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Anyone have thoughts on how to stop double clutching?
- Thread starter Chip
- Start date
Nanci
Alien Lover
I definitely do NOT want my females to double clutch, simply because I generally have ENOUGH hatchlings.
I have heard that people think they can promote or discourage double clutching by heavily feeding or not-so-heavily feeding their females after laying.
I feed the post-lay female two hoppers or a weanling 12 hours after laying, and then a medium adult mouse about three days later. I then feed her a medium adult mouse on a five or seven day schedule until she is closing in on her pre-mating weight. I then move her to a ten day schedule until she has completely regained her pre-mating weight, and depending on the female, either stay at ten days or, more commonly, go to a two week schedule of one medium mouse.
By the time the female would be laying her second clutch, roughly two or two and a half months, she is very well on the way to completely recovered. My female who typically double clutches did not this year, and the ones who haven't in the past also did not. The other two usual double clutchers were not bred. The females I have that tend to double clutch will also lay slugs in years they are not bred (so would be on a "maintenance" diet- meaning, I want to maintain a slow rate of growth) and the most persistant double clutcher did so as a virgin.
I think it is just something specific to each female, and not easily influenced by human wishes.
I have heard that people think they can promote or discourage double clutching by heavily feeding or not-so-heavily feeding their females after laying.
I feed the post-lay female two hoppers or a weanling 12 hours after laying, and then a medium adult mouse about three days later. I then feed her a medium adult mouse on a five or seven day schedule until she is closing in on her pre-mating weight. I then move her to a ten day schedule until she has completely regained her pre-mating weight, and depending on the female, either stay at ten days or, more commonly, go to a two week schedule of one medium mouse.
By the time the female would be laying her second clutch, roughly two or two and a half months, she is very well on the way to completely recovered. My female who typically double clutches did not this year, and the ones who haven't in the past also did not. The other two usual double clutchers were not bred. The females I have that tend to double clutch will also lay slugs in years they are not bred (so would be on a "maintenance" diet- meaning, I want to maintain a slow rate of growth) and the most persistant double clutcher did so as a virgin.
I think it is just something specific to each female, and not easily influenced by human wishes.
bitsy
Owned by Corns since 1991
I've certainly found that *not* powerfeeding after the first clutch does seem to put a stop to most of my double-clutchers. I used to stuff as much into them as I could get them to eat, after the first clutch - one or two mice a week - figuring that this would get them back to pre-breeding weight faster. In reality, they double-clutched and recovery from the second clutch delayed the regain of weight and muscle condition.
If I feed steadily but normally after the first clutch, most no longer double-clutch and they get back to a good condition sooner.
I do still have an elderly female who insists on double-clutching, even though she's not been near a male in years. She's very difficult to keep in good condition year round and I put this down to the strain on her body. Mind you, she's 19 now so although she doesn't *look* in ideal condition to me, she's obviously not suffering too many ill-effects in general. I don't tinker with her feeding schedule as she's already on two mice a feed.
It does seem to be quite an individual thing, with some aspects controllable by feeding and some which nature just has to take care of for itself.
If I feed steadily but normally after the first clutch, most no longer double-clutch and they get back to a good condition sooner.
I do still have an elderly female who insists on double-clutching, even though she's not been near a male in years. She's very difficult to keep in good condition year round and I put this down to the strain on her body. Mind you, she's 19 now so although she doesn't *look* in ideal condition to me, she's obviously not suffering too many ill-effects in general. I don't tinker with her feeding schedule as she's already on two mice a feed.
It does seem to be quite an individual thing, with some aspects controllable by feeding and some which nature just has to take care of for itself.