Weight Gain

[Fencer04]

I've posted about this issue before but am really getting frustrated. I have 3 females, 2 have successfully mater and past the 50 grams mark. One, my Mack Snow Eclipse, appears to be perfectly healthy. Her tail has remained plump, she is active and inquisitive and I have seen her eat. The issue is that it takes her 3 days to finish off 10 to 15 mealworms.

Growth Chart:
1/29 - 35g
2/22 - 36g
3/5 - 43g
3/16 - 43g
3/28 - 41g
4/20 - 42g
5/9 - 42g
6/4 - 42g

After some serious weight gain she has just hovered. Is it just because the breeding season is on? If so she I breed her even though she is under weight? I'd rather not, but she is also key to a two year breeding plan that I have.

 

[bohannbj]

First you need to find out if she's ovulating otherwise you shouldn't try to stimulate it. Here are the things to consider:
1. If she isn't eating steadily then she won't fair well or die from breeding.
2. A two year breeding plan goes out the window if she dies.
3. If she's light-weight she probably won't produce very many eggs, so is it worth the risk.
Ultimately the decision is up to you. I have bred at that weight before and held off. There is no bright line rule for weights and breeding. My first female I bred started at ~46 grams, and by the end of the season she produced 12 viable eggs and was ~62 grams. The next year she produced 18 eggs and weighed 70 grams. I have also had big girls start the season and end up in the 40's. Take a hard look at how she is eating and looking and then make your decision. It's a learning process.
Good Luck,
Brent

 

[fl_orchidslave]

You might try feeding her superworms. Maybe the movement will excite her more than mealworms and she'll have a better feeding response. If she were mine, I would hold off on breeding for a few reasons- she will eat even less and her health will suffer. She could produce bad eggs or weak babies, thus not being productive to your breeding plan. Her weight isn't the red flag, as some females seem to be on the small side naturally, but it's her lack of appetite. Bottom line is, don't breed an unhealthy gecko. It doesn't hurt anything to wait a little later in the breeding season to get started.