I started off with a galum(tiger/goat)which according to the guide is a very early bloomer. He got his first 'great' in a drill at 7 months with regular drills around 16 and 17. Around 11 months he got his first 20 for a regular training at 11 months. His first growtht was at 1yr 1mo. This is when I saved 2 separate games. I raised them both in the desert. but I fed one peppers to evolve him. and the other one not. they both gained 20s untill they hit there prime. this is when I lost the 20 stat gains with a pure naga which the book says is an early bloomer. but after the second growth both of my tigers got 19s for int and speed meaning the stat gain prime was over. then I noticed something. I would train one day and my tiger would be healthy, the next he would still be healthy, finally the last day he would be a little tired and I would rest him. the prime after the second growth raises good training days by 1/3 instead of raise-raise-rest it became raise-raise-raise-rest then after the third growth with my anubis(tiger/takrama)gained only a 14 in speed. I had the aroma pot but because my monster was a little tired it shouldn't have mattered and the shining rock to reduce the 'food it doesnt like' stress. So the monster we all want is the one who will get its statgain prime during its real prime. I am going to raise an anubis to see when it hits its prime just to be sure but I think it will hit it late.
conclusions:
there are 2 primes in a monsters life stat gain and the one after the second growth the energetic prime
once you start off with a monster you are stuck with its growth rate such as early bloomer and later bloomer

this is good info, superbk.

i have been looking for the combination of raising that enables me to get two productive drills out of my monsters, but leaving them seeming healthy instead of seeming tired. so far, it is hit and miss - in part because it seems to depend on how the monster does on the drill, and how you react.

i have already settled on a tentative raising style where i rest on seems healthy in babyhood and old age, and push thru to seems tired during the prime[s] and near-primes. at this stage of my training career, getting additional 20s and 30s is more important than 2 or 3 extra months of life. of course, i am willing to be persuaded otherwise...

for 20 stat gains raise raise raise rest during the prime will add 80 to a stat/year. and wont take away from life.

i will try this right away. thanx again superbk.