Is there any way to prevent infertile eggs?

[Alara]

Other than getting them fertilized.  I think both the last clutch Xena laid, and the clutch she laid a month before, were infertile.  I wanted to give her a break from the egg laying!  I sometimes call her my overproductive little girl lol.

Hopefully this will be the last of the eggs for a little while.

[ladyknite]

If she's laying a "regular" amount of clutches that are infertile (3 or less) i wouldn't worry too much.  Although egg production is hard on them, you can sustain calcium, protein and vitamins with diet and supplements.

If she's going past the three clutches and into more, you stand the risk of several deficiencies including vitamin, protein and calcium.  It's the multiple deficiencies that cause the major issues as well as hydration levels.  Watch the fat stores on top of her head.

There's no way to successfully stop her laying infertile eggs short of a spay.  We have done some experimenting with the concept of an actual breeding to help, and it has been successful.  Infertiles are harder on the system than fertiles.

[Alara]

So far she's laid 2 infertile clutches with the regular number of eggs (28-33).

I want what's best for Xena, so it's wait and observe for now.  If it continues, would the best course of action be to breed her or get her spayed?  I know there's risks for being spayed.  And would I wait until she lays a 4th clutch or if she gets to a third one then I act.

Hopefully these questions turn out to be unnecessary.

[ladyknite]

As you said.....spaying has it's risks.  Some vets do not remove the entire area which still allows eggs to form in stasis.  Others remove the stasis chamber without removing the female organs.  But cold blooded bodies don't heal like warm blooded bodies when their opened up and this lays way for some additional complications.  AT times, the chance is necessary.  But if it's avoidable, I'd do that.

At 2 clutches, i would do nothing except for continue the increased calcium, protein and greens and encourage her to eat as much as possible to prepare for what is hopefully the last clutch.

Start taking notice to determine how far into her cycle you can determine eggs.  Try to use that to guide you when observing for an additional 4th clutch.  You've only got a 2 week span in the beginning of that cycle to entroduce a successful copulation to fertilize the eggs.  It won't fertilize all, but it typically fertilizes enough to throw her cycle off and she stops laying without the backlash of retained sperm.    It's not a proven agenda....and we're still taking notes, but it seems to be working with the females that are going into overtime.

[Alara]

Here are the 3 possible situations:

1) The last clutch Xena laid will be the final one requiring no action (the one I'm hoping for!)
2) Xena lays again and I do what ladyknite suggests and everything turns out fine
3) Xena lays again and I do what ladyknite suggests but it doesn't work and I have to face the possibility of spaying her

No matter which situation comes to be, would you recommend that I don't breed her again?