winter Tasman Lows (hurricanes) and land storm. You've probably seen the reports of the effects of extensive flooding, tornadoes, very big seas (claiming homes).

Seems Peppa and Toothless have decided to hunker down in the afternoons (staying in their hides on their nice warm heatslabs) with the nasty weather, only coming out for a bask and some food at the usual times, except this week they were both no shows for their afternoon live insect feeds on the 17th , yesterday and today. So I've not disturbed them (no point waking them if they aren't hungry).

Don't blame them for wanting to stay in bed , even though the house is nice and warm (coolest in the living area where the lizards are was last night when I went to bed (2am) when it was blowing really hard outside and bucketing down (yes some trees were brought down in my street , but no power outages - that I was aware off) and I saw the digital thermometer reading 20oC (and 6oC outside).

I think perhaps Peppa and Toothless are growing up and might be telling me they are nearly ready to go to one live insect meal per day.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Forcasting snow and blizards in the Barrington Tops (only 50km away) tomorrow and another very severe storm for my region (Hunter Valley) tomorrow and until Monday. The beardies and bluetongues have been spending most the day hunkering down in their hides on their nice warm heatslabs only coming out for some basking time or their meals (regular as clockwork) or to drink (the BTS love their water), all except Rex who wants lots of cuddles these days.

I think they know more nasty weather is coming even though it's never really cold inside my house with the aircon running 24/7 in reverse cycle over winter.

Considering taking the slow down in Peppa's and Toothless' activity levels (they are NOT brumating) to wean them off two live insect meals per day + greens & veg onto one live insect meal per day + greens & veg.
Will be 9 months old in a few weeks and they are both more laid back regarding their insects now.

 

[CooperDragon]

Get their tiny skis tuned up and ready to go! :wink:

 

[kingofnobbys]

Get their tiny skis tuned up and ready to go! :wink:

Not a fan of cold wet white fluffy stuff .... actually never actually ever seen it but I hate the cold .

Even snowing in the western suburbs of Sydney this afternoon ..... Brrrr .... they can keep it , I'm more than happy to stay inside and close to the reverse cycle aircon , or under in bed (slept in til lunchtime , only really got up because the lizards needed feeding and so did I ---- purk of being retired).